Feature

Going, Going, Green
Going to the 2008 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo
 

Green is the word, and “Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global Sustainability” is the theme of the 2008 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo. The event, sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), will be held November 19-21 and will fill the entire Boston Convention and Exhibition Center with information on green products, processes and technologies.

Show organizers are saying this year’s show is continuing its trend of major growth, and the number of glass-related companies exhibiting is growing as well. 

A New Look
According to show organizers, Greenbuild 2008 has been reorganized to account for the growing number of attendees. The 22,726 attendees at last year’s Greenbuild in Chicago was a nearly 75-percent increase over Greenbuild 2006 in Denver, and this year USGBC anticipates 30,000 attendees. In response to last year’s overflowing rooms, long lines and sold out sessions, this year’s event will provide more break-out rooms for educational sessions and 50 percent more exhibit space, totaling 300,000 square feet, for the 1,400 booths showcasing green products. In addition, organizers say the general session hall will accommodate all attendees registered for the full conference, which is a good thing since many attendees will be eager to hear the keynote speaker, Archbishop Desmond Tutu (see August 2008 USGlass, page 70 for more information).

While an array of green products will be on display in the convention center, glass will surely stick out in the crowd. A number of products, from glass and metal to windows and curtainwalls, will be on display. 

Seminars of Note
If going to learn what makes glass products green, attendees also may be interested in a number of seminars slated to take place during the event: 

Wednesday, November 19, 2 p.m., Greening the Trades of Tomorrow: This workshop takes a look at the technical schools training trade contractors, as well as architects and builders, and ways to introduce more green building best practices into the curriculum. The session will provide a sampling of classroom seminars and on-site specialty trainings.

Wednesday, November 19, 2 p.m., Living, Bio-Climatic Facades: From Concept to Practice: This session will look at the way in which intelligent, responsive building enclosures are providing new functionality to green buildings. The panel will explore facade innovations for daylight, view, shade, natural ventilation load balancing and other factors from three perspectives: functional requirements and architectural educational needs; performance of available and emerging integrated facade systems; and translating designs and technologies into affordable, deployable systems.

Wednesday, November 19, 4 p.m., Practical Steps Towards Widespread Use of Intelligent Integrated Facades in Commercial Buildings: The seminar will provide a practical overview of systems that make up intelligent facades and how they can be used to meet net-zero energy buildings goals. 

Thursday, November 20, 8 a.m., Lighting Controls/Daylight Integration: This session focuses on the future of lighting and daylighting, and will incorporate several different perspectives. It will focus on the discussion of the next generation of lighting which includes solid state and hybrid solar.

Thursday, November 20, 10 a.m., Toward Zero Energy and Beyond: Solar- and Wind-powered Buildings: For companies feeling the demand for solar glass, this presentation about the process of creating zero-energy buildings powered by solar electricity, solar thermal and/or wind energy systems may be of interest. 

Thursday, November 20, 4 p.m., Bird-friendly Design: Strategies to Help Migrating Birds Navigate through Cities: Bird collisions with buildings and glass are a significant hazard to millions of birds. During the day, birds can fly head-on into windows, confused by the reflection of trees, clouds or skyline. At night, ornamental lighting on skyscrapers can confuse migrating birds. This session is intended to help architects design green buildings that are bird-safe while still connected to nature—find out what that means for glass. 

Thursday, November 20, 4 p.m., Implementing Global Energy Efficiency and GHG Reductions in the Building Sector: The glass industry is likely to feel the impact of greenhouse gas efficiencies in coming years (see page GANA Perspectives). This panel discussion brings together high-level presenters from multi-national organizations, senior government officials and industry experts from the energy end-use building sector. Discussion will focus on a variety of topics including best practices, the role of energy efficiency in the building end-use sector and implementation programs incorporating energy efficiency at the power producer’s perspective. 

Friday, November 21, 9 a.m.: Navigating Green Labels and Certifications: Many different and competing standards exist domestically and internationally for the purpose of classifying building products as “green.” Despite the market saturation of and confusion about green labels and certifications, there is a dearth of independent market advice for those who are attempting to navigate the green labeling market on their own. This panel will attempt to fill that void. 

More Information
For more information, visit www.greenbuildexpo.org.

USG
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