Florida Green Building Law: Florida’s Renewable Energy Landscape – Past, Present, and Future

Excellent article on FloridaGreenBuildignLaw.com on renewable energy in Florida:

As a professional in the solar power industry, I’m frequently asked why Florida, the “Sunshine State,” doesn’t have an abundance of solar panels on its rooftops. While the sun’s rays fall generously on the state, our legislature and utilities have prevented the development of a renewable energy industry in Florida that would spur economic growth, create jobs, and draw investment. Indeed, a strong clean energy market is more about regulations and incentives than it is about sunshine and motivated consumers. This gap between potential and policy drives Florida-based renewable energy companies, such as mine, to seek work in other states.

read more HERE

Bike Miami days coming back to the Grove - Sunday April 25

The City of Miami continues its green movement by once again bringing back the Bike Miami Days. Bann the cars and ride, skate, scroll through the streets of the Grove. A great way to end Earth Day week…

Learn more at their blog: bikemiamiblog.wordpress.com

The German

German parking garage...a very green building!

STATE OF THE ART GERMAN PARKING GARAGE

This is pretty amazing! Can you imagine how all of this operates?

And how do they lock each car in its cubicle for safety? (Actually, that is not much of a concern because no one could possibly get inside it here, but the Germans will lock each car anyway.)

Talk about German efficiency! The two photos above were taken at a new parking garage in Munich , Germany . The actual space that the facility occupies is approximately only 20% of a comparable facility with the traditional design that is used primarily in the United States .

Not only is the German structure less expensive to build, but vehicles are also "retrieved" in less time and without the potential of being damaged by an attendant.

It seems that Germany remains in a very leading positoin when it comes to sutianbel buildings. Surely some elements that we can use and learn form here in the US.


The German

top 50 greenest building arounf the world

Top online engineering degree, a blog by Betty Jones, has created a magnificient list of some very sustainable buildings around the world. take a look:

http://toponlineengineeringdegree.com/?page_id=122

The German

Miami Riverday - April 10, 2010

This Saturday, Aril 10, 2010 from 11 am to 4 pm, enjoy a free Riverday at Lummus park. See the flyer for more information or click HERE.

The German Architect

Dream in Green Miami Kick off event April 10, 2010 - Keep the dream alive!

Kick off Earth Month 2010 by joining Dream in Green for Cocktails and Hors D'oeuvres, a Silent Auction, Entertainment and More!

Dream in Green is asking for your support to help expand our Green Schools Challenge program in South Florida. All proceeds from the event will go to support the Green Schools Challenge.

Visit www.dreamingreen.org for more information and to register.

The Our Green Schools Challenge program involves students and staff directly in designing and implementing environmental and energy solutions at their schools. The Green Schools Challenge helps local schools save money by reducing their overall energy consumption through student-led conservation initiatives. While conserving energy at their schools, students learn important lessons about environmental sustainability, which are later applied at home and in the community.

During the upcoming 2010-2011 school year, Dream in Green seeks to make the Green Schools Challenge program available to all schools in Miami-Dade County and also expand our Broward County pilot program. To accomplish this goal WE NEED YOU!

HELP KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE by attending our fundraising event, donating, and spreading the word about this important program.

Non-Profit MemberDream in Green is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is funded through grants and donations. We depend on sponsors like you to continue bringing valuable educational programming to students, teachers and communities in South Florida.

Dream in Green is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is funded through grants and donations. We depend on sponsors like you to continue bringing valuable educational programming to students, teachers and communities in South Florida.

Health Insurance for Foreign Nationals, Worldwide

I have been looking for good health insurance coverage for a very long time. With my German background and living experience, the US health insurance system was always challenging to understand and accept. Even with the newly passed health insurance reform, there are many gaps in coverage and cost that simply do not compare to what I know about insurance in my home country and other places in the world.

