Hello all,

The Bay Area SCL contingent has recently published an anti-idling toolkit so contractors can get empowered to enact their own anti-idling policy on their jobsites. We're all in this together - if you haven't already brought this up with your company management, hopefully this toolkit serves as a good starting point. 

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Little things make a big difference in MEP systems. Pumps, fans, ducts, and dampers are at the heart of performance.

BuildingGreen-Approved HVAC Accessories

We approve the best-in-class products in each category, including:

Hello,

We are having a discussion / a bit of a debate in our office about the merits and sustainability of different roofing materials. Our current standard is to use a PVC membrane, which we all know is highly toxic. TPO is an obvious alternative that is less toxic, but it has some performance concerns and can often lead to leaking (not... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Design for Adaptation: Living in a Climate-Changing World.

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

1. Identify the major known causes of climate change
2. Describe the range and reliability of predicted temperature changes.
3. List... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of The Cost of Comfort: Climate Change and Refrigerants!

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


Explain how refrigerants work, the energy challenges they present for design teams, and the opportunities for efficiency and building performance.

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This may seem a bit in the weeds, but I have typically paid extra at Greenbuild for the access to the materials after the conference - we use that to develop presentations back to the teams who are not able to attend. For many years it was helpful - getting some materials to help folks see what they missed.  Last year they went to a new service... Read more

Hi All,

I'm working on a LEED for Schools project under 2009, and received some amorphous comments back about our Mold Prevention Plan. We used the LEEDuser template as a guide, while also referencing the EPA document the credit is based around, but the reviewers feel we haven't provided proper metrics. The EPA plan is something like... Read more

Hi. Happy Monday! Will BG create the BIT-user intro video found on the landing page? Do we partner on it, or should Southface plan to provide it? Thanks.

Hey All!

One of the initiatives from our first meeting in Chicago was to gather and develop resources related to plug and process loads in buildings which will help us all with: energy modeling, equipment sizing and power distribution.  We had our first call this morning and are rolling.  Aspirations are that this could turn into a... Read more

Are your clients asking you about wellness? You’re not alone. Healthy interiors and wellbeing are the trending buzzwords of sustainable design. Lighting design for circadian rhythm and water filtration methods might be on the... Read more

How much will it cost to achieve LEED v4 certification?

“We’d love a green building, but can we afford it?”

“We’re required to be LEED Silver, but we’re not sure how to get there under the new rating system.”

“Sure, we’re interested in LEED, as long as it doesn’t cost extra.”

LEED v4 and cost uncertainty

With... Read more

The Sustainable Community Design Leaders Peer Network brings together planners, architects, landscape architects, and allied leaders who are committed to leveraging the... Read more

In the wake of pandemic WFH requirements, we are looking to revamp employee policies and I thought this type of information share would be something we Green Gurus would love to thought-share on. 

We are a very 'low-policy company' (20 when I joined, now 75 employees currently) and our employee handbook is quite small (5 pages). Most... Read more

I wanted to make sure that you didn’t miss this fun event.  We can all use some fun right now.

Built Environment Plus is celebrating the arrival of spring with a fun competition to get people out and about safely. A digital Scavenger Hunt will allow teams of 4 (or larger families) to complete a series of photo, video, and text missions... Read more

Thought this was worth sharing - Lance Davis, who manages the P100 program for GSA just posted to an email group i belong to that the GSA P100 program is to be updated in 2024.  In service to that, there is a "P100 Change Proposal Form" available for folks to make helpful suggestions.

They are asking for suggestions, i think we should... Read more

Hello AEC Sustainability Leaders (aka the Green Gurus)!

As we continue to promote and expand the use of mass timber on our projects, it is becoming increasingly important that we learn more about the spectrum of impacts that this material selection is having on the forests and communities from which we’re sourcing our wood fiber…both... Read more

Hi, this is a somewhat niche/specific question - we are working on an all-electric school (middle and high school) that includes a chemistry lab. The lab was going to have portable sources for flame experiments, but there is concern that the portable sources would be unsafe for middle school students, so they are asking for a hard-pipe natural... Read more