Building Science
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Building Science
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Re-Framing Sustainability: Green Structural Engineering
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Want to design the greenest building possible? Get a handle on the best structural options available to you, and invite a creative structural engineer to join your team.
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Measuring Energy Use in Buildings: Do Our Metrics Really Add Up?
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How much energy our buildings use matters a great deal, but figuring out how to measure that use and compare it from building to building is tricky. Here's a guide to key metrics and how to use them.
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Making Windows Work Better
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How to choose curtains, solar screens, awnings, and storm windows? The options are dizzying, but the right choice can cut energy bills.
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Energy-Efficient Multifamily Housing
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Now you can get LEED, Energy Star, and other labels for designing or retrofitting high-performance multifamily buildings.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Ground-Source Heat Pumps: Tapping the Earth's Mass
Explainer
Ground-source heat pumps take advantage of stable temperatures just below the Earth's crust for energy-efficient heating and cooling.
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Thermal Mass: What It Is and When It Improves Comfort
Explainer
Heavy or massive objects like masonry can help improve thermal comfort, if used properly. They often don't insulate well, however.
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How Active Dehumidification Works
Explainer
Whether you choose a refrigerant-based or a desiccant-based system, dehumidifiers use energy and produce waste heat.
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How Rainscreens Work
Explainer
Rainscreens don't just keep the rain out: they also encourage drying in case water does manage to get in.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Three-in-One Insulating Sheathing from Dow
Product Review
A new polyisocyanurate sheathing from Dow uses recycled content and provides structural shear bracing, wraparound insulation, and a water-resistant barrier in one product.
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Coolerado: Evaporative Cooling Without Added Humidity
Product Review
As an indirect evaporative cooler, the Coolerado provides cool air without adding moisture. Its innovative technology also delivers lower temperatures than conventional evaporative coolers, and it's much more efficient than conventional central air-conditioners.
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Top-Performing Pellet Stoves
Product Review
High-efficiency pellet stoves from Quadra-Fire and Harman Stove Company offer heat from a renewable source with low particulate emissions.
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An Affordable Heat-Pump Water-Heater Retrofit
Product Review
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.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Micronized Copper Wood Preservatives Becoming Industry Standard
News Analysis
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High Staff Retention at First LEED Platinum Hospital
News Analysis
Dell Children's Medical Center in Austin, Texas, is the first LEED Platinum hospital.
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Obama Pushes Appliance Efficiency
News Analysis
President Obama ordered the U.S. Department of Energy to update federal standards for several residential and commercial appliances by August 2009.
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Coolerado Makes Solar Air Conditioning a Reality
News Analysis
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Going to School for Building Enclosure Commissioning
Blog Post
What I learned from a University of Wisconsin course called “Commissioning Building Enclosure Assemblies and Systems”
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Installing Basement Waterproofing from the “Negative” Side
Blog Post
Of course the best way to waterproof any below-grade assembly is from the exterior—but what works if you have to go from the interior?
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Do You Understand Sustainable Design? Nine Quick Ways to Find Out
Blog Post
We asked architects how they evaluate someone’s sustainability literacy in a single question.
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Combining Sheathing With a WRB and Air Barrier
Blog Post
How well do Zip and ForceField sheathing integrate a structural panel with bulk water and air management?
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
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