As a small business owner I also explored group insurance, something that requires 4+ employees to be worthwhile. Finally, the relationship of premium and deductable was simply amazing to me. My last coverage had a $5000 deductible, a monthly premium of over $300 and many exclusions.

I finally found a great coverage from a European based company. They insure worldwide and only insure foreign nationals, i.e. people who are not living in their country of citizenship. Fitting the profile I have signed up and am extremely happy with my coverage. In fact I am so happy, that I am writing about it and offer the insurance to those who are interested.
There are straight forward deductibles, the one I selected is extremely low ($125) and the coverage excellent. There are also no pre-existing condition exclusions and the carrier will not drop you. Furthermore, this company offers a few simple affordable perks, such as disability insurance, dental and personal liability.

If you are fed up with eh US health insurance system and/or are in search of a new provider, or know someone else that fits the profile, give me a call @ 786.556.3118 or email me.

Sebastian Eilert, AIA, LEED AP.
SeasbtianEilert@gmail.com

Shades of Green @ Village of Pinecrest for Earth Fest

SHADES OF GREEN: Sustainable Initiatives
Awarded “Best Green Film” to Screen in Miami at Pinecrest Gardens


(March 31, 2010) WKLG’s world premiere of SHADES OF GREEN: Sustainable Initiatives receives award for “Best Green Film” at the Delray Beach Film Festival.

Shades of Green was shot on location in South Florida and employed a local crew from WKLG Inc.

The film was directed by Gavin Bagwandeen, produced by Doug La Rue, and written by Executive Producer Susan Spinnato. Additional local crew members include Editors and Camera Operators Adrian Arias & Jason Gracia.

The film features local leaders and professionals including Mayor Carlos Alvarez, Mayor Manny Diaz, Commissioner Katy Sorenson, Sustainable Architect Sebastian Eilert, Founders of Congress for the New Urbanism; Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk and Andres Duany, Citizen Activist Albert Haram-Alvarez, and numerous select others.

The film was recognized and celebrated as its title was called and granted the award for “Best Green Film” by Dr. Michael Posner at the festival’s award ceremony in Delray Beach.

In its 5th year, the Delray Beach Film Festival; founded and directed by Dr. Michael Posner, has been coined the “Sundance of the South,” as it affords independent filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their work. Taking place in the environmentally conscious city of Delray Beach, the festival has gone “green;” including a green category for competition, hosting a green workshop, and initiating a beach clean-up. This is the third consecutive year WKLG has screened films at the festival with Ferdinand Magellan: The Presidential Pullman winning “Best Short Documentary” in 2008.

Shades of Green documents what is happening in South Florida as it takes the needed steps towards a sustainable future. Introduction to key organizations informs viewers of current discourse and policy shaping. The continuum of Smart Growth, New Urbanism, and Green Building is introduced with supporting examples. Relationships between land-use and transit are examined to show how wise-planning and other initiatives play integral roles in energy conservation and efficiency.

Shades of Green is an educational outreach documentary film illustrating how individuals, businesses, and governments can save resources, energy, and money - while benefitting the environment and health of all living things.

A free screening of Shades of Green will take place at the Pinecrest Gardens’ Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 25th at 2:30pm.

Shades of Green will also be screening at the Santa Cruz Film Festival in May and the Central Florida Film Festival this summer.


WKLG Inc. - Doug La Rue is co-founder of WKLG Inc. which has owned and operated FM Radio Station WKLG better known as STAR 102.1FM since December of 1984. In 1986 he expanded into the Commercial Photography, Video, and Film business, with an active interest in preserving South Florida’s history through multi-media creativity. The company’s scope of interest has expanded to include preserving South Florida ecology and increasing awareness of social issues and solutions.
For more information, please visit: www.wklginc.com

Earth day is coming... City of Miami Goin' Green. April 24, Bayfront Park

With Earthfest approaching, i am sure that we will have many great events around town. Here is the first one that came to my attention:

City of Miami, Goin' Green at Bayfront Park. April 24, 2010, runs from 10 am to 7 pm.
Check out the link:

http://www.miamigoingreen.com/


Village Green man

Haiti Earthquake charette @ UM. March 24, 2010

The AIA Miami and the University of Miami, School of Architecture, have teamed up to bring a 5 day Charette to assist with Post Earthquake planning for Haiti, the event will start March 24.

