Codes & Certifications
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Codes & Certifications
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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How to Get from VOC Certifications to Better Products
Feature Short
The FDA regulates flies in our soup, but no one regulates VOCs in our indoor air. Somehow that’s a designer’s job to figure out.
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VOCs in LEED and Other Rating Systems
Feature Short
Most building certifications encourage low-emitting and low-VOC products, but they all do it differently. Here’s how it all fits together.
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How WELL Got Green Building’s Groove Back
Feature Short
WELL is the hottest four-letter word in sustainable design. But will it work to the benefit or the detriment of green building?
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Fitwel: Science That Works
Feature Short
Users say it’s like Energy Star for active design. CDC hopes its reach will be much, much bigger.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Upgrade to LEED 2009?
Explainer
Projects currently registered under LEED-NC 2.2 can transfer to LEED 2009 before certifying. Should your project switch?
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The Cost of LEED Certification
Explainer
How much does LEED certification cost in commercial construction? Earning LEED certification involves several types of costs, and you have to consider each separately to get an accurate picture.
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The Precautionary Principle
Explainer
The precautionary principle employs "guilty until proven innocent" methodology, and suggests that we should avoid using questionable chemicals and materials until we know they're safe.
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Standards for Standards: ISO and ANSI
Explainer
ISO is an international standard-setting body that offers accreditation to certifying organizations and approves standards that meet certain criteria.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Fiberglass, XPS, Cork? Insulation Options for LEED v4 and Living Buildings
Product Review
Choosing insulation with an eye to points in LEED v4 or Living Building Challenge compliance? Here’s how insulation materials compare.
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A Standard for Managing Outdoor Lighting’s Negative Impacts
Product Review
Design Lights Consortium’s LUNA Standard balances verified energy efficiency and performance data with environmental concerns to help design teams select application-specific lighting.
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New Recyclable LVT Replacement Is PVC Free—and Affordable
Product Review
EcoWorx Resilient flooring outperforms LVT on durability and sustainability, at a comparable price, claims Shaw Industries.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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UNEP Launches Sustainable Building and Construction Initiative
News Analysis
The United Nations Environment Program has launched a new initiative to limit the environmental impact of the global building sector.
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USGBC Seeks to Make LEED More Wood Friendly
News Analysis
The U.S. Green Building Council is promoting a plan to expand LEED's recognition of wood while refining its handling of non-wood biobased materials.
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California Bill Would Mandate High-Efficiency Toilets
News Analysis
A bill working its way through the California Legislature could reduce the maximum water consumption for toilets sold in the state to 1.3 gallons per flush.
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USGBC Allows Credit-by-Credit Upgrading
News Analysis
Projects that were registered under LEED 2.0 or 2.1 can now be submitted for certification using version 2.2 requirements for individual credits.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Incorporate Passive Survivability into Building Codes
Op-Ed
Voluntary programs for incorporating passive survivability into designs will not go far enough, fast enough-it's time to use building codes to require these design features in our residential buildings.
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Regulations Demanding Actual Data Are Leapfrogging LEED
Op-Ed
Now that California and Washington, D.C., are mandating energy use reporting for commercial buildings, the designation "LEED Certified" should be reserved for projects that document their actual performance through LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance.
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Greening Our Infrastructure
Op-Ed
The infrastructure stimulus plan being shaped by the incoming Obama Administration is an opportunity to reduce automobile dependence while improving public transit, bicycle commuting, stormwater management, and other green measures.
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Ontario Feed-in Tariff Deserves Attention
Op-Ed
Ontario reader Charles Simon calls attention to his province's new feed-in tariff for renewable energy sources, which is one of the most progressive in the world.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Build More or Build Green? Affordable Housing’s False Choice
Feature
The housing crisis is also a climate crisis and a social equity crisis. If we change our ways, we can address them all at once.
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Leveraging LEED Design Strategies for WELL: Thermal Comfort, Light, Water and Sound
Webcast
Leveraging LEED Design Strategies for WELL: Thermal Comfort, Light, Water and Sound on-demand webcast
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Leveraging LEED Design Strategies for WELL
Webcast
Leveraging LEED Design Strategies for WELL on-demand webcast
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Wood's Latest Move: from Carbon Neutral to Climate Smart
Webcast
If we’re going to start using a lot more wood in buildings, we need to think hard about where that wood is going to come from and how it will be harvested.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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Are Ground-Source Heat Pumps So Last Year?
April Fools
GSHPs have gone mainstream, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, and the hippest AEC professionals are so over them.
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New Occupational Hazard Threatens Unshod Office Workers
April Fools
Whistleblowers alert state health agencies to possible foot fungus scourge in laid-back Vermont and Silicon Valley workplaces.
