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Example Consulting Projects
(Updated Jan. 2010)

  • Lorman Education Services -- Created green building-related teleseminar (AKA "Webinar") series on sustainable design strategies, and how to use the USGBC LEED® program to certifiy green building performance. An emphasis on energy efficeincy, solar implementation and indoor environments was made. Through January 2010 consultant delivered 16 seminars training over 1,000 industry professionals under non-exclusive freelance authoring agreements. (2006 - Present)

  • Gabrielli Design Studio-- Technical green building design assessment support is conducted for a LEED A.P. architectural firm in Baltimore, MD, specializing in green residential design and LEED-certified projects. (2004 - Present)

  • Green Lifestyle LTD.-- On call zero-energy building design technical support for a "sustainable lifestyles" firm located in Southern Israel; demonstration of LEED potential for Middle Eastern projects. (2006 - Present)

  • U.S. Green Building Council, LEED® -- Serving on the Technical Advisory Committee (TAG) for Energy and Atmosphere, Washington, DC. Mission: Enhance energy efficiency levels in LEED to help reduce global warming emissions from buildings. (2004 – 2009).

  • National RESNET® -- Serving on the Technical Committee of RESNET.Mission: Establish, review and maintain standards and technical support infrastructure for the consistent ratings of residential buildings, acceptable to the mortgage finance industry and engineering community.. (2002 – 2010).

  • Gertner Architects, LTD. Tel Aviv, Israel. Green Building Consultant.Project: Computer solar energy design assistance for Zero-Energy High Desert Home, in Mitzpe Ramon, Israel. (2005-2006)

  • Off Grid “Zero” Home Green Building Consultant. Project: helped design and specify a zero-energy off grid private home near Hagerstown, MD. (2002 – 2004)

  • Private Clients - Green Building and Energy Studies -- B.E.S.T. usually has underway several green building and energy-efficiency computer studies for clients such as architects, home builders, remodelors and self-contractors. Principal has conducted nearly 100 such studies since founding B.E.S.T. in Nov. 1995. For more information on these contracts, please contact us directly, or review our "Services" offering page.

  • TerraLogos Sustainable Design-- On call technical energy-efficiency assessment design support leading architectural firm in Baltimore, MD, specializing in green residential design and LEED-certified projects. (1998 - 2004)

  • Environmental Resource & Design Center -- Served on the Advisory Council of the "Enviro-Center" under development by the Architectural Support Group, Inc. (1999-2004)

  • SBIC Green Building Guidelines program-- Principal accredited instructor for the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) to accelerate the roll-out of a national program to provide builder training on residential green homes design and construction. Presents workshops, and provides editorial input to the continuous maintenance of the GBG document.

  • Training workshop – Green Building Guidelines, -- Prepared for North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (in association with Sustainable Building Industries Council.) 2003.

  • USGBC "LEED for Homes" Collaborative-- Industry liaison from the Maryland Environmental Design Initiative to the collaborative working on a national guideline for green new homes in U.S.A.. Formerly served as chair of the Technical Advisory Committee on Energy and Atmosphere, LEED Residential Project. (2001 - 2003)

  • NAHB - Log Homes Council Energy Study -- Conducting a review of thermal mass data and building envelope calculation approaches that affect the use of log-walls in home building, as "energy efficient" construction materials. Develop "White Paper" on log home energy efficiency benefits. National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Washington, DC

  • LEED 2.1 Update -- Technical advisor; updating the Energy & Atmosphere section of "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" program, US Green Building Council, Washington, DC (2000 - 2002)

  • Home Energy Magazine -- author of a quarterly column "Software and Internet." LBNL, UC Berkeley, CA (1998 - 2003)

  • Maryland Green Building Network Project -- Logistical support to the Maryland DNR "Green Building Network," a statewide effort to foster adoption of environmental building practices.

  • Green Building Specification Review-- Provided technical review to the Picerne Military Housing group to introduce green building techniques and EnergyStar criteria into Military Housing under construction at Ft. Meade, Maryland. (August 2001 - June 2003)

  • Management Strategies Inc., and Commerce Dept. SABIT -- Developing comprehensive energy-efficiency and renewable energy training curriculum for use in a series of international trade missions to boost U.S. exports. (2003)

  • Assessment of "Cool Roof" Technology Options -- Johnson & Johnson Corp. developed with Chrisner Group, NJ (2002)

  • Green Building Feasibility Study -- "600 Howard St." Baltimore MD. Architectural Support Group, Inc. Glen Burnie, MD (2002)

  • Energy efficiency analysis sub-contract to Maryland Green Building Program -- Technical support to a project of Maryland DNR/Maryland Energy Administration on "Green Building Templates" project to explore of environmental rehab practices in Baltimore Row Housing. Completed work Dec., 2001.

