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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The Death and Rebirth of DC Power
Feature
Direct current is replacing AC in microgrids and other setups that maximize the efficiency of lighting, HVAC, and onsite renewables.
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Mouth, Meet Money: Case Studies of Outcome-Based Design
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Performance-based incentives are a growing (and positive) trend. They’re not as risky as they sound, but there are some steps you should be taking to prepare.
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VOCs: Why They’re Still Here and What You Can Do About It
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“Sick building syndrome” was one of the first problems the green building community tried to solve. We’ve come a long way, but we’re not done yet.
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Clean, Fresh Air: Getting What We Need
Feature
Human health probably benefits from more fresh air than current ventilation standards require. But pulling in outdoor air can mean pulling in pollution.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Glazing Performance Metrics
Explainer
A few key metrics are important for understanding the thermal performance of glazing units used in curtainwalls and windows.
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Neutralizing the Downsides of Concrete
Explainer
Concrete is a durable and necessary building material, but its carbon footprint is huge. Here’s a rundown of concrete’s tradeoffs and some solutions.
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What Does It Mean to “Use Water”?
Explainer
The difference between consumptive and non-consumptive water use is like night and day in the world of policy and regulation.
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Building Decarbonization: How LCA and EPDs Fit in
Explainer
Life-cycle assessment and environmental product declarations reveal embodied carbon and other impacts, but it’s important to know their limits.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Revolving Doors: A New Spin on an Old Technology
Product Review
Revolving doors maintain a door seal at all times while using limited building space, which minimizes loss of conditioned air and saves energy.
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Niagara's Innovative Ultra-High-Efficiency "Stealth" Toilet
Product Review
Niagara Conservation's Stealth toilet uses an innovative pressure-assist technology that forces air into the trapway so that when flushed a vacuum is created that quietly pulls wastewater from the bowl.
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Quadruple-Glazed Window Includes Phase-Change Materials
Product Review
GlassX Crystal is a single glazing assembly that combines three insulating glazing units (IGUs) that include a prismatic filter and a phase-change material offering thermal mass.
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High-Efficiency, Variable-Speed Pumps from Wilo and Grundfos
Product Review
Advanced, variable-speed, "smart" pumps from the German company Wilo and the Danish company Grundfos offer significant energy savings for hydronic heating systems and other circulation systems.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Feds Forecast Steady Drop in Building Energy Use
News Analysis
Efficiency could lead to almost-flat energy demand through 2040 despite new construction-but there's some fine print.
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Tankless Water Heaters Don't Use Less Energy
News Analysis
Energy savings from on-demand water heating varies wildly depending on usage patterns.
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Active House: The Most Passive-Aggressive Name in Homebuilding?
News Analysis
Developed by glazing manufacturers, the Active House program emphasizes daylighting along with energy efficiency.
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Toledo Museum Is State-of-the-Art at a Century Old
News Analysis
Solar panels and micro-turbines enable a historic art museum to reduce its electrical usage 79%.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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