< PreviousBased in Southwest Florida, Babcock Ranch is a planned community that aims to be the first city in the United States powered almost entirely by solar energy. Homeowners just started moving into the community earlier this year. FEBRUARY 201810 If you are curious about sustainable communities that blend cutting-edge technology, renewable energy sources and careful planning to create ‘smart,’ liveable, low-carbon foot-print municipalities, check out Babcock Ranch.Babcock Ranch is one of the more visible examples of a growing trend towards green construction methods. Green or sustainable construction emphasizes water and energy conservation, using recycled construction materials and avoiding toxic chemicals in paint and other substanc-es. Sustainable communities, meanwhile, feature lots of green space, affordable housing, renewable energy sources, efficient waste and water management and comprehensive public transit. Such eco-friendly ini-tiatives are often complemented by technological measures such as widespread broadband Internet con-nectivity. In so-called smart communities, businesses, residents and local government are receptive to Information Technology (IT) initiatives. Sustainability is a trend worth paying attention to and not just to save the planet; green con-struction is rapidly becoming an area that generates a great deal of revenue. Between 2011 and 2014, the green construc-tion sector generated $167.4 billion in the United States and supported over 2.1 million jobs, states a study released September 2015 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Between 2015 and 2018, the study predicts green construction will generate another $303.4 billion in GDP and support 3.9 million jobs.Given such impressive figures, it is no surprise that Babcock Ranch is a well-planned, well-funded project. The concept originated with Kitson & Partners, a real-estate development company. Kitson & Partners acquired a vast amount of land to kick-start the project. In 2006, the company sold 73,000 acres of this property to the state of Florida for preservation while ear-marking 18,000 acres for what was to become Babcock Ranch. In 2009, Kitson & Partners teamed with Florida Power & Light to make Babcock Ranch a solar power showcase. Sun energy in Babcock Ranch is gathered through solar panels on the rooftops Written by Nate Hendley11 CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS of commercial buildings and at a solar energy centre, which is situated near the town and contains more than 300,000 solar panels. The community also features ‘solar tree’ installations that can be used to charge phones and other handheld devices.When the sun is shining during the day, electricity is generated at a solar plant. At night, the town draws energy from a natural gas power plant. Individual homeowners in Babcock Ranch are encouraged to install their own solar panels to reduce their energy bills further. The power system in Babcock Ranch went online in early 2017, even before anyone lived in the community. Property guidelines in Babcock Ranch compel homeowners to plant native trees and shrubs –which do not require much water – for most of their landscaping. The town has rain gardens, community gardens, lots of green space and a walkable layout to reduce the use of cars. Homes are built according to Florida Green Building Coalition code standards. Babcock Ranch is also a ‘smart’ community; each home and business in the place has a gigabyte worth of fibre-optic connectivity. A ‘smart grid’ electrical distribution system is designed to maximize energy efficiency. There is also a transit system based around autonomous, electric-powered shuttles. Construction on the first private homes and commercial buildings in Babcock Ranch commenced September 2016, with the first homeowners moving in January 2018. There are newly-opened restaurants, retail outlets and a school in the community, and the area is crisscrossed with biking and hiking trails and lakes.Babcock Ranch is designed for thousands of residents, not millions. Still, this smallish community highlights measures big cities can implement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy costs and reliance on fossil fuels while creating more liveable, IT-friendly environments.One simple measure that cities can adopt is to encourage con-tractors to participate in the Leadership in Energy and Envi-ronmental Design (LEED) program, created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED sets criteria to conserve energy and water use in buildings, reduce waste sent to landfill sites and facilitate clean air flow and natural light, among other measures. Buildings that pass muster can be promoted as LEED certified or LEED Silver, Gold or Platinum. According to the USGBC, more than 90,000 projects around the world, in over 160 countries, have followed LEED building practises. The council estimates that “nearly five million people experience a LEED building on a daily basis.”One alluring goal is to create a ‘zero-energy’ or near-zero building, which is defined as a building that consumes the same amount of energy per year that it creates on-site, through solar panels, wind turbines or other methods. This is a pretty high bar to obtain, so a simple green roof – having a garden on the rooftop of a commercial or residential building – might be a more realistic goal. A green roof can improve air quality, absorb heat in summer and soak up rain-water, so it is less likely to leak through the roof or overwhelm a runoff system. LEED is also growing in popularity as part of the larger green construction trend. The 2015 Green Building Economic Impact Study from the USGBC estimates that by 2018, LEED-related construction projects will support some 1.4 million jobs in the United States, while providing $95.7 billion in labour earnings. It is not hard to figure out why LEED standards and green buildings are popular; people like living and working in them. Productivity and workforce retention increase in healthy build-ings. Owners appreciate the reduced maintenance costs, and real-estate agents can use the green angle for promotion. Plus, federal, state and local loans or tax credits are often available for contractors who follow green standards. LEED is not just for individual buildings anymore. Last year, the USGBC launched a pilot “LEED for Cities and Communities” cer-tification