Using a new modeling tool, researchers predicted vehicle miles traveled would decrease 40%–76% in LEED-ND certified areas.

Researchers developed a new predictive model to estimate vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per person in six U.S. regions, validating their model against actual VMT in the same neighborhoods, as catalogued in the National... Read more

A study finds that a small investment in energy efficiency can reduce hospital energy use up to 62%.

A new study from the University of Washington Integrated Design Lab, called Targeting 100!, finds that new hospitals could lead the way in reaching the goals of the 2030 Challenge, which seeks to achieve carbon neutrality in the building... Read more

The two biggest contributors of HFC emissions agree to a phase-down to mitigate global warming. Using the Montreal Protocol framework, President Obama and his Chinese counterpart President Xi have agreed to advance anti-climate-change measures by reducing production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

The leaders agreed to amend the... Read more

EBies honor the people behind this year’s most impressive performance improvements in existing buildings.

Urban Green Council recently revealed the winners of the second annual EBie awards as participants—building operators, engineers, and facility managers—walked the green carpet and made acceptance speeches. The celebration, humorously... Read more

With an estimated 28.6% return on revenue over 10 years, efficiency investments would bring $65 billion a year into the U.S. economy.

A 30% increase in existing building efficiency by 2030 could provide returns of $65 billion annually, according to a study commissioned by United Technologies Corporation, parent company of HVAC manufacturer... Read more

If you’ve ever held a Styrofoam cup comfortably in your hand, only to scorch your tongue sipping the piping-hot coffee inside, you know that plastic foam is a really good insulator. It’s also lightweight, generally impervious to moisture, relatively cheap, and strong.

With all that in its favor, it would take some effort to... Read more

Whether it’s a passing train, a rumbling air-handling unit, or a coworker’s takeout order, unwanted sounds can disrupt work and learning; persistent noise can even affect our health. In schools and conference rooms, poor acoustics prevent people from hearing teachers and presenters.

Design strategies can optimize acoustic performance,... Read more

A leading voice on life-cycle assessment offers a call to action for responsible use of LCA for sustainable design.

It was nice to see your recent piece, “Whole-Building Life-Cycle Assessment: Taking the Measure of a Green Building,” and I appreciated the thoughtful quotes from some leading-edge practitioners out there. You rightfully are... Read more

After 20 years of green initiatives, The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio has seen energy savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars and can boast that its 101-year-old Beaux Arts building recently went off the grid—in a temperate climate.

First steps

Carol Bintz, the building’s chief operating officer, said the projects “started slow,”... Read more

A new program called Declare provides a database of building products with at least 99% of their ingredients fully disclosed. Introduced early in 2013 by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), this free and publicly accessible tool included only about 30 products by late June—but it’s growing rapidly, according to ILFI’s... Read more

We’ve come a long way from the early Tyvek housewrap; our experience with the German Pro Clima Solitex weather-resistive barrier Pro Clima Solitex weather-resistive barrier installed on our home. Click to enlarge.Photo Credit: Alex Wilson

I remember years ago—I hate to remember how many; it must have been around 1982... Read more

If buildings lose power or heating fuel, how hot is too hot and how cold is too cold? An elderly woman in New York City trying to keep cool without air conditioning—though with an electric fan.

Photo Credit: David Goodman - from the Buildings Resiliency Task Force Report

Over the past five months, the New York City... Read more

The 18-kW photovoltaic array on our barn roof is nearing completion The first PV panels being installed on our barn roof. Click to enlarge.Photo Credit: Alex Wilson

When we started planning the rebuild of our house and the rest of the farm in West Dummerston, Vermont my wife and I knew that we wanted to produce all of... Read more

The latest version of Green Globes for New Construction focuses on novel ways to measure energy performance, but details are hard to come by.

There seems to be a lot to like about the new Green Globes for New Construction, which was apparently launched earlier this week.

I say “seems to” and “apparently” because, despite repeated... Read more

This week’s Slow Living Summit celebrates local food, local economies, sustainability, and resilience. The Slow Living Summit is happening June 5-7 in Brattleboro.Image Credit: Strolling of the Heifers

For the past three years the Slow Living Summit has been an important ancillary event to the Strolling of the Heifers... Read more

Efficiency could lead to almost-flat energy demand through 2040 despite new construction—but there’s some fine print. The building sector is set to use far less energy in the next three decades than previously thought, according to the 2013 Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Driven... Read more

UL Environment retires the “Children & Schools” label and ups the ante on formaldehyde emissions. The biggest mouthful in indoor emissions standards—Greenguard Children & Schools—has downsized its name while slightly upping its VOC standards.

UL Environment, which purchased Greenguard in 2011, changed the program’s name to Greenguard... Read more

A new study reveals alarming levels of toxic chemicals in firefighters’ blood. If there’s one group you’d expect to be in favor of flame-retardant chemicals, it’s firefighters.

Not so, according to reporter Mario Moretto at the Bangor Daily News. Although danger is part of the job, firefighters didn’t sign up for the long-term risks associated... Read more

Free online product registry aims to “break through confusion and greenwash.”

A new database of commercial cleaning products, Transpare.com, could help cleaning-service contractors and facility managers make more sustainable and healthier choices.

Launched by ISSA, an international trade association of cleaning professionals and... Read more

Smart economic policies go hand in hand with smart growth, according to an advocacy group. Each year, the U.S. government invests $450 billion in real estate. What do taxpayers get for their money? Sprawl, income inequality, and withering downtowns, according to a new report.

The excluded middle class“There are a couple of uneven impacts,”... Read more