Corporate Training By Zack Academy - Green Building Education - Green Advantage Refresher

Why Should You Take This Green Advantage Refresher Course?

This half day Green Advantage Refresher course is designed as a condensed version of our full day program primarily for those who are currently Green Advantage Certified Practitioners who need to take the exam again to maintain they are planning to re-certify. It provides an overview and review of the key construction and environmental concepts and strategies that are found in the Green Advantage Certified Practitioner Exam.

The course will help prepare participants for the Green Advantage Certified Practitioner (GACP) exam that is taken at a later time. To maintain the certification individuals must take the exam every three years.

Course Objectives:

• Reinforce understanding and knowledge of core concepts and construction principles behind sustainable buildings
• Explain the integration of green practices and strategies into construction processes in a format designed to have you grasp the essentials
• Serve as a refresher course with study and review, enabling the attendee to successfully pass this industry recognized certification exam

Intended Audience:  Construction managers, project managers, superintendents, trade forepersons, and those aspiring to construct a green building, project support staff, including estimating and procurement personnel, owners, architects, engineers, general contractors.

Topics To Be Covered:

Part I – Laying the Groundwork for a Green Building

• Environmental Impact of Buildings and the Construction Industry
• Principles of Sustainable Design
• LEED® Rating System
• Construction Operations

Part II – Constructing a Green Building

• Sustainable Site Work
• Building Foundations and Structures
• Building Envelope
• Windows

Part III – Finishing the Building Sustainable Building Systems

• Mechanical
• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Green Finishes
• Equipment
• Sustainable Landscaping

Are there certification exams or third party exams to get licensed? Yes, Green Advantage Certified Practitioner Exam

Syllabus

Part I – Laying the Groundwork for a Green Building

• Introduction to the financial considerations of constructing green buildings
• Why build green

Environmental Impact of Buildings and the Construction Industry

• A short overview of the various environmental impacts of traditional construction
• The costs of building (not building) green
• Life Cycle Assessment and Embodied Energy
• Benefits of Building Green

Principles of Sustainable Design

LEED® Rating System

• An overview of the system including a review of all the categories and credits
• Discussions of the impact of LEED® upon the construction process
• LEED® Core Concepts and Green Associate essentials
• The Cost of Building green

Construction Operations

• Effective process management for green construction
• Construction waste management
• Preparing the documentation
• Connection to LEED® points

Part II – Constructing a Green Building

Sustainable Site Work

• Techniques, strategies and technologies needed to complete site work to meet sustainability guidelines
• Stormwater management
• Erosion and Sediment Controls
• Connection to LEED® points

Building Foundations and Structures

• Concrete
• Pozzolons and additives for concrete
• Recycled content in steel as it relates to LEED®

Building Envelope

• Walls – Temperature and Dew Points
• "R" Value – impact of multiple construction trades upon total "R" value of wall construction
• Discussion of energy efficiency
• Alternative wall materials such as straw bale, structural insulated panels (SIP),and insulated concrete forms (ICF)

Windows

• Energy efficiency benefits of high quality windows
• Types of glazing systems and their impact upon energy efficiency and daylighting
• Daylighting – light shelves, appropriate glass type, orientation
• Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, Visible Light Transmittance
• Transmittance, shading co-efficient
• Window Construction – thermal breaks, coatings
• "U" Value in relation to "R" value
• Impact on size of mechanical systems

Roofs

• Overview of roof materials and systems
• Roof color impact
• Energy Star Roofs
• Emissivity, reflectance and albedo
• SRI Index and application
• Roof Openings – sky lights (pyramidal and dome) clearstories
• Vegetative �Green� Roofing Systems

Part III – Finishing the Building Sustainable Building Systems

Insulation types and methods

Mechanical

• Energy Modeling and Cost implication of green construction
• Fundamentals of how things work – interactive lecture
• Systems Design
• Commissioning – relationship to LEED®
• Blower door test, Duct blasters SEER Ratings
• Indoor air quality issues – mold and mildew, occupant health
• Alternative systems – geothermal, radiant floors

Electrical

• Daylighting and artificial lighting
• Impact of electricity use on the environment and on size of mechanical system design
• Compact Fluorescents and other efficient light sources

Plumbing

• Environmental Impacts of plumbing design, construction and occupant uses
• Waste removal – waterless urinals, dual flush toilet, composting toilets
• Water collection – condensate, rain water cisterns, gray water
• Water efficiency – flow restrictors and aerators
• Water heating systems – solar, on demand

Green Finishes

• Rapidly renewable materials
• Locally source materials
• Non-toxic materials
• Recycled materials – post-consumer, post-industrial
• FSC Lumber

Equipment

• PV panels, solar hot water heating

Sustainable Landscaping

• Paving technologies
• Heat Island Effect – LEED® Points
• Irrigation system and low impact planting strategies
• Surface water management
• Site Lighting