program. Participating municipalities could be rated on measures such as water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste and stormwater management, crime, “Productivity and workforce retention increase in healthy buildings.”FEBRUARY 201812 In 2013, Canadian research firm Corporate Knights published a list of “the most sustainable cities,” in North America. To create its list, Corporate Knights examined twenty cities, assessing a series of factors. These factors were further divided into categories of economic security, governance and empowerment, energy and infrastructure, environment and social wellbeing. The top-ranked city for 2013 was San Francisco. It was followed, in order, by Washington, DC; Ottawa; Van-couver; and Toronto. Interestingly, Seattle, Washington, education, transportation infrastructure, affordable housing and air quality index. Cities could earn points by submitting plans for carbon reduction, disaster preparedness or maintain-ing healthy communities. In December 2017, Arlington County, Virginia was recognized as the first Platinum level community under the LEED for Commu-nities program, run by the USGBC. Arlington County has a popu-lation of around 230,000 people. In the past few years, Arlington launched several municipal initiatives to boost energy efficiency in county government buildings and in county vehicles and infra-structure. A County Community Energy Plan (CEP), approved in 2013, is designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions in building construction through water and energy efficiency. The same month that Arlington County earned its honours, the City of Phoenix, with a population of 1.6 million people, attained ‘LEED for Cities’ Platinum certification. “Phoenix has earned a national reputation for leadership on sustainability, and this prominent certification vali-dates our incredible progress. We’ve set ambitious goals, and Phoenix will continue to take more steps to divert waste, increase water efficiency and reduce carbon emis-sions, which benefits us, our environment and our economy,” stated Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, in a December 15, 2017 USGBC press release. Such measures would surely please the USGBC. One of the council’s goals, as stated in its 2017-2019 strategic plan, is to WHAT IS THE GREENEST CITY IN NORTH AMERICA? often viewed as the epitome of green environmen-talism, ranked only seventh, just behind sixth-place finisher, Boston. Rounding out the top ten, in the eighth, ninth and tenth spot respectively, were Philadelphia, New York City and Calgary.Other studies have come to different conclusions. The Mother Nature Network (MNN, an environmen-tal website) recently rated Portland, Oregon as the greenest city in America, followed by San Francisco, Boston, Oakland and Eugene, Oregon. increase the number of sustainable and healthy communities and cities in the United States.Such thinking has come to Canada as well. Last year, the Canadian government launched something called the Smart Cities Challenge. The idea is to encourage communities to embrace connected technology and innovation, with the goal of improving the lives of residents. Money is involved; there is one prize up to $50 million for communities of any size, two prizes up to $10 million for communities under half-a-million people and one prize of up to $5 million for cities under 30,000 people. The challenge is further proof that, in 2018, being a smart, sustainable community can be good for the bottom line as well as the environment. 13 CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS FEBRUARY 201814 UGE is an international renewable energy company that provides customers with instant savings through the low cost of solar energy with the ultimate goal of powering the world with renewable energy. The solar industry can be broken into three categories: residential, utility-scale, and the in-between, which is referred to as commercial and industrial or C&I. UGE has found its sweet spot focusing on solar projects in the C&I space.Written by Jen HockenUGE is a complete turnkey provider. From conceptual-ization to construction, UGE can provide everything from educating customers about their property’s solar potential and cost savings to taking the project to the opera-tional stage and generating clean energy. Certain projects only require some solar services; in these cases, UGE will tap into its world-class in-house engineering team for engineering, pro-curement, and construction services. The expertise of UGE’s employees has driven the company to become a leader in the renewable energy industry.Nick Blitterswyk founded UGE in 2008 as a result of his deep passion for sustainability, clean technology, and renewable energy. This motivation has been hugely beneficial on the business side of the equation, as solar is the future of energy. Nick positioned the company for growth right from the beginning – one of UGE’s first projects was a sub-stantial twenty-four-kilowatt solar rooftop at a Home Depot in Ontario.At the time, there was a surge in new solar technology and other clean technology, but UGE found that there was a disconnect between the technology and the clients or business-es that would ultimately use it. This created a need for a solutions-based company that could really focus on bringing projects to life. The cost curve of solar technology since that time has changed drastically; the first time the company pur-chased solar panels, the price was close to four dollars per watt. 15 CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS In the past decade panels have become increasingly affordable and are now about one-tenth of that price. The ninety percent drop in output costs has transformed the scope of projects which the company is capable. In fact, when UGE completed a 100 kilowatt solar installation at Exhibition Palace in Canada, it was the largest solar project in Canada of its time. Now the company’s average project size is approximately 3 Megawatts!