30 Years of Green Building in the U.S.

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.

Thanks! That's a lot of early action.

I was a proud intern for the Austin Energy Program back in 1993 and attended the first GreenBuild in Austin. Fun times. 

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.

If you can fit it in the tight curve, the HPD and HPDC launched in 2012.

And we were even partners in the original HPD working group. Don't know how we missed this one. :-)

GLAD TO BE PART OF ( GREEN HISTORY ).

The American Lung Association (ALA) Health House Program was founded in 1993 to address growing national concerns about indoor air quality and to educate homeowners and builders on how they can make homes healthier. The program’s developed guidelines to raise awareness of the health risks associated with lesser-known pollutants, as well as combustion sources within a home. They had built several demonstration homes in the US and led tours to educate homeowners, designers and builders. 

That is really interesting, and I didn't know they had done that.

In 1996 and 1997 the first 2 National Green Building Conferences were held in Austin

Fun to revisit this "long strange trip"!  Two additional items -- EBN was involved in creating summaries of materials reports for the AIA Environmental Resource Guide -- thank you -- already showing your talent for communicating difficult information.  NIST created BEES - a tool for assessing the environmental and economic costs and benefits of materials -- mid-1990s.  It never caught on but some very good LCA work came out of it.

Always great when you add your wisdom!