The Queen, Mr. Bean and Green - London 2012 Olympics

While the Queen’s skydive entrance to the Olympic Games is no doubt a hard act to follow, there is another aspect of the 2012 games which may have a greater lasting impact.   Organizers for the 2012 Olympics promised the ‘greenest’ games ever, with goals of zero carbon and zero waste.   Regrettably, but not surprisingly, these benchmarks were not met – but there is credit due both for setting the sustainability bar high, and the level of achievement which was accomplished.  This becomes the new minimum level for the next Olympics.

Perhaps we can also read between the lines of ‘journalistic’ reports and identify some obstacles and lessons learned.    “ opportunities lost … in part owing to the practices of the sponsors and commercial partners… to use locally grown food and Fairtrade products. “   There is no doubt that an endeavor like the Olympics is highly depended on the commercial sector, and trying to align them all is a bit like corralling herding elephants.    But this is not a unique situation.   Many a contractor will recognize the analogy to their first LEED projects.    And the lessons learned from these projects is to make the expectations explicit and game changers from the onset.  

The organizers set out to improve over the food disasters in Beijing (food ran out, quality was poor), and set out to establish a ‘Food Vision,’ which would reflect a change in diets and health, the state of the catering industry and the farm suppliers.    There is certainly much to be questioned about the sole sourcing of a food chain vs. local vendors, and the nutritional value of fast food.   On the other hand, this is also a massive undertaking of serving 14 million meals at 44 venues.  It becomes a question of supply, reliability, coordination of transportation, permitting, and hosts of other complications.  There is a reliability element of food and service which comes from contracting with international  corporations.  

It also brings up an challenging  dilemma of business vs. health.   Should McDonalds and Coke just shut their doors because their products have  ‘unhealthy’ ingredients?   That is not a solution, for many reasons – including the economic impact on employees, stockholders, etc.  There are other, more realistic and productive solutions.   The U.K. is undergoing a resurgeance of healthy living, but the infrastructure is not entirely well established. The outcome was a compromise between McDonalds agreeing to  source the chicken from the U.K.  While this is far from ideal, it is important to recognize the complexity of the matter.

The first step in any solution is an assessment of the status quo and dialogue between divergent viewpoints.   For example,  starting in 2007, CocaCola partnered with the World Wildlife Fund aimed at conserving seven of the world’s most precious water bains.  Their efforts are horizontally integrated to include not only the bottling plants, but also the agricultural supply chain, to reduce the water consumption in the processing of sugarcane.   Their goal is to return to nature an equivalent amount of water to what is used in the beverages by 2020.  

The "Pringle" - Olympic 2012 Velodrome

At the Olympics, CocaCola joint ventured with a local waste ‘reprocessor’ to  gather the bottles and bring them to a new recycling factory.  The factory was already planned, but the business surge from the Olympics provided the economic justification to get the factory on board quicker than scheduled.   On the other hand,  U.K. Olympic organizers had promised to have tap water as the ‘drink of the 2012 Olympic Games.”  But it appears that CocaCola wielded the corporate muscle and fountains can be found, but they are few and far in between.  At least they are selling water and Powerade, in addition to the Coke products.

So let’s give credit where it is due, to the efforts in rain harvesting, reducing the amounts of steel used in the stadium, choosing FSC certified wood for the Athletes Village,   the energy efficient Velodrome, the recycling efforts.  

 Perhaps the ultimate ‘green games’ would be to having all nations join together to build a facility in Athens.  This would provide a bit of an economic infusion to a country that could use some income, and resolve the problem of finding realistic uses for the stadiums and arenas.  It might reduce the cost of the games, thus relaxing the demand for corporate sponsorship and the resulting business demands.  And it brings a host of other problems.  So let's learn from opportunities lost,  applaud efforts made - and enjoy the Games.

Permaculture Lessons for Prisoners

Just when you think your ideas are great in theory but difficult to implement, along comes a great example of theory in practice.  In this case, it was the closed-loop permaculture concept which we had been working to help drive sustainability in new construction.

