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Feature Article
Obama Administration Announces Partnerships in Better Buildings Challenge
Source:DOE
Date: June 30, 2011
Obama Administration Announces 14 Initial Partners in the Better Buildings Challenge. Private sector partners, local governments commit more than $500 million and 300 million square feet to improving energy efficiency
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced today at the Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in Chicago the 14 initial partners committing to the Better Buildings Challenge. The Better Buildings Challenge is part of the Better Buildings Initiative that President Obama launched in February to catalyze private sector investment in commercial building upgrades and make America's commercial buildings 20 percent more efficient over the next decade. The Better Buildings Initiative is co-led by the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and former President Clinton. Earlier this month, the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness recommended to President Obama prioritizing the Better Buildings Initiative as an important way to support job creation. The initial partners in the Challenge include private sector companies, financial institutions and local governments.
"Improving building energy efficiency on a large scale is a challenge we can't afford not to take," said Secretary Chu. "It will create jobs, reduce energy waste, save our businesses and institutions money, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil."
Read More...
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Calendar at a Glance
July -Celebrating Summer is more sustainable at your local Farmers Market!
Wednesday-Thursday July 20th-21st Indiana Community Connection
Event: WIndiana 2011 and the Indiana Renewable Energy Conference Registration 8:00 a.m. Wednesday
Where: Indiana Convention Center
What: Two days with 24 sessions on Large Scale Winfd, Solar, Biomass and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Three Tours: Wind, Solar, & Biomass. 5 How-to Workshops for Home and Small Business on small wind, solar PV, Solar Thermal, Geothermal. Keynote Speakers include: Ed Begley Jr -actor, environmentalist; Becky Skillman -Indiana LT Governor; Denise Bode -CEO AWEA; Bob Prantil -Regional Exec. GE Energy.
For more info...
Wednesday July 27th Central Branch
Event: Meet your Branch Leadership
Where: Bier Brewery
When: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
What: Members Only Social
Please email your event notices to the Editor
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Indiana Chapter Connections
-Branch icons connect you to Branch updates and opportunites
North Central Branch
The branch will take a break from hosting programs during the summer months, but will continue to work through the summer to develop new ideas to improve its impact next year. If you are interested in helping out with any planning efforts, please contact Mike Reese at mwr@troyergroup.com.
Northeast Branch
 For additional information regarding the
USGBC-IN Northeast Branch contact:.
Communications Chair - Jill Gibson (Hattersley)
jgibson@ahattersley.com
Central Branch
 Acess USGBC Webinars on our website calendar Schedule yours to complete your LEED A.P. CMU's
Mapleton Fall Creek CDC has registered a LEED ND project. If you are interested in their Upcoming LEED ND Charrette log onto their website for more info.
 Save the Date: Friday September 16 is Parking Day. An annual, worldwide event that invites city dwellers everywhere to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good. The USGBC-IN Central Branch is once again looking for volunteers to participate in PARK(ing) Day. We require assistance in planning and designing our temporary park, soliciting donation or salvage materials, borrowing equipment or furniture, attracting sponsors and many hands to assemble the temporary park before 8am and deconstruct it between 4pm and 6pm on that Friday. For more info on the event chechout their website parkingday.org
For additional information regarding the USGBC-IN Central Branch contact: Spnsorship Committee Chair: Stew Whitcomb, stwhitcomb@gmail.comMembership Committee Chair: Heather Zeto, hazeto@platinumearth.com
Programs Committee: position open
Communications Committee: Kris Rubino, rubinok@mayerfabrics.com
South Central Branch
 For additional information regarding the
USGBC-IN South Central Branch contact:
Communications Chair -Ian Marlowe: ian@newpowernow.com
Southwest Branch
For additional information regarding the
USGBC-IN Southwest Branch,
please contact Richard Kuhn: rtk@efficientenergytechnologies.net
USGBC-Indiana Chapter Branches
Represent You!
- Volunteer in 2011
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From the Chair
I hope everyone has enjoyed the start to this summer and had a great holiday weekend. It's hard to believe that the 4th of July has already come and gone. A couple of weeks ago, our neighbors to the Southeast (in Cincinnati) hosted this year's Greening the Heartland conference. I was glad to see a good showing from the Indiana Chapter down there. It was very helpful to meet with the organizers of this year's event and pay special attention to how the conference was organized, what worked well, and what might be done differently for next year, when our State Chapter will host the event. Please save the date for Greening the Heartland 2012 - May 16-18, 2012. 
While attending the conference and thinking about next year, one thing was very clear - our Chapter will need quite a bit of assistance from our network of volunteers and industry partners to make the conference a success. To that end, I will renew my previous request for volunteers to help with the planning. There are several sub-committees already starting to meet that could use some additional support.
Please feel free to contact me if you are interested. 
Thank you!
John O'Brien
2011 USGBC Indiana Chair jpobrien@heapy.com
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Indiana Green Building Events
WIndiana 2011 and Indiana Renewable Energy Conference
When: July 20-21, 2011
Where: Indianapolis Convention Center
Register online
Lt. Governor Becky Skillman has announced WIndiana, Indiana's only statewide wind energy conference, will expand this year to include wind, solar, bioenergy and alternative fuel vehicles. Along with sessions on utility-scale renewable energy projects, the Indiana Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) will include how-to workshops for homeowners and small business owners on wind, solar PV, solar thermal, biomass as well as new and innovative renewable technologies
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Indiana Green Building News
USGBC-IN Chapter releases our Google Maps LEED Certified Projects Finder v2
The Google Maps database of LEED Certified projects in Indiana has been updated. - Total Projects Registered: 273 +13
- Total Projects Certified: 77 +3 (EVSC Tech & Innov. Center; IPS School 31; Wesselman Woods Nature Center)
- Confidential (Omitted) LEED Certified Projects: 9
- Total Number of LEED Certified Homes: 102 +20
Author: Daniel Overbey, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf |
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Indiana Green Building Projects
EVSC Technology & Innovation Center Awarded LEED Certification
Source: EVSC Community Observer
Date: June 6, 2011
The new EVSC Technology and Innovation Center, designed by Architects, Engineers and Interior Designers at Hafer Associates, was completed in 2010 and provides space for professional development for all EVSC staff and office space for the staff of the Office of Technology and the Office of the Superintendent.
