Upcoming LEED Green Associate Exam Prep Class

May 17th, 2012 | 0 Comments

We’re pleased to announce that Abe Kruger is co-presenting a LEED Green Associate Exam Prep Class with green|spaces in Chattanooga, TN. Spots are still available! This is the third time we’ve taught this class with green|spaces. More info below.

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Bringing New Life to Briarcliff Summit

March 9th, 2012 | 0 Comments

Anyone living in Atlanta is familiar with the 9-story Briarcliff Summit building on the corner of Ponce de Leon Ave and North Highland Ave. Depending on where you strike your gaze it’s either a gorgeous 1920’s building with lovely decorative terra cotta detailing or a rundown brick building with cheap windows and unsightly window A/C units. In reality, Briarcliff summit is both and if all goes as planned is about to undergo a significant retrofit.

Originally known as the 750, the building opened to much fanfare in 1925 with 200 luxury condominiums. Asa G. Candler Jr., the son of Coca-Cola magnate Asa Candler Sr., owned the real estate firm that built the 750. As the Great Depression set in the building was converted to the Briarcliff Hotel and eventually HUD subsidized affordable housing.

Evergreen Partners Housing, based in Portland, Maine, is in the process of purchasing the building. The project is seeking affordable housing and historic preservation tax credits to facilitate the much needed improvements. The renovation will include cosmetic upgrades (painting, replacing carpet with durable flooring, new kitchen cabinets, etc) and significant energy efficiency improvements (new windows and HVAC systems).

To aid their application for tax credits, Evergreen has chosen to pursue green certification under the Enterprise Green Communities program. Kruger Sustainability Group and Carl Seville are the green consultants on the project. Today we inspected the facility along with the general contractor, architect, engineer, and project manager from Evergreen. While the building was far from the conditions described in a 2006 Creative Loafing article, it clearly was in need of some TLC. A couple of the highlights from the building tour are the amazing view from the roof, inspecting the old boiler in the basement, seeing where the indoor pool used to be in the basement, and getting an close up view of the terra cotta.

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KSG Goes to the RESNET Conference

March 7th, 2012 | 0 Comments

Abe Kruger, CEO and founder of Kruger Sustainability Group, presented twice this year at the annual RESNET Building Performance Conference. Despite a relatively slow economy and a new construction market far from recovery, attendance was at near record high. The approximately 1,000 attendees included HERS Raters, home performance contractors, remodelers, architects, product manufacturers, educators, utilities, and government employees. This year Mr. Kruger presented his HERS 101 session. This session has turned into a bit of a tradition with him offering it nearly every year for the last 7 years. Attendance typically ranges from 30 to 60 people for this preconference session that covers all aspects of the building performance industry.

2012 RESNET Building Performance Conference

The second session was Building a QA Network with Glenn Pease of EnergyLogic. This session explored different models for how national HERS Rating Providers can deliver RESNET required quality assurance. Not surprising the attendees were primarily Quality Assurance Designees (QAD). In many ways this session turned into a QAD roundtable with individuals providing lessons learned.

All in all this years RESNET Conference was a resounding success and we’re looking forward to attending again next year.

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KSG Provides Weatherization Services for MLK Day

January 17th, 2012 | 0 Comments

Martin Luther King day is a time to give back and help your community. With our offices walking distance to the MLK center in Atlanta, GA we are constantly reminded of his message of peace, justice, and support for your fellow man. This year KSG volunteered with the 10th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project held the weekend of January 14-16, 2012. Volunteers worked at senior citizens’ homes in the Oakhurst neighborhood of Decatur, GA. (more…)

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KSG Certifying 1st LEED Home in Augusta

January 16th, 2012 | 0 Comments

The Augusta Chronicle has a nice write up about one of KSG’s LEED for Homes projects. Ivey Residentialhome builders is constructing one of the first LEED homes in the Augusta area. The Mayfield residence will showcase both off the shelf energy and water saving technologies as well as cutting edge products like solar PV.