Please click on the flyer for more information!

Village Green Man

Architecture and Community Round Table @ AIA Miami. March 24, 2010. 7 pm.

If you are interested in sustainable or socially conscious architecture and like to get a little more involved, this will be a great round table to attend and find out more about 4 organizations for Architects, Designers, Architects to be and those interested in the field…

AIA Miami Office. March 24, 2010 @ 7 pm.
See you there!

Village Green Man

Shades of Green screening - Delray Film Festival. March 27, 2010

Please join me in the Premier Screening of Shades of Green - Including your Village Green Man!

Mark Your Calendars!

SHADES OF GREEN will premiere at the Delray Beach Film Festival!




Saturday, March 27th at 3:15 pm

Delray Beach Public Library
100 West Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach FL, 33444


Screenings at the library are free and open to the public - so bring your friends and family and spread the word.

After the film, a “Green Workshop" will take place at a nearby venue at 5pm. The panel will be comprised of several local experts/professionals in the environmental field. The workshop will serve as an opportunity for Q's & A's after a day of "green films" and will cover various green topics.

About the film:

SHADES OF GREEN documents what is happening in South Florida as it takes the needed steps towards a sustainable future. The film offers insight into the complexities and interconnectedness of our impact on the environment, and how South Florida initiatives can serve as a model to solve some of these problems. Relationships between land-use and transit are examined to show how wise-planning and other initiatives play an integral role in energy conservation, efficiency, and securing a healthy planet.

To view trailer:
http://wklginc.com/shadesofgreen.htm
For more information:
Email: susan@wklginc.com Websites: www.wklginc.com, www.dbff.us

Dade Heritage Trust - Alvaro Bungalow Ribbon Cutting

Unfortunately I had to miss the event, but there was some excellent attendance as some front page coverage in the Miami Herald by Andres Viglucci.

This little project was a great success and my stepping stone into the world of Historic Preservation. Even though most of the green building features that I had initially recommended did not make into the project, the building in itself as sustainable triumph. With the excellent work by Hugh Ryan, this gem was restored to its earlier simple glorify and is now home to another fine nonprofit organization.

Interested in the building and maybe others that we can save? Consider to join the Dade Heritage Trust as a member… (click here) and look out for the Dade Heritage Days with this years theme: New Faces, Old Places. March 01 -April 30, 2010


Village Green man


East Little Havana bungalow gets new owners, a fresh life
By ANDRES VIGLUCCI

For 40 years, Rolando and Mercedes Alvarez lovingly tended their elegant, gabled Miami bungalow, a 1921 landmark sitting atop a slight rise roughly a long touchdown pass from the Orange Bowl -- until, aging and in declining health, they agreed to sell to a developer who planned to tear it down.
Six years later, the OB is gone. But the Alvarez abode abides, saved from certain ruin by Dade Heritage Trust, and newly and fully restored inside and out.
Saturday, the Hubbard-Alvarez bungalow at 138 N.W. 16th Ave. -- now an official historic landmark named for the two families who occupied it, and lightly converted to office use -- begins a fresh life.

Read More...

Miami Marine Stadium Update

With the new year on its way, it is great to see the efforts to save the Miami Marine Studium continue.
Consider joining the friends of Marine Stadium and support our effort.

Village Green Man




Latest news:

Results of Engineering Study of Miami Marine Stadium
Friends of Marine Stadium and the World Monuments Fund are pleased to release the results of the engineering study which has analyzed the structural condition of the concrete in the Stadium. In a nutshell, we have good news-with a caveat.

