EPA's new specification for water-efficient homes works well for all sorts of builders and even remodelers Although EPA's criteria for WaterSense labeled new homes were only recently released, custom and production builders from Georgia to Arizona, from Montana to Hawaii, are signing up.
Can insulation materials, which we use to save energy and help prevent climate change, cause greenhouse gas emissions?
Can insulation materials, which we use to save energy and help prevent climate change, cause greenhouse gas emissions? Yes, in two ways. First, it takes energy to produce and ship these materials--which we refer to as "embodied energy"--and using fossil fuels for these energy needs releases carbon dioxide (our most significant greenhouse gas). So in a sense, all insulation materials have embodied global warming potential (GWP).
Back when I was in college, a transformer failure forced the school to cut electricity demand by two-thirds--and I found myself leading student energy conservation efforts.
Niagara's Innovative 0.8 gpf "Vacuum-Assist" Stealth Toilet
Niagara Conservation has introduced a new toilet that's unlike anything on the market. It uses passive "vacuum-assist" technology to deliver a very quiet, effective flush that consumes just 0.8 gallons (3.0 liters)--making it, I believe, the most water-conserving of any flush toilet on the market.
Who knew there would be so many ways to flush a toilet!
Today's op-ed piece in the New York Times presents a remarkably balanced viewpoint on LEED and green building issues. Unfortunately it also has a major blindspot.
The high-profile roll-out of the highly secretive Bloom Box fuel cell, on CBS's 60 Minutes in February, ushered in a new round of excitement about fuel cells.
After months of development, LEEDuser (which is powered by BuildingGreen.com) has added direct support of LEED for New Construction version 2.2 (LEED-NC v2.2).
That means that you can access support to all LEED-NC v2.2 credits using LEEDuser's credit browser, and through our directory of LEED credits.
Continuing a trend of more efficient LED lights, Philips this week unveiled its LED replacement to the 60-watt light bulb. The 12-watt EnduraLED is a screw-in replacement that fits in standard fixtures, uses 80% less energy, and should last 25 times as long as the ubiquitous 60-watt incandescent light bulb.
Fiber optics, that miracle of modern communications, can also be used to deliver natural light to spaces deep in a building.
Welcome to our new blog dedicated to the issues of water, water efficiency, and water policy.
Welcome to our new blog dedicated to the issues of water, water efficiency, and water policy.
When we talk about the environment and environmentally responsible building, it’s almost always energy that takes the spotlight, with water pretty far down the list. But it’s not hard to see just how much of a back seat driver water can be:
Following John Manville's switch to a non-formaldehyde acrylic binder in 2002 and Knauf's 2009 introduction of its EcoBatt fiberglass insulation made with biobased binder instead of phenol formaldehyde, CertainTeed has introduced its own answer to the green fiberglass insulation trend.
Much attention is focused on efficient lighting--from CFLs and LEDs to advanced controls. But for daytime lighting you can avoid electricity use altogether--with daylighting. Most daylighting is provided with windows or skylights (roof windows that are installed in the plane of the roof). For a lot of applications, there's another, easier option: tubular skylights.
If your heating system is old and inefficient, now is a great time to replace it with a new, high-efficiency model. There are eight months remaining to take advantage of the 30% federal tax credit that's available for installing energy-efficient gas- or oil-fired furnaces and boilers, as well as air-source heat pumps.
