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The City of Saint Paul, in partnership with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR), received $50,000 in funding from the Minnesota State Energy Sector Partnership to design and implement a pilot program to develop tools and provide training to those who will be responsible for implementing and/or complying with the new Saint Paul Sustainable Building Policy.
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The University of Minnesota intends to develop the 5,000 acres at UMore
Park in the most sustainable manner possible within given economic
constraints. To study the impacts of different development scenarios,
three infrastructure types (conventional, autonomous, and district) are
compared for two different development types (large lot single-family
dwellings and townhouses). Four critical infrastructure systems are
examined (energy, water, wastewater, and stormwater) in the context of a
200-dwelling unit neighborhood.
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CSBR has developed the State of Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines (MSBG) for the State of
Minnesota. All new buildings funded in whole or part by Minnesota bond monies after January 15, 2004
must comply with the guidelines. The guidelines are a part of the Buildings, Benchmarks & Beyond
(B3) Project. Project management and delivery is led by LHB, Inc.; the guideline development process
is led by the Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR) at the University of Minnesota; and
public building benchmarking is led by The Weidt Group. (www.msbg.umn.edu)
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The purpose of this legislation is to establish cost-effective, energy-efficiency performance
standards for new and substantially reconstructed commercial, industrial, and institutional
buildings that can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions by lowering energy use. (www.mn2030.umn.edu)
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MN DNR was awarded a grant from Xcel Energy for installation of 99kW of solar PV cells. CSBR worked with LHB and the DNR to design a tool to enable selection of the best DNR sites for this installation.
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The Center for Sustainable Housing in South Korea and the Center for Sustainable Building Research
entered into an agreement of cooperation to establish collaboration in areas of interest and benefit
to both institutions. The purposes of the agreement are (1) to promote interest in the fields of
sustainable housing and building technologies and (2) to complement each research area, educational
programs, and service to the industry on a global scale.
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The CSBR Site and Building Carbon Calculator tool is intended to assist site developers, building designers, facility owners and operators with the calculation of their carbon footprint for their site and building development. For new projects, the tool is designed to assist architects and developers in estimating the greenhouse gas impacts of alternative design decisions in the early phases of design. The tool is also designed to determine the carbon footprint of existing buildings.
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Assist the City of Saint Paul in developing a Green Development Policy for all private development projects that receive public monies.
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The MNSHI web site provides practical tools for designers, builders, and
developers working to green affordable housing as well a variety of detailed
information on general environmental topic areas. (www.mnshi.umn.edu)
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This research includes a review of environmental assessment methods, rating systems and guidelines that are currently being used to transform sustainable building practices in the United States. In addition, case studies of exemplary transportation projects demonstrating the benefits of sustainable design approaches are examined.
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