Although the U.S. used slightly (0.5%) less petroleum in 2005 than it did in record-breaking 2004, the percentage of that petroleum that was imported reached a new high in 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration. Of the 99.84 quadrillion Btus used, a net 59.8% was imported. Of those imports, 17.0%... Read more

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Vol. 8, No. 6... Read more

Thanks to a $380,000 grant from the Home Depot Foundation, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) plans to develop a Controlled Wood Global Risk Registry. This program addresses one of the more challenging aspects of FSC’s recently revised chain-of-custody labeling rules—a requirement that any noncertified wood in a labeled product be “controlled... Read more

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered James Pflueger to pay $7.5 million for construction activities on 380 acres (150 ha) of coastal property on Kaua’i, Hawaii. Pflueger’s transgressions include cutting away a hillside to create a vertical road cut, grading a coastal plateau, creating new access roads to the coast, and... Read more

Energy and sustainability consultant CTG Energetics, Inc., has announced the opening of its northeast regional office in Providence, Rhode Island. The office is led by Stephen Turner, P.E., a consulting engineer who specializes in mechanical, electrical, and energy systems for buildings and campuses. The northeast office will focus on... Read more

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed an executive order in April 2006 supporting green building. The order calls for new State facilities to be 30% more efficient than required by commercial code, and it calls for a 10% reduction of energy usage in all State buildings by fiscal year 2008 and a 20% reduction by fiscal year 2010. The order also... Read more

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Broad Knowledge Committee seeks proposals for research projects. AIA will award $7,000 each to ten winning projects “that advance professional knowledge and practice” in a range of areas, including sustainability. Entries are due May 15, 2006. For more information, contact Barbara Sido at bsido@aia.org... Read more

The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) has released version 1.8 of its Energy-10™ modeling software, compatible with PC computers. The new version features the ability to model the performance of stand-alone or building-integrated photovoltaic systems as well as solar domestic or service water heaters. For more information, visit... Read more

The area of green roofs in the U.S. grew by 80%—from 27 acres (11 ha) to 49 acres (20 ha)—from 2004 to 2005, according to the nonprofit Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC). The area of green roofs in all of North America grew 72%—from 30 acres (12 ha) to 57 acres (23 ha). Chicago is leading the pack with a total of 183,000 ft2 (17,000 m2) of... Read more

The average new, single-family home built in the U.S. in 2004 came in at 2,349 ft2 (218 m2)—13% larger than the average in 1990 and 2.4 times as big as the average in 1950—according to the National Association of Home Builders’ newest “Housing Facts, Figures, and Trends” report, released in March 2006. Of new homes in 2004, 95% had two full... Read more

January 2006. CD-ROM, $499, $429 for ASHRAE members, with an annual updating fee of $290 for nonmembers and $220 for members. A network version also is available. Runs only on Microsoft Windows® operating systems. To order, call 800-527-4723 or 404-636-8400, or visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore.

In January 2006 the American Society of... Read more

“By 2050 new buildings will consume zero net energy from external power supplies and produce zero net carbon dioxide emissions while being economically viable to construct and operate.” That is the goal of an effort led by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), United Technologies Corporation, and Lafarge Group. The... Read more

net increase in wetlands, due to the fact that it... Read more

Ten years ago, we expressed concern over the increase in sales of unvented gas heaters (see

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Vol. 5, No. 3). At that time, sales totaled about 520,000 units per year. In the intervening decade, sales have risen to over one million units per year.

As the name suggests, these heaters do not require chimneys or other... Read more

Jonathan Rose Companies, LLC, has announced the formation of the Rose Smart Growth Investment Fund I, LP, the first national real estate investment fund that acquires buildings exclusively in Smart Growth locations and improves them to enhance the quality of life for tenants and the livability of the communities. The company announced its first... Read more

Kohler’s Steward™ and Steward S urinals are the end-... Read more

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) has announced plans to install a 5 MW solar photovoltaic system (the largest system in North America). NJMC plans to harness space atop roofs, parking lots, and remediated landfills to accommodate the system, which will require 1.3 million ft2, or approximately 30 acres (121,000 m2; 12 ha) of space.... Read more

Jason McLennon, founder and director of Elements, BNIM Architects’ sustainable design and consulting division, was named among

Building Design & Construction’s first annual “40 Under 40” architects, engineers, contractors, designers, and AEC business developers. The full list is at www.bdcnetwork.com/article/CA6316252.html.