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Has anyone seen a comparison between IECC 2021 and previous versions of the energy code, including ASHRAE 2010? I'm curious how far ahead code buildings are relative to LEED v4.0, and how much the latest IECC raises the bar relative to the previous. I did a quick search for the LBNL and other studies that look at this, but didn't see anything... Read more
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Hello Green Gurus,
Here is the information for August's Peer Networks Webinar, A more Mindful Future: mindful MATERIALs plans for Digital Transformation through the Common Materials Framework. We hope you will join us!
Register HERE
A more Mindful Future: mindful MATERIALs plans for Digital Transformation through the Common... Read more
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In an effort to share expert knowledge on the topic of whole building LCA, we are continuing our expert guest webinar series, addressing the topic of steel on March 19th at 1PM EDT. Michael Gryniuk PE, with LeMessurier and SE 2050, will be joining us to share his strategies for reducing the embodied carbon of steel. This webinar is particularly... Read more
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I had a client ask recently if there is a 'better' global social justice tool than ILFI's JUST for use outside the U.S.
Personally, I'd look to WELLv2 feature C12 - Organizational Transparency for other options... but personally have very limited knowledge of options c-e.
Do folks have an opinion on if any of these prograams are... Read more
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HI All,
I am curious if others are using THERM in-house for your envelope design?
We usually use our building envelope/curtain wall consultants (Boston - so mostly RWDI and Heintjes) but our teams are finding that they need the information faster than our consultants can provide, they are backlogged, or we have some curtain wall... Read more
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Now that Ben has set up access restrictions, we have to decide what message to put on "paywall" screens. For example, on the Best Practices pages, the "Official language" tab is fully accessible, but if an anonymous user clicks on any of the other tabs they'll hit a login wall:
https://live-bituser.pantheonsite.io/best-practice/energy-... Read more
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Hello all,
Many of you have been asking about the CC reporting template for 2023 projects. It is still in-progress, but we can promise a huge upgrade from the past couple of years. In particular, the new template is designed for ongoing project tracking over the course of the year (rather than purely documentaion after the fact). ... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Biobased Materials: Not Always Greener.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Explain why "biobased" is too general a term.
2. List the primary concerns associated with biobased building materials, finishes and furnishings, and wet-... Read more
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Hi SDL'ers, as promised I am sending information about how to support getting flame retardants out of foam insulation. I am attaching a draft letter to Foam Manufacturers, an intro to that letter giving some background and a list of From manufacturers. Thanks, please contact if you have any questions. Larry Strain, Siegel & Strain... Read more
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My colleague, Kira Gould, from the AIA National COTE communications committee, has a great question I am reposting here...
AIA National COTE: In the early 00s, COTE supported an initiative through which we created a Guide to the Green RFP and collected sample RFP language. That now dated guide is no longer findable in our resources and... Read more
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We are working on a Core & Shell project with a developer that we work with frequently. I'm looking for advice on best approaches to achieving the Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment credit- we haven't used TALLY and done this type of analysis before. What are some approaches to achieving this credit that others have found successful? I... Read more
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Hey y'all,
Since it's now past September 8 when reporting was due, I'm thinking all those that were going to report as part of this round have now done so. I know AIA will assemble an industry-wide report, but I'm also very interested in the less polished conversation that allows all of us to trade experiences and just see how this went... Read more
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I've been asked to author an article on urban heat mitigation, and I wanted to include a plug for the above pilot credit, which I think is a really powerful new addition to LEED. Beyond introducing the "intent" and "credit requirements", I was also hoping to do (2) things within the article:
1) provide some feedback from those who have... Read more
Product Guide
Exterior paints, stains, and primers—particularly alkyds—can have very high volatile organic compound (VOC) levels and can contain numerous chemicals of concern.
BuildingGreen-Approved Coatings
BuildingGreen lists exterior coatings that meet the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) VOC requirements of 50 grams... Read more