First Costs
Reduced operational costs, improved occupant health and productivity, and buildings with small ecological footprints: these are the ways we make the case for green buildings.
What about first cost?
Perhaps to the detriment of green building adoption, we’ve been letting flashy products and innovative case studies paint a picture of higher first costs for green buildings. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Constraints fuel creativity, and plenty of projects are leveraging budgets limitations to meet sustainability goals by designing simpler, more effective spaces.
First Costs
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Embracing the Economy as a Design Challenge
Feature Article
How architects, community developers, and others are experimenting with new models to support progressive design.
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Mouth, Meet Money: Case Studies of Outcome-Based Design
Feature Article
Performance-based incentives are a growing (and positive) trend. They’re not as risky as they sound, but there are some steps you should be taking to prepare.
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LEED v4 Tips from Early Adopters: Earn High Ratings Without Added Costs
Feature Article
You can avoid lower LEED v4 scores and keep costs in check. Here’s how—including the pitfalls you need to watch out for.
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Circular Economy at Scale: Six International Case Studies
Feature Article
These teams are applying radical life-cycle thinking to entire projects—and redefining what building ownership means in the process.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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How RECs Work—and Why You Might Not Own Your Clean Energy
Primer
Even if you buy into a solar farm or host an array, someone else can claim the benefits. Here’s how to get what you expect.
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PACE Financing for Energy Improvements
Primer
PACE financing offers a mechanism for homeowners and small businesses to borrow money for energy improvements and repay those loans through real estate taxes.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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No More Condensation on Chilled Beams
Product Review
Semco’s Neuton pump module could simplify installation of chilled beams, eliminate condensation problems, and provide improved zone control.
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Treated Wood for Ground Contact, Minus the Toxic Pesticides
Product Review
Accoya, now code-approved for fungus and termite resistance, relies on acetylation as a benign alternative to conventional pressure-treated wood.
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DC Power Supply Integrates AC and Renewables
Product Review
Nextek PhD provides AC-to-DC power at the building scale, integrates renewable energy, and can even save on first costs.
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Solar Farms Offer Renewable Power for the Rest of Us
Product Review
Community solar allows customers with site limitations to purchase commercial-quality photovoltaic systems—and the Clean Energy Collective is making it easier.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Green Building Remains Strong in Commercial Sector
News Brief
A recent survey indicates that, though the value of sustainability is widely recognized in corporate real estate, many cite cost as the primary obstacle.
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Could Passivhaus High-Rise Become the Norm?
News Brief
Report indicates that designing tall urban residential buildings to the Passivhaus standard is achievable and worth the added cost.
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EDGE: A Green Building Playbook for Developing Countries
News Analysis
With this quick-start design tool, architects choose materials and strategies based on ROI as well as sustainability.
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Employee Performance Doubled in Well-Ventilated Buildings
News Analysis
Reducing VOCs and adding more fresh air resulted in cognitive function test scores that were 101% higher in a double-blind study.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Our Economy is Broken (and We Can Fix It)
Op-Ed
Green building practitioners must take on the challenge of our broken economy, in our work and in our lives.
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Interface Chairman Ray Anderson Remembered
Op-Ed
EBN remembers Ray Anderson, founder of carpet maker Interface, for his pioneering efforts to make the carpet industry more sustainable.
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Pioneering Efficiency Advocate Blair Hamilton Dies
Op-Ed
One of the nation's leading pioneers in energy efficiency, Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Vermont, died on April 8, 2011 after a long battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Learning Resources
A wide range of education options, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Mouth, Meet Money: Case Studies of Outcome-Based Design
Feature Article
Performance-based incentives are a growing (and positive) trend. They’re not as risky as they sound, but there are some steps you should be taking to prepare.
-
Circular Economy at Scale: Six International Case Studies
Feature Article
These teams are applying radical life-cycle thinking to entire projects—and redefining what building ownership means in the process.
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How to Make Integrated Project Delivery Work for Your Project
Feature Article
Early successes with IPD are now legendary but also fostered misconceptions. We deconstruct those and provide tips to ensure collaboration translates to results.
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How to Build Green At No Added Cost
Feature Article
Avoiding cost premiums on green projects is not only possible: it's a good idea, focusing design teams on simple, effective designs that can deliver savings for years to come.