A medium-security inmate at the
  Cedar Creek Corrections Center, uses a
botanical keybook to identify moss as
part of forest conservation research

On the Washington peninsula, the Cedar Creek minimum security prison is hard at work – saving frogs.  Yes, this was the original catalyst for the conservation science program at the prison.  Oregon’s spotted frog, which was once common on the Olympia peninsula, is now on the endangered species list.  The Cedar Creek facility has been set up to rear these frogs in captivity, in order to resupply the native stock.

Frogs are just the beginning of the story.  The facility also includes an aquaponics operation that directs the drain water from the tiliapia fish ponds through aquaponic vegetable beds. The vegetables draw the nutrients from the fish operation, and cleans the water as it flows through the phases of wetland plants.   The food from the prison is composted in worm farms,  which produces ‘tea’ and rich ‘soil,’ both of which can be sold as garden fertilizers and soil amendments.    Overall, this composting not only reduces the tipping fees by 75%, but also produces a revenue stream.    And of course,  the fresh vegetables reduce the cost of supply purchasing for the kitchens, and there is much to be said for the nutritional benefits of fresh produce.  Back to the original catalyst of frogs, there is also an experiment to grow the crickets needed to feed the frogs.

While the permaculture component of this operation is fascinating in the interweaving of life components, the impact on the lives of the prisoners is perhaps even more significant.  According to Nalini Nadkarni, who was the driving force for this paradigm change in prisons, is hopeful that

 “ if prisoners can grow plants and raise frogs, then perhaps there are other static entities that we hold inside ourselves, like grief, like addictions, like racism, that can also change.”

Of course, this impact of nature is not limited to prisoners.  Driving through East New York, my cab driver informed me that it was locally referred to as ‘the Jungle.’   Ironically, even weeds were rare in this environment.  The concrete and metal surroundings had no connection to living things, and I found myself wondering how that would affect the emotional make-up of kids raised in this environment.   But the flip-side is also true.  New resorts and even shopping areas have introduced greenery in lovely landscaped lawns, garden beds of carefully arranged and uniform plantings.  While it does provide a visual stimulus, the ‘keep of the grass’ restricts any interaction, and the pesticides make sure there are no bugs or creatures in this version of nature.  

The lesson learned from the prisons is that it is the interaction with nature, the ability to create and work with live and growing things, which makes the difference.   And that is the lesson which I would like to bring back to hospital facilities, schools, housing.   It is a lesson which may help humans understand their relative role in the eco-system, and help us not only survive, but thrive.

Concrete Solutions

It is no secret that I think concrete is a wonderful product.   I love the malleability of it, the abuse resistance to both the wrath of man and nature, and the durability – the sense of permanence.    You can build amazing structures which can last for hundreds of years.   Of course, it is a product which is easily misused – as evidenced by the many projects which turn into instant slums.   The problem is that it is highly vulnerable to installation difficulties.   I’m not sure that I have any words of wisdom to address this, other than to elevate the general opinion of concrete as a highly valued product.  What better way than to improve its value as a green building material?

There are many levels of green.  Deep green solutions in the concrete industry address the production of CO2.  These are addressed on two fronts. The first is the CO2 associated with the energy use in manufacturing, which can be and is being dealt with just like any other industrial operation.   The concrete operation, which is an energy intensive industry due to the high heat required in the process, has reducing energy consumption by 37% since the first calculations in 1972.  Another goal for a 10% reduction in CO2 has been set for 2020. Today, the cement industry fuel CO2 accounts for 3% of the US industrial emissions, compared to 9% for the few remaining iron and steel mills in the US.

Another way to reduce the carbon footprint is by displacing the Portland cement, which is only around 11% of the total volume of concrete.    There is good engineering knowledge of the use of industrial byproducts like fly ash, slag, but also foundry sand, mill scale and synthetic gypsum.   There are also a few new sources of ash – for example from rice husks.   This is a by-product which has had limited opportunities for re-use, and as such is a bit of a ‘garbage’ problem.  But rice husk can reduced to an ash, which has many of the same properties of fly-ash – improved flow with lower water content for higher strength.

LOGIX ICF Pilaster Form

One perspective is often overlooked is the opportunity to ‘value engineer’ the concrete work.  More is not better, if it is not necessary nor add any additional benefit.  For example, 6” of concrete provides sufficient sound resistance for most uses.  2” is sufficient to resist most air-born missiles, such as in a hurricane.   In my background with insulating concrete forms, the structures were often over engineered, based on the prescriptive code.   We advocated paying for the services of an engineer.  Not only do they often pay for themselves through the right-sizing of the structure,  but the savings in concrete can also translate to a lower carbon count.  ICFs can also easily form up a post and beam structural system, marrying the benefits of both worlds.    