“Early on, most of our clients were clients not necessarily because it was the most cost-effective source of energy, but because it was something they really wanted to do. They would pay extra to go green,” explains Nick Blitterswyk, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of UGE. As solar energy becomes increasingly affordable, the argument for going solar has found economic footing as well. The majority of clients today are driven by the immediate financial benefit of adopting solar energy. UGE has developed a long list of clients including BMW, Lincoln Financial Field, Whole Foods, Highroad Estates Inc., and even the Eiffel Tower. By 2016, it was named the second-top solar contrac-tor in New York and the thirteenth-top solar developer nation-wide. In 2017, the Global Energy News crowned it the full-service contractor of the year, and surely, in the future, the company will continue to receive recognition for its outstanding work. UGE has a dual international headquarters in Toronto and New York, and has a third local office in Cebu, Philippines. The Philip-pines has become a major player in the solar market because it has the highest cost of grid energy in Asia, making it a great candidate for solar energy. UGE provides solar energy at a much lower cost than what the electrical grid is offering, partially due to the quantity of sunlight available and partially due to the Philippines’ regulations, cost of labor, and import taxes. Another reason that the Philippines has been a successful market for UGE is its relationship to Filipino basketball star Ramon Fernandez, who has become the face of the franchise in the Philippines. “He [Ramon] is very well respected and liked in the market, and that relationship really allowed us to grow some roots there,” says Nick. UGE is growing rapidly; its revenue increased four times in the past year, and the company is expected to have a very high growth year in 2018 with the objective to spread clean energy to as many areas as possible. Before the end of 2017 the company announced its first projects in Alberta, Boston, Minnesota, and British Columbia. Managing the rapid growth can be a chal-lenge at times, but the company has gained new employees and expanded into a larger office in Toronto to keep up. Between the company’s three locations, there are over fifty full-time employees who have the advantage of cross-collaborat-ing with each other. The professionals at UGE have extensive industry experience, which sets it apart from most competitors. The company has also been rated very highly by its employees throughout its history.UGE has expertly developed its ability to engineer projects and build them to completion efficiently. The company is also experienced when it comes to finding ways to finance projects so that clients do not have to pay any upfront costs. Through project economics, the company is able to offer clients a free roof, reduced energy bills, or lease payments depending on the location and the client’s needs. “From the green perspective, it’s really important for us to spread as many clean kilowatt hours as we can around the world,” says FEBRUARY 201816 Nick, “and we understand that not everybody is going to want to do that if they need to pay more. It is a matter of how to drive down costs and increase the benefits from solar systems.”The slogan, “Be Green, Be Great, Have Fun,” was established in the early stages of the company and remains the company motto today. UGE is very proud to be a green company that is recognized as a leader for quality.The three key factors of sustainability for UGE are environmen-tal protection, economic development, and social responsibil-ity. For social responsibility, the company has internal programs to ensure that it is living sustainably, sharing its knowledge as often as possible, and inspiring others to do the same. The company has implemented an annual ‘Summer of Sustain-ability’ which promotes a different sustainability challenge each week; one week encouraged eating meat free and the next minimizing waste. The company also makes it a priority to invest in its employees’ futures with various training programs. Meanwhile, the economic development aspect of sustainabil-ity begins with creating jobs both internally at UGE and exter-nally. In addition to its fifty-plus employees, it has also hired many subcontractors. Beyond solar, UGE stores energy in different types of batteries. In 2015, it won a federal grant to create solar battery storage to add resiliency in New York City in case another event like Hurricane Sandy comes through the area. “We’re not a battery technology or even a solar technology company ourselves, but we really specialize in bringing these projects to the market and to clients,” says Nick. Microgrids, offered by UGE, can operate independently or be connected to a larger grid. The ability to completely discon-nect from the grid is essential to energy resilience in the event of another natural disaster. If the grid goes down, microgrids prevent businesses from being disrupted, which is a bonus for the community as well. For two years running, UGE has been ranked as one of the top solar contractors in the United States by the well-respected Solar Power World magazine, a popular resource for finding leaders in the industry. According to Nick, “Our mission statement is to power the world with renewable energy, and though we will probably never be done with that, at least not in my lifetime, we’re surely looking to make a lot of progress towards that.” “The economic development aspect of sustainability begins with creating jobs both internally at UGE and externally.”Many would say that the most greatly consumed source of energy in 2018 is either fossil fuels or oil. As the renewable energy industry evolves and quickly increases in cost efficiency, Nick predicts that, by 2030, solar will become the most impor-tant source of energy for the entire world.“What I say to prospective clients is that solar is no longer an expensive technology. I think that’s a secret that a lot of people don’t yet know,” explains Nick. “Depending on where you are, solar costs are either somewhere around what the grid is charging or, in many cases, it is considerably lower than what the grid can offer.”17 CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS FEBRUARY 201818 In the construction industry, loyalty is earned, and after seventy-five years in business, the John G. Johnson Construction Company (JGJ) thrives on repeat work. Satisfied clients return for the expertise in construction management, design-build and general contracting from this subcontractor and bid package specialist.Celebrating 75 years1943 – 201819 CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Next >