30 Years of Green Building in the U.S.
Date published:
January 12, 2021
It has been quite a wild ride! As The BuildingGreen Report (formerly Environmental Building News, or “EBN”) celebrates its 30th year of publication, we decided to track the growth—and explosion—of the green building movement. We start in 1990 with the founding of AIA’s Committee on the Environment.
There is so much more that we could have listed--what significant events and developments did we miss? Use the comments to help fill out the story.


Comments
Austin Energy Green Building, 1991
January 20, 2021 - 9:38 am
With the help of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, Austin Energy Green Building developed the first residential rating in 1991. In 1995, a checklist for commercial buildings was developed and in 1998 the multifamily green building rating tool was added.
Austin Energy
Paula Melton
Editorial DirectorBuildingGreen, Inc.
BuildingGreen Moderator
January 20, 2021 - 10:09 am
Thanks! That's a lot of early action.
Austin Energy Program
Carrie Strahan
Genentech, Inc.January 20, 2021 - 4:39 pm
I was a proud intern for the Austin Energy Program back in 1993 and attended the first GreenBuild in Austin. Fun times.
Green Building Market
Monty Chong-Walden
CEO - CofounderCalmura Natural Walls Inc.
January 21, 2021 - 3:39 pm
Interesting growth of the market. Definitely explains the real rate of change in the building industry. Still waiting for the "explosion" to happen, but hoping it is coming soon, as the changes seem pretty minor here.
HPD/HPDC
Mike Manzi
Bora ArchitectsJanuary 25, 2021 - 1:42 pm
If you can fit it in the tight curve, the HPD and HPDC launched in 2012.
Good point, Mike!
Paula Melton
Editorial DirectorBuildingGreen, Inc.
BuildingGreen Moderator
January 26, 2021 - 11:06 am
And we were even partners in the original HPD working group. Don't know how we missed this one. :-)
GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS
LOUIS FARRELL
February 11, 2021 - 12:34 am
GLAD TO BE PART OF ( GREEN HISTORY ).