Hi folks,

We had a fun impromptu conversation on our call last week. We got most involved in the challenge of getting developers interested in taking advantage of IRA Tax Credits. That can be quite a challenge given their business model.

We also heard about emerging data on tradeoffs between embodied and operating carbon, and how... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Better Steel, Lower Impacts!

Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:


Understand the process of how steel is made.

Recount how the U.S. steel industry has been improving its environmental footprint, while improving product performance.

... Read more

If anyone else has gotten confused going between parts-per-million and percentages (parts per hundred!) for material reporting here's a little infographic that might help. Feel free to use or improve! 

Hi SDLers! I hope early fall is finding you well.

There is a current opportunity to make a difference in the campaign to reduce use of toxic flame retardants.

Arlene Blum and the Green Science Policy Institute, whom many of you know, are currently organizing a campaign of support for the CA State Fire Marshal's proposal to allow... Read more

We have an MEP engineer that is calculating peak loads at about 6 times passive house levels on a large commercial building that is at or near passive house levels of insulation and air infiltration. We suspect one reason is that he is figuring a 50% efficiency level for the ERV. We are showing him ERV systems with 80-90% efficiency, but they... Read more

Hi Everyone, 

Has anyone had success in finding organizations or programs that will recycle the hard hats? We are looking into options for recycling our expired hard hats that can no longer be used. Ideally, we would want to use a company with facilities across the country but we are open to any suggestions or ideas you all may have.... Read more

Hello all,

This month's SCDL call was full of great discussion! We decided this month that we are feeling good about where we are for the Task Force Agreement on defining social sustainabiltiy in our work. The aim is to work with this agreement for a while and see if it holds up as a process framework. There was also interest to invite... Read more

Has anyone worked on a project installing a PowerNest system?  I just found out about it today and would love to get working information on it.  

Here's the link, in case its new to you as well. https://www.ibispower.eu/home

Thank you -

hi all! I'm almost at the finish line with this year's 2030 reporting...whew. I'm running into an issue that I wanted to throw out to this group, regarding the zero tool and national average baselines. Hoping some of y'all who manage your firm's 2030 data, or are just more familiar with CBECS and related data, have some insight / experience to... Read more

Does anyone have experience with Oknoplast PAVA windows that they would be willing to share?

Hello Gurus,

I have a client (bldg owner) who has asked me to recommend a list of firms who have the internalized resilient design in their practice.

They are *not* asking for resiliency consultants right now, but for firms that they might hire for "regular" capital projects, but since resiliency is high on their priorities, they... Read more

Split systems are multi-component units that use an outdoor condenser along with separate indoor fan coils to move refrigerant—and provide heating and cooling—in buildings without the need for ducts.

BuildingGreen-Approved Systems

BuildingGreen approves mini-splits that are tested to AHRI standards and have minimum SEER and an... Read more

Hi Everyone - I'm posting this on behalf of Jeff Frost whom many of you know from his days as an SD Leader with SmithGroup and SERA and in his new role as head of Brightworks Sustainability's materials group.  I am excited to be working with Jeff on this concept of multi-attribute product scoring.  Cheers, Lona

Dear SDL’ers,

We’ve... Read more

I was recently tasked by my CEO to uncover some qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (surveys) data within our organization related to the value remote working has had on our organization. He's specifically interested in questions such as how this experience has enhanced our value as teams, unity or disunity as a firm? Where has it ... Read more