Ultimately, one of the key contributors to sustainability is to build something well for a long service life.  With that end in mind, I can think of few products which can ‘out-green’ concrete.

Water– Outflow

The outflow of water is similarly plagued by a reductionist thinking in the West.  Outflow is through the sewer.  I would suggest we adopt a no-waste challenge, and look at eliminating sewers all together.  Most of our bigger East Coast cities are plagued with crumbling infrastructure which can keep up with the demand.   What if we were to adopt a no-waste challenge?     A NO SEWER challenge.  

Blackwater -  Starting with the hardest – this is the effluence from toilets.  Ironically, this is also the easiest to solve, and perhaps the greatest waste of water.   Civilizations have developed many creative disposal ways, such as the Chinese “night soil.”   A few days ago, we shared a development from scientists in Singapore who are looking at ‘loo poo’ as a source of energy!    Incinerator toilet technology has been around for a long time.   

Getting rid of the solid waste from the sewer is important from another reason.   Reducing water consumption in a building with an existing sewer can cause the problem of insufficient water flow to flush solids through the existing sewer pipe, which was sized for a higher flow.  This is not a problem if there are no solids.

Getting rid of blackwater is not a question of technology, but one which would no doubt run into problems with code officials.  An obstacle that can be overcome with sufficient patience, education, and the right political will.  As for the urinals, there is no lack of invention for re-use.  My favorite one is the watering of plants (see photo).   I’m sure this could be converted to a ‘unisex’ usage model.

Graywater – Removing the black water from the system, including all the piping, makes it much easier to sort and distribute the graywater.  This is an outflow in the sense of a water re-use, looping back through the system for another round. The real challenge here is the organization of the systems.  Perhaps more than any other sustainability measure, this one would need to drive the design.  However, this is not a new concept, rather follows along with the idea of creating the fewest ‘wet’ walls as possible. That way, both the collection and the use is along a central axis.    Need to get the designers on board for this one.    And just when you thought the water was just too ‘gray’ to use, along comes technology  which uses a ‘bio-hygienic (???)’ system that is portable, and claims to work for bio-remediation, and industrial wastewater uses. 

Outflow – Eventually, the water re-use opportunities have been exhausted, or the water needs have all been covered.  Then what?   In the imitation of nature, one can construct wetlands to filter water in a low-energy and aesthetically pleasing manner.   But what about taking that indoors?   The new building of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has an indoor constructed wetland,  the Living Machine, which will clean the buildings wastewater for re-use in toilets, irrigation and maintenance.                                                                                                          

The final end-use of water is as irrigation water.  This can be directed for landscaping in the winter, or routed to deeper diffusion basins for ground water replenishment, or filtered and released into a river.   And, just in case you weren’t able to entirely decouple from the sewer and the eventual deposit into a wastewater treatment plant,  there may be good news.  Researchers at Rochester University are experimenting with harvesting the algae growth (which removes ammonia, nitrates and phosphates) for use as a bio-fuel.  This is only one of the many companies experimenting with this technology.  In France, where the new laws require commercial buildings to either purify or recycle water, the algae treatment not only fulfills this mandate, but generates revenue through energy production.

Water– Rethinking the Sources

In our modern Western society, we consider water through one simple perspective.  One pipe brings the domestic water to the property, and another takes the sewer away.    It’s simple, it works – and yet… There are opportunities missed, there is dependency created, and it isn’t always the best use of the resource.  Let’s consider the options.  Water comes in many forms, and it might be worth the mental exercise to explore all possibilities.

Banner Bank - Boise - re-directed catchment basins

Liquid  -  Typically, we talk about water in a liquid form, and only once it hits the earth.  We draw on it from natural holding areas, such as ground water (wells) and springs, or natural lakes. We also create catchment areas through man-made reservoirs, cisterns or other holding tanks.   Yet there are additional options to gather water further up the flow, closer to point of use, which might be less contaminated and avoid costs of pumping.  I’m thinking not only of rooftop collections (hardscaped or even green roof), but also catchment from the side of a building in areas which get a lot of wind-driven rain.  This might use facade cladding to horizontal transoms which run to horizontal gutters. This could  help address water problems of insufficient draining opportunities – for example a sidewalk between two buildings. 

