Energy Efficiency
Our buildings consume more energy than industry or transportation, and we haven’t done a great job of reducing that consumption. We can do better by:
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monitoring energy use
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improving building commissioning
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applying insights from building science
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selecting innovative HVAC and building envelope technology
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using natural ventilation and daylighting to provide low-cost alternatives to standard systems
As great as all these ideas are, they won’t be nearly as effective if we don’t engage occupants about energy use as well. Our articles look at all these strategies and more.
Energy Efficiency
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Counting Carbon: Understanding Carbon Footprints of Buildings
Feature Article
Everyone seems to be talking about measuring carbon footprints and designing carbon-neutral buildings, but these terms mean different things to different people. Some focus just on operating energy, while others also look at transportation, materials, and other building-related emissions. As with so many things, the results depend on what you count and how you count it.
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The Challenge of Existing Homes: Retrofitting for Dramatic Energy Savings
Feature Article
Greenhouse gas emissions associated with residential energy use account for a fifth of all emissions in the U.S. Retrofitting existing houses to achieve a two- to three-fold reduction in energy use is necessary if we are to achieve the emissions reductions scientists say are required for avoiding catastrophic climate change. Here's a look at how it can be done.
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Piping in Perspective: Selecting Pipe for Plumbing in Buildings
Feature Article
Potable water supply piping and drain-waste-vent piping represent a significant fraction of a building's materials. Choosing the greenest pipe for both applications, particularly deciding between metal pipe and plastic alternatives, requires evaluating a variety of environmental and human health impacts as well as durability and performance issues.
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In the Pipeline: District Energy and Green Building
Feature Article
Very common in northern Europe, district energy systems use a network of buried, insulated pipes to distribute centrally produced steam, hot water, or chilled water to heat or cool multiple buildings. These systems can make use of waste heat from power generation (combined heat and power) or renewable fuel sources to help reduce the environmental impacts of buildings and communities.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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HOBO Data Loggers: No Longer Just for Researchers
Product Review
Understanding how buildings work is becoming more and more important, and Onset Computer offers a wide range of HOBO data loggers to serve this need.
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The World's Most Efficient Solar Thermal Collector?
Product Review
The Ritter XL solar thermal system combines the most efficient technology to generate hot water for commercial, multifamily, and district heating.
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An Efficient Retrofit for Commercial Hot Water on Demand
Product Review
D'Mand Circ for commercial buildings recirculates hot water only when it's needed, saving fuel and electricity-and even the pipes.
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Commercial Induction Ranges from CookTek
Product Review
CookTek's induction ranges produce little extraneous heat and no combustion gases, potentially reducing the amount of ventilation needed in a commercial kitchen.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Four Reasons Building Performance Is Worse Than Predicted
News Brief
It’s common for energy use to far exceed what models predict. Should outcome-based measures be the new standard?
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
A wide range of education options, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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