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Features

Driving to Green Buildings: The Transportation Energy Intensity of Buildings

The energy used traveling to and from an average office building—its transportation energy intensity—can be more than twice the energy used to run it. This article addresses the significance of this issue and examines strategies for lowering transportation energy intensity through increased density and improved transit options.
Environmental Building News—September 1, 2007

Antimicrobial Chemicals in Buildings: Hygiene or Harm?

Carpets, door handles, and a myriad of other building products now contain pesticides targeting fungi and bacteria, offering potential benefit to the indoor environment, but also raising health concerns. This article asks whether antimicrobial products live up to their marketing claims and whether relying on them is a sound path to a hygienic environment.
Environmental Building News—August 1, 2007

The Challenge of Existing Homes: Retrofitting for Dramatic Energy Savings

Greenhouse gas emissions associated with residential energy use account for a fifth of all emissions in the U.S. Retrofitting existing houses to achieve a two- to three-fold reduction in energy use is necessary if we are to achieve the emissions reductions scientists say are required for avoiding catastrophic climate change. Here’s a look at how it can be done.
Environmental Building News—July 1, 2007

Making Carpet Environmentally Friendly

Carpets are the most popular floorcovering in the U.S., but they have also been associated with environmental problems including indoor air emissions and intensive resource use. However, manufacturers have worked to curb their environmental footprints by recycling carpet, examining their life-cycle impacts, and pursuing broad-based certification.
Environmental Building News—June 1, 2007

Building Information Modeling and Green Design

Building information modeling (BIM) is a design process that allows real-time feedback on design decisions and supports collaboration between disciplines. New interoperability between BIM software and building analysis tools are bringing the design process to a new level of sophistication.
Environmental Building News—May 1, 2007

Piping in Perspective: Selecting Pipe for Plumbing in Buildings

Potable water supply piping and drain-waste-vent piping represent a significant fraction of a building's materials. Choosing the greenest pipe for both applications, particularly deciding between metal pipe and plastic alternatives, requires evaluating a variety of environmental and human health impacts as well as durability and performance issues.
Environmental Building News—April 1, 2007

In the Pipeline: District Energy and Green Building

Very common in northern Europe, district energy systems use a network of buried, insulated pipes to distribute centrally produced steam, hot water, or chilled water to heat or cool multiple buildings. These systems can make use of waste heat from power generation (combined heat and power) or renewable fuel sources to help reduce the environmental impacts of buildings and communities.
Environmental Building News—March 1, 2007

Cradle to Cradle Certification: A Peek Inside MBDC's Black Box

Cradle to Cradle is a multiple-attribute product certification program based on the philosophy of architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart, and the work of their company, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC). While MBDC’s consulting services are driving breakthroughs in green manufacturing, the certification program lacks some of the comprehensiveness and transparency that are increasingly expected in the green certification market.
Environmental Building News—February 1, 2007

Historic Preservation and Green Building: A Lasting Relationship

Rehabilitation of existing buildings is important to sustainability in buildings, but with historic buildings, green building and preservationism can diverge. With attention to preservation standards and suitable application of green strategies, however, those agendas can be aligned.
Environmental Building News—January 1, 2007

Climate Change Dominates Greenbuild Conference Agenda

With several announcements at the 2006 Greenbuild conference in Denver, the U.S. Green Building Council signaled that it would use its LEED Rating System to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by tightening LEED requirements and by increasing the number of buildings designed to LEED standards.
Environmental Building News—December 1, 2006
Member Comments
How the Sun's Path Can Inform Design

Mark Smith says, “One of the important tasks in selling or leasing real estate is demonstration—demonstrating the features and benefits of your...” More...

Water-Efficient Showerheads

Bill Burke says, “Thanks to EBN I found the 1.6 gpm showerhead. Delta certainly does a good job of hiding it on their...” More...

Armoroc Cement-Bonded Particle Board

Michael Kavanagh says, “Hal, Much of the tensile strength comes from the mineralized, post-industrial wood fibers. We have called on the services...” More...

Hal Levin says, “Mike, I'm sorry, I missed the wood fiber part that I saw after clicking "submit comment." So, it is not VOC-...” More...

Hal Levin says, “Hi Mike, Thanks for your kind and generous remarks. Actually, the more I learn the more I know that my expertise...” More...

Michael Kavanagh says, “Hal, Your expertise in this area is acknowledged and appreciated. However, let’s not lose sight that Armoroc Structural Cement...” More...

An Affordable Heat-Pump Water-Heater Retrofit

sunil sinha says, “AirTap Heat Pump Water Heater is installed in the places like garage, basement, attic which are mostly not directly heated...” More...

Styrofoam SIS

John Beeson says, “The aluminum layer which would reside on the outside (?) when taped would be an effect air retarder, but it...” More...

An Affordable Heat-Pump Water-Heater Retrofit

Ethan Goldman says, “Because this is an air-source heat pump, the heat it's "pushing" into the water in the tank is extracted from...” More...

D'Mand Hot Water Delivery System

Brent Eubanks says, “My unit is installed as a retrofit, and I have occasionally found warm water in my cold tap at the...” More...

Alex Wilson says, “The concern Mr. Behm expresses is a real one--for retrofit applications. When a Metland, Taco, or Uponor D'Mand system is...” More...

Gregory Behm says, “Brent or anyone else with D'Mand experiences, What is your experience with the cold water temperature after running the D'Mand system?...” More...

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