Another favorite example is that of the Banner Bank Building,  a LEED Platinum building which was able to reduce water consumption by 70%.  Part of this was by intercepting several acres of catchment basements in which flowed past their building,  and  - very important -  designed their systems to be able to utilize this water.    

When I was living in the arid west, almost half of the water usage in residential was for watering lawns.   But the town had been built to provide for this, with a secondary water system, with untreated water coming off of the reservoirs.    It was a long-term planning decision made which weighed in the costs of a second water line with those of the additional treatment plant capacity. 

Stairs inside an Indian catchment basin

But these collection systems just barely touch the surface of possibility.  We can really learn from desert societies , such as the Golden Desert in India, which only gets only 16 cm (9 inches) of rainfall a year. Yet, they have created a water capture system which not only shows us the techniques –but a communal system for water management.  Not to miss is Anupam Mishra’s very ‘dry’ humor on Ted Talks.

Water also falls in the form of snow.   Where snow is already being moved, does it matter where it goes?   Possibly.  I can think of one area in the city where the old street trees are stressed from lack of water.  The city forester believes this can be traced to the increasing hardscaping of properties, and the rain getting flushed down the sewer instead of soaking into the soil.  Add to this a trending toward xeriscaping, further reducing landscape watering.  Solutions range from replacing concrete with pervious pavement, pavers, gravel (currently NOT allowed in the city code), or  - just shoveling the snow into areas that can support a slow melting into the soil.  This small shift of habit was the difference my lilac bushes need to go from stressed to thriving. 

What about condensate recapture?

What about vapor?    Water can be captured through dehumidifiers, or from fog  (Fogquest).   On a commercial scale, what about condensate recapture?  This is essentially distilled water which can be used for all but potable water.   Seattle steam has tapped into this resource from commercial laundries, for reuse as the incoming wash water – a closed loop cycle.   One hotel project shows a three year payback.    

There are many advantages to gather water from several sources.   First of all, it is a complete waste of municipal resources to treat water for functions which don’t require treated water.  It is also a waste of money to pay for water which can be harvested.  I carefully did NOT say ‘free,’ because there is the initial set-up cost.  But once this is amortized, the water collection will carry only the cost of maintenance, filtration, or power to transport the water.    The payback period will definitely change based on the local water rates,  but it may be worth considering the impact on the cost of sewer. This is often tied to incoming domestic water purchase. 

In dry climates, the cost of water continues to climb, so there is a financial incentive to find alternative sources.    On the bigger scale, a municipality may not have enough potable water for a growing population.  Water, unlike energy, cannot be ‘produced.’     This is a growing problem in my home state of Utah, where there are proposals to draw water out of the Green River to pump to Denver, or to tap into the aquifer in the southern part of the state for use in Nevada.    Yes, folks, we are talking about piping water across multiple states….

The energy sector has figured out that it makes more sense to support energy conservation measures.     Water departments could do more than just support xeriscaping, by considering all these other options. Or course, this is more difficult, as it would require working in concert with the building department, and the architects, and the builders….  

In areas like the dry western deserts of Australia, many of these water capture techniques are compulsory, as is water conservation.  As the Indians have shown us, it can be done by the collective will of the people, or, it can be mandated.     Either way, the technology has existed for centuries. 

Design Thinking – about Water

Today is a shared exercise of rethinking water.  In previous blogs, I’ve enjoyed the luxury of expounding on concepts from the safety of my remote cyberspace location, but today I will figuratively put myself at a design table with the challenge we posed of creating a ‘lean’ value stream for water.  The question is- how to go about it?

To be clear, the task at hand is to increase value and decrease waste  - regarding water.  This is an important distinction from a straightforward mandate to ‘reduce water use.’    There are many paths of discussion one could pursue, but I’m going to do an end-run around the more traditional discussions of the three R’s (reduce, re-use, recycle) and start with the big R - rethink  - the very function of water.    We immediately think of it as washing, cooking and drinking.   Are there others?   Existing or waiting to be invented?     

