Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency involves a set of strategies that can be used to reduce the consumption of energy—especially fossil-fuel energy—in buildings. These strategies include:
-
monitoring energy use
-
improving building commissioning
-
applying insights from building science
-
selecting innovative HVAC and building envelope technology
-
using natural ventilation and daylighting to provide low-cost alternatives to standard systems
Energy Efficiency
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
-
Climate Energy Brings Combined Heat and Power Home
Product Review
The idea of combining electricity generation with the production of useful heat-referred to as combined heat and power (CHP) or cogeneration-has long been attractive. Now, after many false starts, a viable residential-scale CHP system is about to enter the market.
-
Tinting on Demand with SageGlass
Product Review
Glazing from Sage Electrochromics, Inc., allows users to change its visible light and total solar transmittance properties with the push of a button.
-
New Delta Showerhead Advances State of the Art
Product Review
The Delta Faucet Company's newest showerhead delivers a satisfying shower using only 1.6 gallons of water per minute.
-
Mitsubishi Jet Towel Hand Dryer
Product Review
The Jet Towel uses high-velocity air to dry hands in five or six seconds. It also produces less noise and uses less energy than its competitors and captures water in a storage reservoir.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
-
The Search for Better Insulation Continues
News Analysis
We can all celebrate 25 years of improvements to insulation, but we still have a wish list of seven better products we’d like to see.
-
Study Vets Materials for Entire Wall Assemblies
News Brief
When you look at the whole assembly, it can change how you see the materials. Here XPS and fiberglass come out ahead, and SPF behind.
-
Source Energy Is Federally Endorsed Metric for Net-Zero Buildings
News Analysis
The DOE releases a definition of zero energy buildings that it hopes will be adopted industry-wide.
-
New Label from ILFI to “Reveal” Building Energy Data
News Analysis
Buildings will be able to display a standard label showing energy use under a new program from the International Living Future Institute.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.