BuildingGreen Report

Product Review

January 1, 2010
New World Home is relatively new to the modular home manufacturing world. Founders Mark Jupiter and Tyler Schmetterer started the company in 2007 after collaborating on a green home for Schmetterer. They wanted to “create a transformative housing solution,” according to Jupiter, and found themselves turning to modular construction to create deep-... Read more

News Brief

January 1, 2010
California-based Harpiris Energy recently completed the first large multi-unit installation of its SunCache low-cost, plastic solar water heaters at a senior housing complex in Sacramento, California. (SunCache was named a top-10 product by BuildingGreen in 2008; see

EBN Dec. 2008.)

The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency placed... Read more

Feature

January 1, 2010

Another Greenbuild conference has come and gone, with its frenetic activity, informative educational sessions, many meetings, and all-important networking.

This year I focused much of my time and attention on the Product Expo—and it took a lot of both! At the U.S. Green Building Council’s first Greenbuild conference in Austin, Texas, eight... Read more

News Analysis

January 1, 2010
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has released a paper examining frequent claims about photoluminescent exit signs, which glow in the dark after charging under available light (see

EBN Nov. 2006). After considering manufacturer claims about safety, energy efficiency, and total cost, NEMA concluded, as did

EBN in... Read more

News Brief

January 1, 2010

The most recent Green-e Verification Report, released annually by the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), shows a 45% increase in the U.S. certified renewable energy certificate (REC) market from 2007 to 2008.

The report found that more than 13 terawatt-hours (TWh) of Green-e energy were purchased last year—nearly double 2007 sales.... Read more

News Brief

January 1, 2010

The Boston Architectural College (BAC) Department of Sustainable Design, a national leader in sustainability education for building professionals, will offer a variety of new certification options beginning in January 2010.

In addition to the existing certificate in sustainable design (now with two required courses), students and... Read more

News Brief

January 1, 2010

Changes to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) proposed by the New Buildings Institute (NBI), The American Institute of Architects, and the U.S. Department of Energy have cleared the first hurdle on their way to adoption.

The proposals, modeled on NBI’s Core Performance prescriptive building guidelines, would result in 20%–... Read more

Explainer

January 1, 2010
Combined sewer overflow (CSO) occurs when heavy rains overload antiquated sewer systems that combine wastewater and stormwater, then dump this polluted water into rivers or estuaries without treatment. These CSO events can dramatically increase bacteria levels in estuaries and beaches, often leading to shellfishing restrictions and swimming bans.... Read more

News Analysis

January 1, 2010
On December 7, 2009, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson released the agency’s ruling that greenhouse gases are a threat to humans. This ruling puts greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride—under the regulatory authority of EPA, which... Read more

News Brief

January 1, 2010

As green building takes hold, so too do concerns about litigation and the need for better contracting mechanisms (see

EBN Dec. 2009). Both The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and ConsensusDOCS have released new model contract addenda to address these concerns.

The AIA document, AIA–B124 (2007), updates a 2004 amendment to the... Read more

News Brief

January 1, 2010

In December 2009 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled the final version of the California Climate Adaptation Strategy, a project of the California Natural Resources Agency examining the likely impacts of climate change on the state and proposing a suite of adaptation measures.

The strategy, a 200-page document available for download at... Read more

News Brief

January 1, 2010

Standard 189, the code-enforceable high-performance green building standard that has been in development since 2006, will soon be available to the public.

According to committee chair Kent Peterson, P.E., the final document will look much like the draft that was used for the fourth public comment period, which ended in November 2009. That... Read more

News Analysis

January 1, 2010

Since its founding in 1993, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has depended on volunteer committees for a wide range of activities, from creation and management of the LEED rating systems to guiding green building research and education. After a six-month study by the Committee Assessment Task Force—a group of volunteers and staff—USGBC is... Read more

Blog Post

December 31, 2009
Editor's Note: Erica Godun, AIA, LEED AP, an associate with FXFOWLE Architects shared the following account with us. I've included links throughout to specific credit guidance (including the official credit language) on our LEEDuser website (available by subscription). By the way, LEED projects can upgrade to 2009 anytime. We've analyzed whether... Read more

Blog Post

December 29, 2009
Residents of Lund, Sweden, have dramatically reduced their driving over the past decade. They now walk or bike for most needs.

10 Ways to save energy in 2010

Some energy-saving strategies involve spending money: replacing appliances and lights with more energy-efficient products, tuning up a heating system, and insulating an attic, for... Read more

Blog Post

December 21, 2009
Folding Frame Sno Wovel, designed to reduce the physical strain of shoveling and the related risks of back and heart injuries.

You're down to the last few days before Christmas. You're looking for that meaningful, special gift for a family member, special friend, or co-worker. Buy a gift that keeps on giving--by saving energy! Below, is my... Read more

Blog Post

December 17, 2009

Interesting how it's at once forward-looking and backward.

link to video

Blog Post

December 15, 2009
If you look closely at a low viewing angle, you can see the tiny pillars in this prototype Guardian VIG panel.

Last week we took at look at one way to achieve very-high-performance windows: adding additional layers of glazing and multiple low-emissivity (low-e) coatings. This week, we'll look at another option that's even higher-tech: vacuum-... Read more

News Brief

December 15, 2009

In November 2009, the Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) voted to move forward with code changes designed to make homes in the state more energy efficient.

The package of changes includes requirements for lighting and HVAC control systems, better metering, greater use of commissioning and inspection, and increased energy... Read more

News Brief

December 15, 2009

The carpet manufacturer InterfaceFLOR announced at the 2009 Greenbuild conference that it will be oil-free by 2020. (InterfaceFLOR is the commercial modular carpet division of Interface, the international carpet company.)

InterfaceFLOR has led the way in the past with moves like replacing petrochemicals with cornstarch-based polylactic... Read more