Feature
Commercial Kitchens: Cooking Up Green Opportunities
Commercial kitchens run energy- and water-intensive equipment for long hours, sometimes even when not in use. While the challenges of saving water and energy in commercial kitchens are daunting, they're not insurmountable. Careful equipment selection and a commitment to conscientious kitchen practices can dramatically cut down on waste—and utility bills.
From the Editors
BuildingGreen: Independent Again
BuildingGreen and Taunton Press have made a mutual decision to dissolve the partnership established two years ago. The two companies will continue to collaborate on GreenBuildingAdvisor.com, the online residential resource that was the impetus of the partnership.
Letters
Ontario Feed-in Tariff Deserves Attention
Ontario reader Charles Simon calls attention to his province's new feed-in tariff for renewable energy sources, which is one of the most progressive in the world.
What's Happening
Industry Agrees to Phase Out DecaBDE Flame Retardant
Through an agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and three chemical manufacturers, the brominated flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) will be phased out by the end of 2013.
New Tax Credit Limits Window Choices
The $1,500 tax credit for energy-efficient windows that is currently available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act only covers windows with U-factors below 0.30 and solar heat gain coefficients below 0.30—which largely precludes windows that provide passive solar heating benefits.
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What's Happening (cont.)
Seattle Bends Rules for "Living Buildings"
A Seattle ordinance establishes a pilot program for “living buildings” that could lead to changes in land-use codes.
Newsbriefs
Product Review
Mobile Photovoltaic Power Generators
Mobile photovoltaic generators can provide a silent power supply for construction sites and other off-grid applications without the use of fossil fuels.
Product News
Dow Styrofoam Cradle to Cradle Certified, Despite Chemistry
Dow Chemical’s Styrofoam extruded polystyrene has been awarded Cradle-to-Cradle Silver certification by MBDC, despite some questionable environmental characteristics.
BackPage Primer
Radiant Floor Heating: Wrong Choice for Green Homes?
While very popular, radiant-floor heating is not well-suited to highly insulated, green homes.
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