If Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s vision for a new City Hall along the Hub’s waterfront gets built, no one yet knows what it will look like. But one thing is certain: It will be green.

Menino has embraced the concept of so-called green – or “sustainable” – buildings, which use resources such as water, energy, materials and land sparingly.

Last week, the administration announced the final round of Green Building Feasibility Study Grants recipients. The three recipients of the $20,000 awards are Mattapan Community Development Corp., for its Neponset Fields Housing development project; Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, for historic renovation; and North Star Management, for the 27 Drydock Ave. building renovation.

The grants assist builders in analyzing and incorporating green building and renewable energy strategies and technologies into their projects. By providing the funding, the city helps facilitate the exploration of green solutions that are expected to add value to new construction while lessening the impacts on natural resources.

“We’re making strides in convincing developers to build green,” Menino told Banker & Tradesman. “I’m convinced that this new approach will help create a healthier, more sustainable city.”

In June 2003, Menino assembled the Green Building Task Force, a group of public and private partners, to assist the city in navigating the waters of environmentally friendly, high-performance buildings in the city. The panel is laying the groundwork for policy initiatives that will help the city build a greener Boston.

For developers and architects who are considering building green and want more information, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), an organization of professionals working in sustainable energy and green technologies, will present an educational and networking opportunity when it hosts its annual Building Energy Conference and Trade Show at Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center next year from March 13 to March 15.

Green Thoughts
Speakers will present cutting-edge information about various areas of climate change, green buildings, renewable energy applications, greening campuses and institutions, and health and the environment. Below are some green building facts:

• What makes a building green? A green building is one that is designed, built, renovated, operated or re-used in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green buildings are designed to meet certain objectives such as protecting occupant health; improving employee productivity; using energy, water and other resources more efficiently; and reducing the impact to the environment.

• What are the economic benefits of green buildings? A green building is more expensive to build, but proponents say substantial cost savings can be had through lower operating over the life of the building. The green building approach applies a project life-cycle cost analysis for determining the up-front expenditure. Other benefits include improved occupant health, comfort, productivity, reducing pollution and landfill waste. Since those characterizes are not easily quantified, the cost analysis can be daunting. But as more of the buildings age, such cost benefits should be quantified.

• What are the elements of green buildings? The site should be adjacent to mass transit, existing landscaping and natural features should be protected, plants should be chosen that have low water and pesticide needs and generate minimum plant trimmings, compost and mulches should be used to save water, and recycled paving materials and furnishings ought to be used.

• Energy efficiency. Green buildings use passive design strategies such as a building’s shape, orientation, passive solar design and the use of natural lighting. Strategies are developed to provide natural lighting and install high-efficiency lighting systems with advanced lighting controls, including motion sensors, tied to dimmable lighting controls. A properly sized and energy-efficient heat and cooling system in conjunction with a thermally efficient building shell is essential; installation of high R-value wall and ceiling insulation and use of minimal glass on east and west exposures is encouraged; electric loads from lighting, equipment and appliances are minimized; and alternative energy sources such as photovoltaics and fuel cells that are now available in new products and applications are encouraged.

• Materials efficiency. Developers should re-use and recycle construction and demolition materials, design with adequate space to facilitate recycling collection and incorporate a solid waste management program that prevents waste generation.

• Water efficiency. Developers should design for dual plumbing to use recycled water for toilet flushing or a gray water system that recovers rainwater or other nonpotable water for site irrigation, minimize wastewater by using ultra low-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads and other water conserving fixtures.

The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative returns as the sponsor of Building Energy 07. The annual conference features more than 160 speakers and is expected to draw more than 2,500 participants. Activities include workshops, sessions, networking, a free public forum and a trade show.

The event will offer a wide range of benefits for renewable energy and green building professionals including architects, engineers, builders, city and town planners, building systems designers, developers, facility managers, investors, policymakers and real estate professionals, as well as students and others interested in renewable energy and green building practices.

Building Energy 07 kicks off on Tuesday, March 13, with full- and half-day workshops designed to offer training for professionals and students entering the field, as well as experienced professionals seeking a deeper understanding of new issues and technologies.

Workshops will be held on a variety of topics. For example, a free forum entitled “Wind Power in the Wild,” will be open to the public on Tuesday, March 13, at 6 p.m. A panel of regional and national experts will discuss the challenges of locating wind turbines in wilderness areas across New England from the perspectives of both advocates and opponents. James Braude of NECN will moderate the lively discussion.

The event is expected to be the largest and most comprehensive renewable energy and green building technology trade show to date. It will feature nearly 200 exhibitors, displaying products and services that support environmentally sustainable practices.

Trade show attendees will learn about cutting-edge technologies from exhibitors who will share practical knowledge their businesses have gained through real-world applications. Attendees also will experience a Trade Show Reception, student poster displays and NESEA Night featuring a live and silent auction with green products and art-related items as an annual NESEA celebration of community.

“Building Energy 07 is a perfect setting for energy and building professionals, as well as concerned citizens, to learn and network. I don’t know of a better place to make connections – both intellectual and personal,” said Warren Leon, director of the MTC-administered Renewable Energy Trust in a prepared statement.

For more information or to register, visit www.buildingenergy.nesea.org.