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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Bringing Nature Indoors: The Myths and Realities of Plants in Buildings
Feature
Some proponents of indoor plants promise that they will clean the air and promote occupant health and productivity. But will they? Scientific backing for these claims is still being developed, but some of the results are promising.
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Energy Dashboards: Using Real-Time Feedback to Influence Behavior
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Real-time feedback on energy use can change occupant behavior and save energy. Several products now on the market provide this feedback in varying degrees of complexity.
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Growing Food Locally: Integrating Agriculture Into the Built Environment
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With a little ingenuity, the flat roofs and vacant lots of urban centers can be used effectively for food production. Numerous models can bring building-integrated food production to your project, while making our food supply chain more sustainable.
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Cost-Effective Green Retrofits: Opportunities for Savings in Existing Buildings
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Between lighting, water use, mechanical systems, the building envelope, and occupant health, existing buildings are rife with cost-effective retrofits and operational opportunities that also offer environmental benefits. Improvements range from the painfully obvious to the more complex and involved.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Basics of the Psychrometric Chart
Explainer
In high-performance buildings, we have to manage energy and moisture with equal intensity. The psychrometric chart shows us how.
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How "Smart" Vapor Retarders Work
Explainer
Vapor retarders are supposed to keep our buildings dry, but they sometimes keep them wet instead. Enter the "smart" vapor retarder.
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Using WUFI to Prevent Moisture Problems
Explainer
WUFI software helps predict and prevent moisture problems based on site, climate, building materials, mechanical systems, and more.
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Water Budgets: A Holistic Look at Efficiency
Explainer
Developing a water budget for a building can identify opportunities for savings that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Green E-Board Building Panels
Product Review
With the durability of cement backerboards but with a carbon footprint closer to gypsum, Green E-Board panels are an intriguing new drywall option.
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NightBreeze Automates Ventilation Cooling
Product Review
NightBreeze uses off-peak power to provide ventilation cooling integrated with a home's mechanical system.
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Colt's Faade Shading with Passive Control
Product Review
Colt International's Solarfin shading louvers with Girasol controller adjust automatically in response to solar exposure.
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Enertia Double-Envelope Home Still Has Problems
Product Review
Although its passive solar design is sound, the Enertia double-envelope home's energy performance claims may be overstated and its design presents fire risks.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Use of Home Energy Rating Index Grows
News Analysis
The HERS Index, an energy rating system based on a straightforward scale that puts a net-zero home at zero and a basic code-built home at 100, has been adopted by a variety of programs that evaluate the environmental performance of homes.
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Soy-Based Composite Introduced in Waterless Urinal
News Analysis
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Thermal Energy Storage Units Come Down in Size
News Analysis
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Conserval Introduces Rooftop PV and Thermal Modules
News Analysis
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Sustainable Sealants: The Challenges of Predicting Service Life
Blog Post
Caulk joint sealants can be a major deciding factor in how long your building envelope lasts. Is there a better way to predict how long the sealants last?
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Sealing Without Stickum: Gaskets Make a Place for Themselves
Blog Post
Compressible gaskets keep air and water barriers continuous without liquid sealants or adhesive tapes. But they don’t all last equally well.
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Adhesives and Sealants: Performance First, but Materials Matter
Blog Post
Exterior adhesives and sealants are formulated for performance, but some contain chemicals that pose risks to unprotected workers or the environment.
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Hidden Seam Failures? We Put Flashing Tapes to the Test
Blog Post
Flashing and air barrier seam tapes get buried deep in our walls where we rely on long-term performance without monitoring them. Are they doing their jobs?
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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