Archinect - News 2024-12-21T22:46:34-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150455606/what-could-trump-s-economic-plans-do-for-the-cost-of-building-green What could Trump’s economic plans do for the cost of building green? Josh Niland 2024-11-25T16:46:00-05:00 >2024-12-01T17:09:35-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/6c/6cb8e7a4b8d6224bea358297bd16651b.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Proposed tariffs by the incoming Trump administration may increase the prices of many items at the store. But for architects and advocates working on more efficient and sustainable buildings, there&rsquo;s fear that tariffs could impact specific materials and machines that are key to their work. Higher costs from tariffs, some say, may slow down the pick up of these techniques of residential and commercial construction, and make such buildings more expensive and less attractive to build.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Firms could be hard put to keep pace with the cost of procuring materials like <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91234064/building-a-sustainable-home-could-get-more-expensive-under-trumphttps://www.fastcompany.com/91234064/building-a-sustainable-home-could-get-more-expensive-under-trump" target="_blank">mass timber</a> and products such as <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/2132562/heat-pumps" target="_blank">heat pumps</a> after the proposed blanket tariffs are enacted, explains <em>FastCompany</em>. This would add stress and uncertainty to the already lagging American building industry, which is considered behind Europe as far as efforts to increase efficiency standards are concerned. Domestic manufacturing would have to rise to the challenge or risk falling back into the wrong kind of "American Exceptionalism" that is both environmentally unproductive and at odds with a global consensus on <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/15101/sustainable-building" target="_blank">building sustainability</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p><br></p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150429784/pratt-soa-dean-quilian-riano-outlines-plan-to-address-space-challenges-with-proposed-new-building Pratt SoA Dean Quilian Riano outlines plan to address space challenges with proposed new building Josh Niland 2024-05-30T14:43:00-04:00 >2024-06-06T08:15:37-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/db/db01714d11652a79ac2d6cf5f19cec3c.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>In a new letter to faculty members at the <a href="https://archinect.com/pratt" target="_blank">Pratt School of Architecture</a>, second-year Dean <a href="https://archinect.com/features/article/150404282/quilian-riano-at-pratt-believing-in-the-power-of-an-architectural-education-for-the-next-generation" target="_blank">Quilian Riano</a> has outlined the need for some $71 million worth of deferred maintenance and other upgrades to the 155-year-old Higgins Hall in keeping with the new <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/sustainablebuildings/ll97/local-law-97.page" target="_blank">Local Law 97</a> mandate for net zero operating capacity by 2050. This includes $57 million for maintenance and upgrades, plus an additional $14 million to increase the electrical capacity.</p> <p>Local Law 97 requires new energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions limits, with a goal of a 40% reduction by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. Additionally, Higgins Hall has maxed out its Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and electrical capacity.</p> <p>As a result, Riano said, the school must expand into a new building to accommodate its growing student body. A Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) will now be issued to developers. This process will explore leveraging Pratt Institute&rsquo;s air rights to build housing, including affordable housing, and deliver ...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150142965/gas-fired-power-plants-are-becoming-obsolete Gas-fired power plants are becoming obsolete Antonio Pacheco 2019-06-24T13:28:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/c2/c27cfa9c03b11bcfdf9a139506ae7f88.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>General Electric Co said on Friday it plans to demolish a large power plant it owns in California this year after only one-third of its useful life because the plant is no longer economically viable in a state where wind and solar supply a growing share of inexpensive electricity.</p></em><br /><br /><p>GE's Inland Empire Energy Center, a 750-megawatt natural gas-fueled plant located in Riverside County, California, built in 2009 is shutting down 20 years early.&nbsp;</p> <p>The culprit? Affordable <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/370162/wind" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wind</a> and <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/230782/solar-panel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">solar</a> energy, which are surging in California, and outdated technology.&nbsp;</p> <p>On most days, California generates roughly 50% of its energy from <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/26258/renewable-energy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">renewable</a> sources, with new records set every few weeks. See here for an <a href="http://www.caiso.com/TodaysOutlook/Pages/supply.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">up-to-the-minute</a> breakdown of where California's energy comes from.&nbsp;</p> <p>The trend is a long-term one, as California has pledged to eliminate fossil fuels in its energy supply by <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-renewable-energy-law-signed-20180910-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2045</a>,&nbsp;and recently met its 2020 emissions and renewable energy goals several years early. That's bad news for natural gas- and coal-fired power plants.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/31/31bd928e8a8875b30b5d6df2f5cd541a.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/31/31bd928e8a8875b30b5d6df2f5cd541a.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>A moment-in-time breakdown of California's energy sources from Monday, June 24, 2019. Image courtesy of California's Independent System Operator.</figcaption></figure><p>A representative from GE told <em>Reuters</em>, &ldquo;We have made the decision to shut down operation of the Inland Empire Power P...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150079233/3-canadian-mayors-join-global-leaders-in-signing-net-zero-carbon-buildings-pledge 3 Canadian mayors join global leaders in signing net zero carbon buildings pledge Hope Daley 2018-08-24T14:46:00-04:00 >2018-08-24T14:26:42-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/0a/0ae0640bedb186ed3d74e392bee563af.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Today, 3 Canadian mayors, alongside 16 mayors from around the world, representing 130 million urban citizens, committed to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions from their cities by ensuring that new buildings operate at net zero carbon by 2030 [...] Buildings in urban areas are one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and typically account for over half of a total city&rsquo;s emissions on average. I</p></em><br /><br /><p>Mayors from 19 cities around the world have now signed the <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/65656/net-zero" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Net Zero</a> Buildings Declaration, which also pledges to ensure all buildings will meet net-zero carbon standards by 2050. A net zero building uses <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/217880/energy-efficient" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">energy efficient</a> design by drawing from renewable sources to meet performance needs. These commitments are an essential goal of the&nbsp;<a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/684810/paris-agreement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paris Agreement</a>&nbsp;and controlling global temperature rise.&nbsp;</p> <p>Cities pledged include: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Copenhagen, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Newburyport, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Monica, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, Tshwane &amp; Washington D.C.&nbsp;</p>