Mayfield Residence under Construction. Image courtesy Augusta Chronicle.

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Presenting at Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference

December 29th, 2011 | 0 Comments

Abe Kruger is presenting Protecting Lives and Livelihood through Workforce Development: Greener Jobs through Improved Chemical Safety Best Practices at the Good Jobs, Green Jobs regional conference in Atlanta, GA. Multiple coalitions are working to protect workers and occupants by developing tools and best practices to address environmental challenges. This workshop seeks to highlight key green job training and workforce development resources and best practices that can be tailored across sectors and sites. This workshop will describe chemical safety best practices that the federal spray polyurethane foam (SPF) workgroup has developed working with governments, industry, academia, NGOs, and others to promote safer work practices for SPF energy efficiency projects to protect workers, bystanders and occupants, while building a more endurable green economy. (more…)

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GA DET Verifier Training

December 15th, 2011 | 0 Comments

Kruger Sustainability Group and Green Home Georgia in conjunction with Westside Home Builders Association present the one-day Georgia Duct Envelope Tightness (DET) Verifier training. This course is designed to introduce the skills necessary to become a DET Verifier, certified to perform the diagnostic testing required for new homes by the 2009 IECC GA Amendments. The course is Tuesday, December 20th.

DET Verifier Training December 20th 2011

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Next Stop Willard, OH

December 12th, 2011 | 0 Comments

This afternoon Abe Kruger is hitting the road for Ohio where he will visit the printing presses of RR Donnelly to see his textbook, Green Building: Principles and Practices in Residential Construction roll off the presses. RR Donnalley, originally known as RR Donnelley & Sons Company, was founded in 1864. They are based in Chicago, IL and have facilities in nearly 40 counties. Despite so many options for printing locations, Abe’s excited our publisher chose Willard, OH because it’s relatively easy to get to and so close to his alma mater, Oberlin College.

Green Building: Principles and Practices in Residential Construction is shipping the end of the month.

There is no hiding the fact that Abe’s more than a little ready to hold Green Building in my hand. He first started discussions with the publisher, Cengage Learning/Delmar, almost three years ago to the day. Originally, he was going to be the sole author, but quickly realized that was simply not possible. Abe opted to ask his friend, former student, and all around great guy, Carl Seville to partner with him. Even though he likes to remind Carl that he taught his HERS Rater course, Carl was a renovator for 25 years and has a great wealth of knowledge. Carl uses the Green Building Curmudgeon as his nom de plume and is a frequent contributor to Green Building Advisor.

Aside from the simple joy of seeing 36 months of hard work turn into reality, I am also excited to learn more about the printing process. I’m curious to see what types of paper, ink, and recycling practices RR Donnalley uses.

I will post soon with my report from Willard, OH!

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HERS in Western Mass

December 12th, 2011 | 0 Comments

 

Green Jobs Training at Holyoke Community College

KSG is pleased to report that the Energy Conservation Training Company (ECONTC), a Division of Applied Proactive Technologies, Inc. (APT) has licensed our HERS Rater curriculum. Abe Kruger just completed conducting their first HERS Rater course at Holyoke Community College. As part of Holyoke Community College’s broader goal to support business and workforce development, they have contracted with ECONTC to conduct green jobs trainings. KSG is excited to support the growth of the HERS industry in the western Massachusetts region.

More information about their initiative is available here:

Working Green Flyer 2011

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ENERGY STAR Multifamily Certification

November 11th, 2011 | 0 Comments

Recently KSG partnered with Performance Point out of Charlotte, NC to certify the Alta Glenridge Springs as ENERGY STAR. The project achieved certification under the Version 2.0 standards. The certification process for a multifamily project is nearly identical to detached housing, though sampling (inspecting only a portion of the units) is much more common given the “cookie cutter” similarity of the units. Wood Partners is the builder and owner of the apartment community. The project set out with the goal of achieving ENERGY STAR without breaking the budget and providing real value to their apartment customers. Although you wont find solar panels or other eco-bling on this project, you will find tight and well sealed building envelops.

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