While a study by City of Miami in the summer of 2008 estimated the costs of concrete restoration to be as high as $15 million, it was based on an examination of previous documents and a visual inspection. Our study, done by the highly respected engineering firm of Simpson Gumpertz and Heger (SGH), estimated the costs of the concrete work to be anywhere from $5.5 million to $8.5 million, depending upon how much work is done to extend the life of the facility. The SGH study was in-depth, utilizing core sampling and x-ray techniques to evaluate the structure.

SGH is especially well qualified to examine the Marine Stadium since they had done a study of the Stadium after Hurricane Andrew in 1993. In fact, Michael Brainerd, who was an engineer for SGH in 1993, was the Senior Project Engineer for this study. Structural Preservation Systems (SPS) provided the cost estimating for the City's study in 2008 as well as for our study.

The "qualifier" in this is that SGH has recommended that we examine the condition of the piles below the ground and under the seabed. We do not know their condition-and it is important for us to document this to insure a more accurate cost estimate. Therefore, we will have to fund a second study. Another caveat- the cost estimate provided by SGH does not include other necessary improvements such as: new seats, railings, bathrooms, ADA accessibility requirements.

The results of this study did not surprise Jack Meyer, the original engineer of the Stadium with Dignum Associates. Jack has been involved in the effort to save the Stadium since we started in winter 2008. He has provided us a complete set of engineering plans-which has been vital to our effort. Here's what Jack has said: "When we built the Stadium in 1964, it was built to the highest standards. The workmen took great pride in this project and it was very well engineered. When we poured the first concrete shell on the roof, I estimated that the roof would dip 18 inches. It didn't. It dipped six inches. That building is not going to fall down."

You can read the engineering study by going to our website, www.marinestadium.org and going to the section "City Reports". it is the first link in this section.


What Did You Experience At the Marine Stadium?
The Marine Stadium has a colorful and storied history. So many memorable events took place here during its 28 year run from 1964-1992: boat races, Easter Sunrise services, concerts of all types, sculling, TV shows, political rallies, boxing, and much, much more (to the left is Sammy Davis Jr. hugging Richard Nixon at a very famous campaign rally in 1972 ). We are hard at work trying to document these events. Click here to see the list we have compiled so far. We know the list in- complete, so email us with who or what you saw that is not included!

Better yet, please participate in our project to document great memories of the Marine Stadium. As you know, Girl Scout Hannah Imberman is compiling these memories for a book called IF SEATS COULD TALK. Just jot down your best, most personal memory of the Marine Stadium-and email it to Hannah at ifseatscouldtalk@gmail.com A couple of paragraphs is fine. We have over 70 stories so far!

A Busy Time For us

2010 is off to a stellar start. Students from three classes at the University of Miami-a Town Planning class, an MBA Finance Class, and an Architecture and Land Use Planning Class-will be collaborating to develop and test some alternatives for the Marine Stadium site and Basin area. We hope this will provide useful information as the City continues work on the Virginia Key Master Plan.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation held a Board meeting in Miami in January, with the Trustees and staff from the Regional Offices participating. We took them on a boat tour of the Basin and made a presentation about the Marine Stadium. We appreciate both the support and involvement of this important organization.

The Marine Stadium was featured in season premier of Burn Notice, the #1 rated show on Cable Television, on January 21. We noted a significant spike in website traffic after the show.

Since the beginning of January, we have made presentations to the following groups:

Downtown Miami Partnership
Coral Reef Yacht Club
South Florida Triathletes
Latin American Business Association
City of Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority

No matter where we go, the Marine Stadium is always well received. If there is a group or organization that you think would be interested in hearing a presentation about the Marine Stadium, please let us know!

