Chicago is Coming Up Green

Kermit the Frog once claimed “it’s not easy being green.” Well, Kermit, not anymore. All over the country building green, rehabbing green, driving green and even green weddings are becoming increasing popular. Here in Chicago, you can find many examples of sustainable living.

Sheila Burt from YoChicago interviewed engineering consultant George Sullivan, principal and CEO of Eco Smart Buildings, to find out more about green construction. Sullivan is currently working on Clybourn Green, an 18-unit rehab in Chicago, which is expected to use 80% less energy than a conventional building. Features of this green rehab project include:

• New plumbing and electrical wiring
• A stronger building shell that allows for fewer air leaks, reducing heating and cooling costs
• 1.1 gallon shower heads that use 70% less water
• Energy efficient light bulbs that use 8% of the energy of standard fluorescent lights, but generate the same amount of light
• Energy Star appliances
• Eco-friendly oak/maple hardwood floors certified by the Forest Stewardship Council
• Recycled glass or granite counter tops
• Testing for energy leakage by an outside party before the building is complete

Does it cost more to build green? Yes and no, according to the interview. Sullivan estimates that Clybourn Green will cost about 25-30 cents more per square foot compared to a standard gut rehab. However, he figures with the eco-friendly tax reductions of $1.80 per square foot, developers can actually earn $1.55 per square foot more compared to a standard gut rehab.

Another project, Emerald, located on Green Street in Chicago, is not only appropriately named and located, but is also eco-friendly. Emerald is installing many earth-loving, but stylish finishes such as bamboo flooring (a renewable resource that is 25% more resilient than wood), recycled glass terrazzo flooring, low VOC paint and designer fabrics made from recycled raw materials. The 4-pipe HVAC system is economical and user-friendly while the floor-to-ceiling windows are energy-efficient, yet allow lots of natural light into the space.

Not ready to totally gut your home to conform to green living? Why not at least start with your roof and follow Chicago’s City Hall example of planting a roof garden (photo above). City Hall info states that the roof surface has had a temperature reduction of 70 degrees and an air temperature reduction of 15 degrees because the garden absorbs less heat from the sun than the old tar roof. This means City Hall is cooler in the summer and needs to use air conditioning less (I am still waiting for this savings to appear on my tax bill). The garden also absorbs and uses rain water. It can retain 75% of a 1-inch rainfall before there is storm water runoff into the sewers. Overall, the rooftop garden is improving air quality, conserving energy and reducing storm water runoff.

City efforts, such as rooftop garden grant initiatives and programs at the Chicago Center for Green Technology, have brought great exposure to the rooftop garden. At last count there were more than 250 public and private green roofs totaling more than 1 million square feet in Chicago. So while it still may not be easy being green, it has definitely gotten a lot easier and is trendier than ever!