  • Large Apartment Complex Energy Study -- Conducted energy studies and retrofit assessment of "The Blairs" a 7-building high-rise rental apartment complex in Silver Spring, MD. Natural Logic, Inc. and Tower Corp. N. Bethesda, MD (April 2001 - Nov. 2001)

  • Workshop on "Green Building Guidelines" -- Developed and pilot tested workshop on "Green Building Guidelines" and "Designing Low-energy Buildings with Energy-10". Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, (July - Sept. 2001)

  • Maryland Health House Project: -- Technical support (builder services) to the development of a Maryland based effort to promote healthy housing, working with the regional American Lung Association (ALA). (Aug 1, 2000 through Nov. 2001)

  • Residential LEED Program Development -- Developed (on team) energy and atmospheric section for a new residential version of the LEED program, for the US Green Building Council. Worked specifically on energy efficiency and passive solar. (Final Draft submitted April 3, 2001)

  • Takoma Eco-Village -- Green Building and energy efficiency construction process technical support project (Phase 2) for Condominium project, Washington, DC conducted with Architectural Support group, Glen Burnie, MD (Completion: April 2001)

  • Takoma Eco-Village -- Green Building and energy efficiency pre-construction review for Condominium project (Phase 1), Washington, DC conducted with Architectural Support group, Glen Burnie, MD.(Completion: Dec. 2000)

  • Thermal Mass and Passive Solar: Energy-performance and thermal mass review study of a full concrete housing design system, for Advanced Energy, Research Triangle Park, NC. (1999 - 2000)

  • Invited lecture on "Metrics for Green Home Building" for session at "Building for Peak Performance" 18th Annual Conference of the Energy Efficient Building Association (EEBA), October 2000, Denver, CO USA.

  • USGS Data Center - J. W. Powell Building -- Major retrofit energy efficiency analysis technical- support project being conducted for , Reston VA -- conducted in support of MarketWise Corp., Annandale, VA under contract to Washington Gas Energy Systems, Inc.

  • Advanced Energy Technology Program Evaluation -- Conducted environmental and systems reviews of over 20 different energy related inventions submitted to DOE for R&D funding -- National Institutes for Standards and Technology, USA -- (1986 - 2000)

  • Maryland Energy Administration -- contract to develop initial implementation plan for a statewide uniform residential energy-efficiency mortgage lending and home energy-performance ratings program, expected to result in 30% to 50% reductions in heating, air-conditioning and hot water usage in new and existing homes. (1999-2000)

  • Invited lecture on building energy design tools for session entitled "Your Computer as a Green Building Resource," in Annual Convention of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), May 1999, Dallas, TX USA.

  • Technical Database Development -- For the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), Washington, DC. (Sub-contract to US EPA Energystar Buildings program.) evaluated over 100 residential and commercial building energy efficiency technologies and created two data bases in support of ASE and the Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST) used in CD-ROM software and Java-script web sites called the "Energy Efficiency Connection." (1999)

  • Developed residential "Eco-Specs" -- Based on our work developing ASTM (draft) Standard Guide for Residential Green Building, prepared a detailed specification for a state of the art eco-home in Virginia. McAllister + Foltz, Inc., RA, Richmond, VA. (1998)

  • Thermal test study analysis for Concrete Block Insulating Systems -- subsidiary CBIS/WR Grace, Inc. conducted heat transfer analysis on "HI-R" insulated concrete block wall thermal tests, and prepared report for use in publishing A&E design tables (http://www.cbisinc.com). 1996, 1998)

  • Whole Building Design Guide, US Naval Facilities Command -- Prepared resource guide on "building energy standards and codes" drafted information transfer structure for web site. Under subcontract to Sustainable Building Industries Council (SBIC), Washington, DC USA. (1998)

  • Energy Efficient Building Association (EEBA) -- B.E.S.T. was a Sub-contractor, conducted detailed study of home energy rating systems and certification programs in US, where technical assessment methods determine numerical technical performance ratings (funded by EPA grant). Title: Residential Energy Efficiency Performance Assessment: independent third party assessment (1996-1997)

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