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Environmental Building News

Volume 17, Number 7 - Summary

July 2008

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Feature

Counting Carbon: Understanding Carbon Footprints of Buildings

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Everyone seems to be talking about measuring carbon footprints and designing carbon-neutral buildings, but these terms mean different things to different people. Some focus just on operating energy, while others also look at transportation, materials, and other building-related emissions. As with so many things, the results depend on what you count and how you count it.

From the Editors

Get Ready for Fuel Switching
As the cost of heating fuel rises, utilities must prepare for increased demand as homeowners switch to cheaper electric-resistance heat.

Letters

Massachusetts Code Requirements for Air Barriers
Two readers offer more details on Massachusetts' building code requirements for air barriers.

What's Happening

Cities Mandate LEED But Not Certification
Cities that adopt policies requiring private buildings to meet LEED standards—without actual certification—must figure out how to ensure green requirements are being met.

Newsbriefs

Green Cleaning Required in LEED for Existing Buildings ... Affordable Housing Benefits from IRS Rules Change on Solar Tax Credit ... Nation's First LEED Platinum Affordable Housing Built in Massachusetts ... Facility Operating Costs Increase Despite Drop in Energy Consumption ... Plastic Water Piping Leads to Greater Corrosion, Lead Levels ... LEED Exam Required of ASU Real Estate Students ... Bike Sharing Comes to the U.S. ... Green Real Estate Certification Available ... Los Angeles Limits "Mansionization"

 

Product Review

An Affordable Heat-Pump Water-Heater Retrofit
AirTap is an affordable heat-pump module that can be retrofit onto a conventional electric or gas water heater. The unit has a first-hour rating of 42.5 gallons, an efficiency of 240%, and a GAMA-tested energy factor of 2.11.

Product News

Forbo Offering Marmoleum Composition Tile
To compete with vinyl composition tile, Forbo has introduced a thinner, less-expensive version of its Marmoleum tile.

Product Briefs

Nanotech Textile Finish Gets (Mixed) Environmental Ratings ... Soy-Based Composite Introduced in Waterless Urinal ... Furniture Gets Multiple-Attribute Sustainability Certification ... Thermal Energy Storage Units Come Down in Size ... FSC Certification Available for All SierraPine Composites

BackPage Primer

Comparing Fuel Costs

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One would think comparing the costs of different heating fuels would be simple, but figuring out the amount heat available in a given quantity of fuel—and the associated cost—can be tricky.

Calendar of Events

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