Features

Making Your Own Electricity: Onsite Photovoltaic Systems

Although photovoltaic systems have a long payback period, generous incentives and tax credits can make the systems attractive for building owners interested in reducing their carbon footprint.
Environmental Building News—November 1, 2009

Building for People: Integrating Social Justice into Green Design

Social justice is already a part of green building. Making it a conscious part of the decision-making process, however, requires a new paradigm.
Environmental Building News—October 1, 2009

Design for Adaptation: Living in a Climate-Changing World

Even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases tomorrow, rising global temperatures would still bring major changes to the climate system and our way of life. This article offers solutions for designing buildings that not only mitigate our impact on the global climate, but also adapt to the changes that are coming—and those that are already here.
Environmental Building News—September 1, 2009

Polystyrene Insulation: Does It Belong in a Green Building?

Polystyrene is widely used as a rigid insulation in North America, offering high insulation values, moisture resistance, strength, and affordability. But a flame retardant in the material, as well as its life-cycle impacts, raise questions about whether it should be used at all.
Environmental Building News—August 1, 2009

Buildings on Ice: Making the Case for Thermal Energy Storage

Thermal energy storage uses ice to shift daytime cooling loads to nighttime, when electricity costs are lower. You may be able to reduce the size of chillers as a result, saving money and energy and lowering the environmental footprint of a building
Environmental Building News—July 1, 2009

The Living Building Challenge: Can It Really Change the World?

The Living Building Challenge, with its stringent, all-or-nothing requirements, is out to change the way we build. But is it actually achievable?
Environmental Building News—June 1, 2009

The Folly of Building-Integrated Wind

Wind turbines on buildings could produce electricity where it's needed and catch high winds above ground level. However, wind turbulence, safety, cost, and poor performance all make building-integrated wind a limited strategy.
Environmental Building News—May 1, 2009

Cost-Effective Green Retrofits: Opportunities for Savings in Existing Buildings

Between lighting, water use, mechanical systems, the building envelope, and occupant health, existing buildings are rife with cost-effective retrofits and operational opportunities that also offer environmental benefits. Improvements range from the painfully obvious to the more complex and involved.
Environmental Building News—April 1, 2009

Thinking Beyond Buildings: LEED for Neighborhood Development

LEED for Neighborhood Development is not yet final, but it’s already clear that it’s a different type of rating system. Lessons from the pilot projects show that cooperation among team members and with the local government is essential to a successful project.
Environmental Building News—March 1, 2009

Growing Food Locally: Integrating Agriculture Into the Built Environment

With a little ingenuity, the flat roofs and vacant lots of urban centers can be used effectively for food production. Numerous models can bring building-integrated food production to your project, while making our food supply chain more sustainable.
Environmental Building News—February 1, 2009
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Ezkote Green

Mark Piepkorn says, “Looks like we were following the same path at the same time. :)” More...

Mark Piepkorn says, “Hi Tom - yeah, this is confusing. It's made by a subsidiary of US Mix, US Spec. Through some convoluted...” More...

Tom Curtin says, “found it at us spec.com” More...

Tom Curtin says, “Does not appear on manufactuer website!!” More...


CBRE Experiments With One-Day Energy Reductions

Allyson Wendt says, “Ethan, I just looked back at their press release, and those savings figures are for the single day (it isn't...” More...

Ethan Goldman says, “It's impressive that they were able to coordinate and move that fast (though I would be shocked if all the...” More...


Green Roof Study Finds Big Variation in Stormwater Retention

David Lanfear says, “I am appreciative of this testing and am very interested in the ongoing findings. As I research and develop living...” More...


Structure as Finish: The Pros and Cons of Leaving Off Layers

David Ottavio says, “Thank you both for your comments. The project that we are looking in to using this type of system is...” More...

Martin Holladay says, “David, While earth tubes were promoted in the late 1990s and early years of this century by Passivhaus Institut founder Wolfgang...” More...

Alex Wilson says, “There was a lot of interest in earth tubes to temper or preheat air for ventilation back in the '80s...” More...

David Ottavio says, “We are looking at incorporating earth ducts into the cooling strategy for a project in the early stage of design. I'd...” More...


2030 E2

Allyson Wendt says, “Hi Bill, I haven't seen anything like that--tools that really measure triple bottom line metrics are just starting to be developed.” More...

William Marston says, “Is anyone aware of someone working on such a tool aimed at the 350ppm target? Of course such a tool must...” More...