Space Heating/ Cooling -  In previous blogs, we’ve already looked at a few of these alternate uses,  all based on the fact that water has a storage capacity for heat,  it can be transported, and the heat can be released.  Traditional geothermal comes to mind, transferring the heat from the soil to heat the building space.  This same concept is used with the transfer of solar heating to a tank of water, for use as radiant heat.   This thermodynamic principle can also be used in reverse, where cool water is run through the pipes which ‘absorb’ the heat in a room, for example through ceiling panels?       

Cooling of Outdoor Air  – In addition to the cooling of indoor air,  there are some applications for air cooling which might happen prior to the air entering the building.    At the specific point of air intake into the AC, indirect evaporative coolers have been developed  to help pre-cool  incoming air, reducing the load on the actual A/C units.   There are additional opportunities for water-cooling  of air, through misters or water cascades.  This might be for outdoor patios, or even water features which are installed around a building. 

Energy  Source or Storage -  The Cool Energy CHP system takes this concept of heat transfer, but uses it as a source of power, tapped into through a Sterling Engine.  In essence,  the heat storage in water is like a big battery, only much less expensive, lasts much longer, and has no toxicity issues in the ‘disposal.’  Of course, water has been used for centuries as power with direct applications in mills, and then for use in generators for power.  Can this be adapted on a smaller scale to a building?   For example,  water captured on a roof and flows through one collection area.   Toilets – every time they flush, can they generate electricity? (blogger note:  YES -  having just thought of this idea - I GOOGLED it - and ... discovered a posting from last week with just such an invention!!!  gotta watch the YouTube)  Or dishwashers.   Maybe this is only feasible in areas of concentration – like in commercial laundries – where there is a regular large volume of water moving through a pipe.

Light Enhancement –  At some point, we’ve probably all been introduced to the concepts of light reflection and refraction, using a mirror and a cup of water to create a light rainbow.   Could this same principle be used on a larger scale?   For example, what if you had a dark room with just one south facing window – but looking out onto an ugly rooftop of the next building.  There are several options, the most expensive of which is installing a green roof on your neighbor’s building.  But there could still be a heat gain issue.  You want the light in, the heat only selectively, the view blocked.  Just brainstorming here,  but is there a combination possible using a reflective surface on the window casing, directing the light to a  ‘wall of water’   feature which would then refract a multi-colored light into the room?  This would both improve the light, perhaps add a ‘white noise’ to the room, balance the ions…..

Air Cleaning – Water can filter particles out of the air.   That is the premise for the Rainbow vacuum.  (worth watching the video, It's Only Natural -  a sales pitch - but might generate some ideas)   Can this same principle be used for a work environment which is very dust intensive?  I’m thinking about a paint booth I had once for a manufacturing process.  What if the exhausted air was pushed through a wall of water before it was released to the atmosphere.  Would this have captured many of the remaining particulates?  Could this be used on a job site?    The water might be run on a continuous flow, with the particulate captured on a screen filter – like the filter on a clothes dryer.

Moderate Humidity -  Depending on where you live, the indoor air might be improved by either the addition of, or the removal of humidity.  This is the role of forced air HVAC systems.   But what happens in high energy efficient buildings, which only have low velocity air balancing systems ? Are there feasible non-mechanical approaches to modifying the air humidity?  Adding  plants  would help, as they evaporate moisture ..and help clean the air.   In the winter, we used to put a pot of water on the radiators or the wood stove.  Is there a commercial application of this concept?  Removing moisture can fall under the auspices of water harvesting, with dehumidifier  equipment.

Vegetation Growth -  Water is, of course,  necessary for plants to grow – AND – plants can filter air.  Another point to consider is that domestic, treated water is often not the best for plants, due to the chlorine.  Plants can be used on a rooftop, or as outdoor ‘curtain’  to both provide shade, evaporation for cooling, and to filter water,  which can bring us to a discussion of ‘grades’ of water quality, sources, and uses.  …. which sounds like a great segue  for Friday’s blog…

Mindset : A Magic Wand?

Magic Wand  - the manual of skills

A mindset is the filtered view of one’s surroundings.     Just looking through my library, I can see it popping up everywhere.    It is Dr. Phil’s number one remedy to change the outcome of your life.  The latest iteration of the Toyota/ lean books have distilled much of the message down to Lean Thinking and Culture -  i.e.  the mindset of problem solving, and trickle-down effect on the moral of the company employees.  Rex Miller calls unequivocally for a mindshift in the construction process in order to create less expensive, higher-quality, and sustainable green buildings.  