The building is approximately 18,000 square feet and is comprised of offices, classrooms, and computer labs. Not only is the building nationally recognized for its sustainability, but the bright, colorful interiors help make the place a fun learning and working environment.
Important features of the new EVSC Technology and Innovation Center that make it more sustainable than a typical new building are highly insulated walls, doors, and windows which control the environment's temperature changes throughout the day, a highly reflective roof and exterior aluminum sunshades that reduce solar heat gain, the utilization of natural daylighting to brighten the interior spaces, and low-consumption fixtures were installed to reduce water use by 48%.
In addition, the new building also experiences cost savings by utilizing geothermal heating and cooling and has occupancy sensors to turn off the lights and modify room temperatures when the room is not in use.
Read More...
Submit Your LEED Certified Project to be featured on our Chapter website or newsletter
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CMP Resources
Source: U.S. Green Building Council LEED Member Updates
Date: July 2011
Have you enrolled for your LEED AP with specialty credential? Enroll today - there is no risk but the two-year enrollment window begins begin closing in August. Log on to the My Credentials page at gbci.org to find out your personal deadline for enrollment. A LEED AP with specialty credential allows you to designate specific expertise in five fields within green building and shows clients and employers that your expertise is current and meaningful in today's dynamic and rapidly evolving green building marketplace. There are eight unique ways to earn and maintain your LEED credential, from participating in committee and volunteer work to attending live presentations to self study. Learn more » .
USGBC and Better Homes and Gardens Launch Green Home Makeover Sweepstakes
Source: U.S. Green Building Council LEED Press Release
Date: June 7 2011
"$25,000 Save Money, Save Energy Green Home Makeover Sweepstakes" connects readers to USGBC's GreenHomeGuide.com for simple tips and solutions for living greener. Designed to offer actionable tips and advice for green home living, the sweepstakes will run across the Better Homes and Gardens network of magazines and websites. "Green building has become a tried and true way to live healthier and conserve resources while saving money, and homeowners are looking for the latest and greatest strategies for creating and maintaining a green home," said Nate Kredich, VP of Residential Market Development, USGBC.
Contact: Ashley Katz Communications Manager, USGBC 202.742.3738 akatz@usgbc.orgFollow us on Twitter at @USGBC
USGBC Launches LEED Volume Program for Operations and Maintenance
Source: U.S. Green Building Council LEED Press Release
Date: June 27 2011
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced that
LEED Volume Program for Operations & Maintenance is now available for existing green building projects. Process delivers large-scale green building certifications for existing facilities into standard practice. The track, which focuses on operations and maintenance needs, debuted at the 2011 BOMA
International Conference held in Washington, D.C.
"With the launch of the Operations & Maintenance track, LEED's largest users are now able to make a sizable impact in greening their existing building portfolio as well as achieving green design and construction of their new builds," said Scot Horst, Senior Vice President, USGBC. "Because existing buildings make up the vast majority of the U.S. building stock and the existing building market is nearly 100 times larger than the new construction market, tools like this are essential to reducing energy consumption from this sector." The LEED Volume Program streamlines the certification process for high-volume property owners and managers of existing buildings and new construction projects.
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From the Editor
Summer breezes are bringing changes to how our chapter members access regional, state, and local news. Let us know if we're headed in the right direction!
While you are headed out into the great unknown this summer don't be slowed down by rising gas prices. We suggest taking a regional vacation -it is a more sustainable option. Be sure to check in on the activities of our neighboring chapters while you travel!
Greening the Heartland Regional USGBC member has 16 chapters in eight states -Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. Our neighbors to the North, East, South and West all boast local amenities that will take your mind out of the office and into a greener environment in part with thanks to the efforts of many of our neighbors who are also working toward a sustainable balance between nature and the built environment. Enjoy safe travels and when you return, submit your summer photos to the editor and we will collect the best to share in our August newsletter!
Connie Torres
RA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
USGBC Indiana Communications Committee Chair 2011
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OUR SPONSORS
Platinum Sponsor
In Kind Sponsors  
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Partner Organization
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The Indiana Chapter of USGBC invites you to support the activities of the chapter by becoming a sponsor. As interest in green building gains momentum in Indiana, there has never been a better time to become involved with and support the Chapter.
Media Communications, educational programs, networking events, and advocacy work educate and create awareness of green and sustainable building strategies. Please consider Chapter Sponsorship in your annual budget or sponsor a chapter or branch program and joining our effort for a better built environment.
To receive a Sponsorship Registration Form, please contact Stew Whitcomb, stwhitcomb@gmail.com our chapter Sponsorship Chair.
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USGBC Indiana is now accepting individual donations. The Indiana Chapter is a non-profit organization solely funded by its membership through donations and sponsorships. If you would like to contribute to the organization, you can make a secure payment using PayPal. Individuals donating $50 or more will be recognized through USGBC-IN.org.
Click here to make a donation.
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GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK
Let us know how we can improve the USGBC-IN newsletter. Contact the 2011 Communications Chair -Connie Torres regarding USGBC Indiana Chapter media at 2010ct@comcast.net |
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