Chemistry for Designers: Understanding Hazards in Building Products
What's in our building materials? Are there chemicals we should be afraid of? Trying to get answers to these questions can be frustrating, but there are a number of good tools available.
Environmental Building News—March 1, 2010
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.
Environmental Building News—February 1, 2010
Cool Products From Greenbuild 2009: An Expo Floor Tour
Alex Wilson provides a tour of 37 innovative products from the U.S. Green Building Council's 2009 Greenbuild conference in Phoenix.
Environmental Building News—January 1, 2010
Will I Get Sued? Managing Risk in Green Building
Building industry professionals take on risks when they work on green buildings. But those risks aren’t insurmountable, and can easily be handled with good communication and solid contracts.
Environmental Building News—December 1, 2009
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
