Small Firm Sustainable Design Leaders –

I find it hard to believe calls for session proposals are already out for next year’s AIA Conference on Architecture.  I feel like I just got back!

At my firm, we try to have all principals and associates to submit a proposal each year.  I had a couple of take-aways from this year’s... Read more

Hi All -

I have a non-profit project that has a lot of wood structure to it, but the truss suppliers have both said they cannot get FSC wood for the project.

So, looking at the Legal Wood Pilot Credit, I need some help.  Can anyone tell me where i can find the definitions between "legal", "responsible" and "certified" are? (I'm... Read more

Hello friends,

Anyone who will be attending NESEA's BuildingEnergy Boston conference next week is invited to an informal Green Gurus meetup! Stop by the Built Environment Plus booth (#4 on the map) at 6pm Monday (during the second half of the trade show reception) to say hi to some fellow Sustainability Leaders. SDL member Keihly Moore... Read more

Hi: SD Leaders.  It was so nice to see so many of you at Greenbuild in Chicago. By now I'm sure all have seen the announcement of the release of the Fourth National Climate Assessment Report vol 2. (https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/) It's well worth a deep read - so much important and extremely informative material. I want to draw your... Read more

Alerting building occupants about indoor air pollutants is important in many situations.

BuildingGreen-Approved IAQ Equipment

Products approved by BuildingGreen range from single-use test kits to monitoring systems installed throughout a building. Some test for gases such as radon, VOCs, or carbon monoxide, and some for mold and... Read more

Fellow SCLers,

This is a small ball item, but I recently had a conversation with a safety glove manufacturer called Traffi. They make PPE, but in particular they have a line of gloves that they promote as carbon neutral. Their organization's operations are offset with retired RECs, but one line of their gloves, LXT, is offset by a... Read more

Was anyone else surprised to see ASHRAE 228-2023 using eGRID Subregions for both the Regional Electricity Source Energy Conversion Factor and Regional Electricity Greenhouse Gas Emission Factors? In the past I have used eGRID sub-regions but also State and local utility conversion factors depending on what energy or operational carbon story I... Read more

Hi Sustainability Leaders,

(Note: this post was edited to correct Jen's affiliation and to add Rob Winstead.) Please join me and the BuildingGreen team in congratulating the Peer Network members of the USGBC 2023 Class of LEED Fellows!

Geoffrey Brock, IPS-Integrated Project Services, SCL

Heather DeGrella, Opsis... Read more

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

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

We are looking for someone early in their career to take over our green building certifications (mostly LEED).  They will also be helping our office build expertise in other certifications, keeping up with green building ordinances in our markets, and (hopefully) help me answer all those questions about energy codes. 

They do not need... Read more

Hello Green Gurus,

Our next Peer Networks webinar is coming up in just two weeks! We’ll hear from the Indoor Air Quality Working Group, authors of the recently published whitepaper “Considerations for Continuous Air Quality Monitoring: Simple tips for getting it right, according to IAQ consultants”.

More details will be available... Read more

Short notice – apologies in advance.

Please review the new Guide following the instructions on the first page of the attached draft and using the attached spreadsheet. Comments will be accepted until February 16th at noon EST

Use the Excel spreadsheet to compile your comments if you have any, and return them to me by Feb 15th COB... Read more

Hello SMEPers,

I’m hoping to crowd source some anecdotes for a guest lecture I’ll be giving at Yale’s architecture school. The topic is integrated design (especially between architects and engineers) and how it enables better sustainability outcomes.

John Boecker has this great story about how choosing a paint color with higher... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of The Death and Rebirth of DC Power. 

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


Explain when and how to integrate DC power into buildings, and the benefits of doing so.

Understand the history and background of AC and DC power in the U.S.

... Read more

We have an environmentally-minded client who asked us to look into an alternative to the blue adhesive film that is typically used to seal uninstalled ducts for IAQ purposes. From a human health and waste perspective, they were hoping to find something that was both plastic-free and reusable. Has anyone tried out other options? I thought it was... Read more

RoseAnn’s role at BuildingGreen as Peer Networks Manager focuses on Peer Networks projects and planning events, including annual Peer Network Summits. 

Prior to BuildingGreen, RoseAnn worked in the nonprofit sector in customer-service based roles which allowed her to reconnect with her local community soon after earning her... Read more