Hi folks, I'm reading Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet (Xmas gift) and came across this quote over the weekend which resonated for me, and thought might for this group as well:

"We may feel immense pressure to save the planet in this lifetime, and we may be afraid that we can never do enough. The stark truth is that the planet doesn'... Read more

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder to please fill out the 2024 All-Networks Workshop Attendance Poll by the end of next Monday, December 18th. Thank you so much to those who have filled it out already! :) 

-Amanda

Hello! I just joined the SAL group and am thrilled to be a part of this amazing network! I am an architect and an educator and now run my own sustainable consulting practice in the Boston area. Having previously led the sustainability efforts at several of Boston’s large architecture and design firms, I made the exciting (and scary) leap in... Read more

Greetings Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) advocates!

We have an opportunity to advocate to the US DOE on behalf of HPWHs!

Geoff Wickes is an emerging technology product manager for NEEA (Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance) currently focused entirely on HPWH technology, policy, and market adoption (and in full disclosure: also a... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Measuring Energy Use in Buildings: Do Our Metrics Really Add Up?.

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


1. Explain the differences between site energy, source energy, and energy cost.
2. Summarize three ways in which source energy can... Read more

Hello, 

We have recently been introduced to the Innovation Design Consurtium and are considering becoming members. Wondering what others have experienced with this recently created group. Any feedback / experience is most appreciated.

Thanks!

Do you have the authority to start using only EVs in your renderings?  Let’s normalize and accelerate this change!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_production_battery_electric_vehicles

Why are we showing gas cars in renderings of our green buildings?

Hi folks, 

We all need some more fun and now that we are all breathing better - let's do it!

WHAT is the "Lighter Side of Green" (LSG) ?

You all are rockstars in the Green world, but what about your other talents? LSG is a show where we will highlight the artistic and comedic talents of our Green Building community!... Read more

There has been some great press in the last couple of days related to Healthy Building Network's (HBN) newly released report "Chlorine & Building Materials Project".  That report is over 200 pages long, but there is some great commentary available that makes the top issues much quicker to grasp.

Chlorine is used to make PVC and PVC... Read more

Buck Dodgers

Hello Sustainability Leaders!

The monthly all Peer Networks Meetup has been a wonderful way for casual “face-to-face” connections since the beginning of the pandemic. However, after more than a year with the same structure, we think it’s time for a change. Throughout our virtual summits and events one of the most popular aspects has been... Read more

Hi SD Leaders: As you may know, The National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) is currently drafting their proposed 2020 Conditions for Architectural Accreditation.  AIA COTE has prepared a response and believe it is critical that the NAAB accreditation process address the role of the architect in climate action and the projected impacts... Read more

https://www.architects.org/awards/sustainable-design-0

All,

My BSA Co-chair, Steven Burke, and I want to make you all aware of the BSA Sustainable Design Awards coming up soon. Please see the above link for qualifications and registration information. This is an award which is attempting to work towards the same stringency, rigor... Read more

We've been doing some work gathering actual energy data on our recent projects. (In January we actually issued a report on 21 public buildings ). 

One of the biggest issues is getting access to the actual data - many clients don't want to share. 

Has anyone crafted proposal or contract language allowing/requiring design team... Read more