It would almost appear that mindset is the magic wand of change -  and there is a clear mandate to change in the construction industry.   So where is Harry Potter when we need him?    In a recent research experiment,  I experienced a very interesting lesson in mindset.    The participants were all part of a core team for a construction project, which was in its 4^th phase.    I would characterize this group as very cohesive, with a sincere interest in learning and a great respect for each other’s contributions.  In short, a very collaborative group.    They were split into three work teams, and were directed through a series of exercises intended to explore a different approach to the design process.   We were experimenting with systems thinking, looking at the interaction of eco-systems, and the relative positioning of people in this bigger picture.  

Each team took a totally different approach, using a different set of tools.  Admittedly,  I tried to coral them all into my idea of the perfect process model -  but that was perhaps naïve and unnecessary.   Taking a step back and looking the perspective of mindset – there was no problem.   They were all quite determined to work through the puzzle and learn something to apply to their work.   They had a problem-solving mindset.   One team was highly analytical, and they developed a few gems of wisdom regarding goals and measurements, for example,  the goal of using water 3 times before discharge. (See upcoming blog for examples).   

Another team had an ‘expert,’  who helped provide an accurate process system map of the biological systems.   This understanding could be an inspiration for a biomimicry system in the human paradigm.    It also establishes the functioning balanced model, which is the goal of sustainability.   

The third group was the design thinkers, who excelled at the ideation of a biosphere in which they examined the interconnectivity of the components.   Their ‘aha’ moment came through in the recognition that waste can be the driving force to creating a system which is truly sustainable.     And my own moment of realization has been that it is the combined forces of these three groups which can really drive the solution.   Pulling together the expert and the creative models, and using the analytical component to develop some guidelines.  

What I recognized was that mindset is truly a wand  with magical potential -   but we all need to rely on our collective skills as wizards, and collaboratively solve the puzzles we face in our world. 

Derecho et al

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Millions of people across a swath of America from Chicago to DC have been left without power in the wake of Friday’s ‘derecho.’   This storm is like an army of destructive ‘wind lords,’   linked into one united front,  knocking down huge trees in its cross-country blitz.  It is the largest wind event on record, with the widest area of destruction.  The UK was battered on Thursday with ‘supercell’ thunderstorms, with more than 110,000 lightning bolts recorded in one day.   That is a concentration fourty times worse than the average storm.   In other parts of the world, fires are raging.  

Last night, yet another of these wind bursts blasted the house.  This morning, the tree was down in the other neighbor’s yard.   We had power, since we feed from the local power plant.  But these storms have exposed the very fragile nature of our current existence.  We are dependent on one little electric line to link us to one power source.   This line runs our refrigerators, our air conditioning, our computers, our cash registers, security systems, doors.   In some cases, it is the guardian of water from pumps, from gas through controllers, and even air.  Politically, we clamor for freedom, yet we have created a system of our very existence which ties us tighter than an umbilical cord.   Early pioneers had it rougher, but were far more resilient than we.

So do I advocate returning back to survivalist strategies?  Stocking my larder with a year’s supply of food?    Not necessarily, but the motivation is worth examining.  How prepared are we for these types of events?    In addition to the emergency response to deal with the aftermath, are we doing all we can to mitigate the damage upfront?    Are we designing structures to withstand such wind events?  For the building shell to withstand puncture by debris propelled at over 100 MPH winds,  or driving rain pushing past the exterior skin?   Can we function without power for a few weeks?   To stay cool, despite over 100° F ( >40° C) temperatures. 

LEED-H Habitat Home built with LOGIX ICF

These are the conditions which support the wisdom of building with structural systems like Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs),  installing gravity feed heating systems,  passive ventilation cooling.   This supports the design for daylighting, the integration of farm gardens and localized food production.   So as we mop up from this storm, let’s note lessons learned and act upon them in the next calm between the storms.  While we can’t control the frequency or intensity of the weather, we can certainly build our resilience and be better prepared.    In the meantime, we have another storm expected tonight,  another night in the basement, another round of tree damage.