On September 23, 2009, development company CB Richard Ellis Group (CBRE) joined with Brookfield Properties and ING Clarion Partners in a one-day pursuit of energy savings through building management across its portfolio.

In September 2009 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its long-awaited draft WaterSense standard for showerheads.

Beginning in January 2010, building energy modelers will be able to take an exam and become certified energy modelers. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), together with the International Building Performance Simulation Association and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, has... Read more

EBN May 2009). Two groups—the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC)—are working on separate... Read more

The first public version of the rating system designed for colleges and universities by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) was made available in October 2009.

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

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

In 1980, after living without electricity for five years, I bought a photovoltaic (PV) module for $275. Once the 33-watt Arco panel was hooked up to a 12-volt car battery, my kerosene bill dropped significantly. For a few hours each night, I was able to listen to a radio and operate a tiny 12-volt fluorescent light.

Twenty-nine years... Read more

I just finished reading the piece on heat-pump water heaters in the October issue of EBN [“Heat-Pump Water Heaters Ready for Prime Time”].

I just don’t get the support for heat pumps. The process is sold as “free heat from the ground” and “simply moving heat from one place to another.” However, the truth is that the compressor used to... Read more

Vermont made history last week, becoming the first state to offer "feed-in tariffs" for electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

Feed-in tariffs have been... Read more

Last week I wrote about a high-tech solution for water heating--heat-pump water heaters that can cut costs by more than half compared to conventional electric water heating. This week, I'll address the low-tech efficiency side of water heating.

First, some... Read more

At a time when many universities are struggling to fund advanced degree programs, the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture has established a doctoral program in architecture that emphasizes architectural technology. The school seeks candidates interested in studying all aspects of the building envelope, including... Read more

The California Public Utilities Commission recently approved a budget that will funnel $3.1 billion to energy-efficiency efforts statewide over the next three years—an initiative that the commission says is the largest such program in American history.

The budget will fund, among other things, the California Statewide Program for... Read more