BuildingGreen Suite.

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EpiCenter, Artists for Humanity (Boston;... Read more

New Mexico Governor Signs Green Home Tax Incentive—New Mexico building owners can now earn an income tax credit for building or renovating a green building. Tax credits for residential buildings range from $4.50–$9.00 per square foot ($50–$100 per m2) for the first 2,000 ft2 (186 m2) depending on the rating a building receives through the U. S... Read more

The New York City (NYC) Department of Education and the NYC Construction Authority have announced the release of the NYC Green Schools Guide and rating system, designed to bring new school construction projects into compliance with Local Law 86, which sets green building requirements for all public buildings in the city. The new rating system... Read more

Fire... Read more

A bill passed by the Washington State Legislature places a limited ban on the use and sale of all polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. The legislation includes a widespread ban, effective January 1, 2008, on the octa and penta forms of PBDE, which were voluntarily discontinued by the sole manufacturer, Great Lakes Chemical... Read more

In a perfect world, energy simulations and design tools would be so well integrated that each time an architect moved a wall, added a window, or changed a lighting specification, the building’s predicted energy performance would be updated and displayed instantly. With that sort of real-time feedback, designers would quickly become skilled at... Read more

The remarkable ability of titanium dioxide (TiO2) to refract, or bend, light makes the substance suitable for myriad applications, including pigment in paint, paper, plastics, cosmetics, and food; a light-blocking ingredient in sunscreen; and a UV-reflector in applications including ceramics and glass. In addition, some TiO2 molecules in a... Read more

Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) are permanent forms for poured-concrete walls; the forms are typically stacked without mortar before concrete is poured, providing insulation and often reducing the amount of concrete needed for the resulting wall.

The insulation material varies from system to system, with the most common being high-... Read more

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) seem to have reached widespread acceptance: large retailers such as Wal-Mart are encouraging their customers to purchase the energy-saving lamps, Chinese manufacturing has significantly reduced costs, and rebates are available for them in some areas. Now there are several initiatives to ban the sale and use of... Read more

Disposal of unused drugs in toilets, as well as human and livestock excretion of drugs, has polluted surface water and groundwater with traces of pharmaceuticals. In coordination with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently... Read more

Thank you for your recent review of Cradle to Cradle certification (see

EBN

Vol. 16, No. 2), and the more general look at nascent attempts to understand and assess the thousands of materials we put in our buildings. As usual, the article was thorough, clear, and complete, and I salute both

EBN and all those about whom... Read more

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the recipients of its first WaterSense labels for landscape irrigation certification programs. The Irrigation Association’s programs to certify irrigation designers and contractors have been recognized by EPA for their ability to teach principles of water-saving irrigation design.... Read more

The American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment has so far signed on 145 presidents, including those of the nation’s largest universities. The commitment endorses a goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by mid-century and commits signatory institutions to pursuing climate neutrality. Universities have two... Read more

In conventional CFLs, a

hot... Read more

A McGraw-Hill Construction study, the

Education Green Building SmartMarket Report, suggests that green schools represent a growing sector of the construction market. The $53 billion education sector currently represents over 27% of the construction market by value, and the study suggests that the green portion of this market will be... Read more

The U.S. Green Building Council’s 2007 Emerging Green Builders Natural Talent Design Competition is accepting registrations. The competition is being held on the local level again this year, with 19 participating chapters each creating their competition around a local design challenge. For example, the Northern California chapter is asking... Read more