Last week, we took a look at how to save energy and water with clothes washing. This week we'll turn our attention to drying, which accounts for approximately 6% of all household electricity consumption in the U.S.

The two are closely related... Read more

Two guys were walking down the hall. Professional-looking guys, architectorial. One of them said to the other, "It's called, um, energy... recovery ventilator." BAM! That's what it's about. Yeah, there's greenwash, there's cynicism, there's impatience. But there's also people finding their way forward. We're all spread out along the learning... Read more

I normally post the Top-10 green building products list just as Alex is starting the presentation. And this year, I just totally spaced it out.

I seem to be on the chemical redlist circuit this month. Last night at GreenBuild I attended Perkins + Will's panel-and-schmooze event to discuss their brand new precautionary list of 25 chemicals that P+W wants to see out of building products. They've created a publicly available website with their avoid list and you can view the list by... Read more

In the 1980s, when my wife and I were expecting our first child, we decided it was time to give up our weekly adventure at the laundromat and buy our first clothes washer: a used Maytag. It was rugged and generally dependable despite its age, but it had a big... Read more

Granite, which is known to naturally accumulate uranium, made headlines last year when it was reported that granite countertops can release radon gas into homes. Now, a new study, “Implications of Granite Counter Top Construction and Uses,” raises concerns that as many as half of all granite-cutters may be at risk of radiation exposure up to 3,... Read more

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) began using building information modeling (BIM) in 2003; by 2007, the agency was requiring basic models for all projects and encouraging more complex models incorporating energy performance and construction scheduling. Now, both Wisconsin and Texas have adopted BIM programs for state construction... Read more

Trane, acquired by Ingersoll Rand in June 2008 and the largest North American manufacturer of commercial HVAC equipment (#2 in the world), has completed the conversion away from R-22 in its unitary HVAC product line in the Americas. (Unitary equipment is self-contained, often rooftop-mounted, HVAC equipment that typically includes a motor-... Read more

Most buildings could achieve better energy performance through operational changes that ensure systems are operating at peak efficiency. New York City officials joined 32BJ, the local property service workers’ union, in harnessing the possibility of operational changes by launching the One Year, One Thousand Green Supers program.

A common design solution for green buildings, at least in temperate climates, will now get more complicated. The American Society of Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigerating Engineers (ASHRAE) has decided that natural ventilation alone cannot meet indoor air quality needs in most commercial and high-rise residential buildings. The... Read more

The homes range in size from 2,400­ to 2,512 square feet (220–230 m2) and have HERS ratings of 85, 64, and 30 (the... Read more