We all know that Green Buildings save energy, but why does this matter besides saving money? I think that we need to look at a deeper level to truly measure the worth of those savings. By saving energy we leave alone those sources that would be used to make that energy, whether that is fossil fuel (Coal, Oil, Natural Gas, Etc.) or water (Hydropower). By not digging or drilling for more fossil fuels we save the land they lay under and so preserve the natural world that plants and animals live in. We also provide untouched areas for ecological functions that the world needs to function correctly, such as Rain Forests, Wetlands, etc. By not burning those fossil fuels we also save the air quality that all living things need and also do not create additional heat trapping greenhouse gases which could lead to global warming.

The dams that make Hydropower impede fish runs and the reservoirs behind dams warm the water above natural temperature or in some cases release deep reservoir cold water into a normally warmer river. Both these situations harm native river ecosystems. So by reducing the need for more energy we reduce the need for dams built to supply power. Since some dams across the country are reaching the end of their physical life the opportunity to remove them becomes an option. These are serious issues that not only affect the human population of the world but also affect the rest of the world’s wildlife. Without a wide diversity of life on the planet we will have a very lonely planet.

   One of the Green aspects of the South Waterfront neighborhood is the multiple modes of transportation. The hierarchy of transportation in cities and towns should be based on what choices makes sense to use for each  trip; walk, bicycle,public transit or private auto, in that order. South Waterfront’s sidewalks and Waterfront Green-way make it easy to  walk safely; and by using 200 x 200 foot sized blocks, such as used in Portland downtown core, walking is more  direct and human scaled. The numerous retail and building entrance awnings in the district protect pedestrians  from the rain, making a quick dash from a lobby entrance to local retail possible. Awnings also provide rain protection and provide shade on longer walks.The streets with limited vehicle access, such as SW Pennoyer and SW Lane will provide direct pedestrian and bicycle access from the interior of the district to the River. Southwest Bond and Moody Avenues provide north and south bound designated bicycle lanes thru the district. The  proposed Master Plan for the Willamette Green-way in the district designates separate pedestrian and bicycle paths to better provide for safer and faster bicycle commutes. Numerous bicycle racks spread throughout the district also promotes bicycle use. A direct connection to the West will be the future Gibbs Street pedestrian/bicycle bridge over SW Macadam Avenue and Interstate 5 . This bridge will allow easy access for the neighborhoods west of the freeway to connect with the River Green-way and District Park as well as the Retail businesses. It will also enable South Waterfront residents to have easy access to the Retail and Parks to the west. Long term plans will be to connect OHSU by this bridge, neighborhood sidewalks and a trail to South Waterfront.The Gibbs Street bridge will also make a direct connection for  Tram and Streetcar commuters who live in the Lair Hill neighborhood.

   Next on the hierarchy of transportation is public transit, of which South Waterfront is unparalleled in the US, with the exception of New York City, because of the Portland Ariel Tram. The  Tram makes for a easy connection between one of Portland’s largest employer, OHSU, and the Portland Streetcar. The Tram also allows for OHSU to expand on the land they own in South Waterfront such as they have done with the Center for Health and Healing at the base of the Tram. Also by having the base of  the Tram surrounded by the high density residences in the South Waterfront neighborhood will make for an easy commute for OHSU employees or patients who live there without any other transportation link. The Streetcar loop through the district makes it easy to exit a full streetcar on the southbound trip and do pickup on the northbound trip. The Streetcar also connects South Waterfront in a linear route through the heart of Portland; River-place, Portland State University, MAX Light Rail and multiple Bus routes, Downtown, the Pearl District and Northwest Portland. Bus routes on SW Macadam Avenue provide addition links out of the district. Automobile use in South Waterfront is also easier because of the grid style street-scape just as it is friendly to pedestrian and bicycle use. Flex cars are also parked in the district for those who do not own or those people who need a 2nd car occasionally. 

 Energy Savings in kWh

By our calculations, the average American home uses 10,968 kWh of energy annually. This figure averages data from several sources that provide information about average annual home energy consumption. Instead of using just one figure, we created an average from figures provided by a number of sources. These sources include the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, the US Department of Energy and Underwriters Laboratories By comparing the projected annual energy usage for South Waterfront residences with the average annual household consumption of energy, we calculated the anticipated annual energy savings for South Waterfront. Natural gas use was included in the calculations. Therms - the units of measurement for heat - were converted to kWh to obtain a standard unit of measurement across all of our energy calculations. 29 Therms is equivalent to one kWh.

Energy Savings in Dollars

To get the energy savings in dollars, the energy savings in kWh was multiplied by 7 cents per kWh, which is the cost per kWh of electricity in Oregon and Washington according to the Department of Energy’s Information Administration Website.

A Mechanical, Electircal and Plumbing Engineer developed Water Use Reduction Tables, which calculate average water consumption per residence compared to projected water consumption per South Waterfront residence. The water consumption per residence considers daily use (the number of times a day a specific appliance or convenience uses water), flow rate of water, usage (how the water is used by the appliance or convenience, for example, in water saving mode or  standard mode) and the number of occupants to arrive at a daily water usage volume. This daily figure was then annualized.

This annual water usage for SWF was then compared to the national average water use per person per year, multiplied by the same number of occupants.  The annual water savings was then equated to number of showers saved per year.  The average shower was calculated at 20 gallons of water or 8 minutes of shower time with a 2.5 gallon/minute water flow.

Smartwater.com, npr.org, supplyht.com and the American Water Association were sources for this information.

My wife and I have been fixing our place up over the past few months, and had a hard time finding green products for the house. After some searching we came across this great paint company called Yolo Colorhouse, who is actually based in Portland. They have a great selection of colors, and the water based products won’t harmful the fam or the environment. www.yolocolorhouse.com

We just had our first child and came across some pretty scary info from the EPA in the process of safety-proofing our home. According to their site indoor air pollution is up to five times worse than being outdoors. Cleaning products that contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) can cause skin and eye irritation, reproductive disorders, and even cancer. There are plenty of green cleaning products on the market that are similarly priced, just as effective, and much safer for us and the environment.