Jorge Hernandez
Becky Roper Matkov
Don Worth

Friends of Marine Stadium
www.marinestadium.org

Coral Gables Eco Expo - February 05, 2010

Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and the Go Green Taskforce present the first Eco Expo to be held on February 05, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in Coral Gables. This should be a great event and I congratulate the City of Coral Gables for moving in an even more sustainable direction.
Please see more details on the flyer below.

Village Green Man

Green Associate study review - January 23, 2010 @ 9 am

Join your Village Green Man teaching you how to pass the USGBC LEED Green Associate exam. This weekend... January 23, 2010 @ 9.00 to 1.30 pm

Village Green Man

The Techincal Review of the USGBC Green Associate Requirements course will provide a detailed technical review of the LEED® Green Associate requirements rating system and other related material to pass the US Green Building Council LEED Green Associate exam. Related topics will include the registration and certification process, LEED® Online and the role of the LEED AP® as well as an overview of the USGBC mission and current available rating systems. The course will be instructed by Sebastian Eilert, AIA, LEED AP® principal of Sebastian Eilert Architecture and adjunct faculty at the University of Miami. The course will provide snacks & refreshments. Registration, examination and related costs are the responsibility of the student. This course is not provided or endorsed by the USGBC or its affiliates.

Recent feedback from our LEED AP® Training Courses

“I did it!!!! Passed with a 179 grade. Thanks again.” – Naomi C. Harrison, LEED AP®, McHarry Associates

“I took the exam this past Tuesday and I am happy to report I scored a 184.Your course was a major factor in calming me down and giving me the confidence to take the exam. Thanks again.” – Scott Flegel, LEED AP®, Premier Building Solutions Limited.

Location: Metro 1 Green Building Resource Center | 120 NE 27th Street #200, Miami, FL 33137

Cost: $210 for members | $250 for non-members

TREEmendous Miami fundraiser - January 22 in Coral Gables!

The non-profit tree planting group, TREEmendous Miami, has worked to restore and increase the tree canopy in Miami-Dade County. In its 10 year history, TREEmendous Miami has been fortunate enough to sustain its many tree planting projects through city, county and state grants. We have planted trees at schools, in parks, along main thoroughfares such as US1 and lined numerous neighborhood streets with much needed shade and beautification fostering community pride. We have engaged thousands of volunteers in the process, including students who have earned community service hours whle learning how to plant and care for trees. Additionally, we check on and maintain our plantings.

We are now looking to the community -- individuals and businesses -- to invest in our environment by supporting future TREEmendous Miami tree planting projects including some environmentally endangered areas of the County, as well as additional schools, parks and neighborhoods.

On Friday, January 22, 2010, TREEmendous Miami will be having its first fundraising event at JohnMartin's Restaurant in Coral Gables on Miracle Mile. Appetizers will be provided by Green Gables Café and Publix Supermarkets. Please attend (see invitation below). If you are unable to attend, we hope you will consider making a tax-deductible donation to TREEmendous to help further our mission of planting, protecting and preserving trees in Miami-Dade County.

January 14. South Florida EGB series: Energy and Atmosphere

Upcoming event information:
Emerging Green Builders Present: How to LEED with Energy and Atmosphere Republic Services Corporate Headquarters, 1391 NW 136 Avenue, Sunrise, FL
Date: 14 January 2010, Thursday 06:00 PM

Emerging Green Builders Present: How to LEED with Energy and Atmosphere
You won't want to miss attending the next presentation in the UGSBC South Florida Chapter's Emerging Green Builders' popular "How to LEED" series. On January 14, in Sunrise, the beautiful and mega-efficient corporate headquarters of Republic Services will be the featured topic and tour. Registered to achieve LEED Silver Certification, the session will be broken into two highly educational components. Click on the flier below to learn more.

Happy New Year 2 0 1 0

To all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Village Green Man

Miami Herald feature of Sebastian Eilert

Great picture and some interesting thoughts about how guests can stay over if you have limited space. Read the article at Herald Online....

Village Green Man

http://www.miamiherald.com/781/story/1397302-p2.html