New York Governor George Pataki signed two bills in August 2005 designed to encourage the use of solar energy. The first (S.4962-a) exempts the sale and installation of solar energy systems from state sales and compensating-use taxes and gives municipalities the option of extending the exemption to city taxes. The second bill (S.5252) expands... Read more

Nyle Special Products, LLC, has suspended production of the Cold-Climate Heat Pump™ (CCHP) amid skirmishing between the manufacturer, its former general manager, and the developer of the technology. Duane Hallowell resigned as general manager of Nyle in February to form Hallowell International, LLC, which acquired the manufacturing rights to a... Read more

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has been awarded the fourth annual Henry C. Turner Prize for Innovation in Construction Technology. Named after the founder of Turner Construction Company, a corporate sponsor of USGBC’s LEED® Rating System, the Turner Prize each year recognizes an invention, an innovative methodology, or exceptional... Read more

BuildingGreen, Inc., will be participating actively in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild Expo and Conference in Atlanta this November. Both Nadav Malin and Alex Wilson will be presenting conference sessions, and Nadav will be part of a special preconference workshop on environmentally preferable products. Also, BuildingGreen will... Read more

As of September 1, 2005, all of Potlatch Corporation’s 1.5 million acres (600,00 ha) of forestland, located in Idaho, Arkansas, Oregon, and Minnesota, has earned certification according to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. The certification of 319,000 acres (130,000 ha) in Minnesota, along with chain-of-custody certification of a... Read more

Green engineering firm Keen Engineering has signed a letter of intent to join the professional design and consulting firm Stantec. “Joining Stantec will accelerate our vision of being a top-tier integrated building design firm promoting sustainable development,” says Keen president and CEO Kevin Hydes. According to Stantec president and CEO... Read more

Zero-energy has become a buzzword of the green building movement, used in advertising slogans, conference presentations, and technical papers. Despite the excitement over the phrase, however, we lack a common understanding of just what zero-energy means. And despite proclaimed achievability, few if any buildings can demonstrate that they in... Read more

The protocol for testing the amount of lead that leaches into water from fixtures, valves, and other plumbing components is inadequate, according to a research team from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The 1986 Safe Drinking Water Act, amended in 1996, bans new devices containing pure lead pipe, leaded solders, and... Read more

green buildings, significantly more money may be spent... Read more

Air Quality Sciences, Inc. (AQS) has expanded its product evaluation services to include commercial cleaning products and processes. “The very products and processes that are used to keep indoor environments clean may also contribute to indoor pollution,” says AQS, pointing out that the synergistic effects of mixing various cleaners can be... Read more

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched its year-long pilot LEED® for Homes (LEED-H) rating system in early August 2005. During the pilot phase, regional program providers will select pilot projects and verify that they meet the rating system’s requirements. Homebuilders interested in participating in the pilot can submit an... Read more

Office furniture manufacturer Steelcase, Inc., has committed to halting its use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in time for its 100th anniversary in 2012. The company credits its collaboration with McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) for the decision. Eliminating PVC from edge banding is the first step along that path, according to a... Read more

Eileen Collins, commander of the August 2005 space shuttle mission, drew attention to Earth’s environment during a conversation from space with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and other Japanese officials. “Sometimes you can see how there is erosion, and you can see how there is deforestation. It’s very widespread in some parts of the... Read more

As of September 1, 2005, Green Building Services will no longer be a division of Portland General Electric (which, in turn, is owned by the bankrupt Enron 
Corporation), but will be an independent, employee-owned company. The new company will continue with its current work, including consulting on LEED projects, reviewing LEED submissions for... Read more

After leading the building industry in the pursuit of sustainable design in the early 1990s, The American Institute of Architects (AIA) turned its attention elsewhere and stood by as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), with its LEED� Rating System, became the movement's dominant voice. But interest in green building keeps growing, and AIA... Read more

King County, Washington, home to Seattle, is encouraging builders and developers to incorporate green strategies into their projects. Administered by the King County Department of Development and Environmental Services and the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, the new incentives include assistance during the permit review process,... Read more