Welcome to the quiz portion of Biobased Materials: Not Always Greener.

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


1. Explain why "biobased" is too general a term.
2. List the primary concerns associated with biobased building materials, finishes and furnishings, and wet-... Read more

Hi all - 

I have heard a good deal about SBTI in the last while and am wondering about this group’s firms’ engagement with them. We reported one year through CDP, and it was not very useful. It focused entirely on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which are over 1000x times less than our semi-controllable Scope 3 (buildings’ embodied carbon and... Read more

Hey Gurus. Might anyone have experience, or thoughts, with regard to establishing an energy use baseline for a new advanced manufacturing facility we are working on for a regional technical community college? This type of academic facility is so relatively new, the program doesn't fall into the typical "College/University" building type from ... Read more

Hi All,

I want to share this report, released today, that I and some other folks on Green Gurus have been working on.  The report dispels the myth that Zero Energy Buildings cost more (specifically in Massachusetts) and it goes further, making the case that Zero Energy Buildings are actually great investments.  Take a look, tell us what... Read more

Our Sustainable Construction Leaders peer network famously developed the Contractor's Commitment.

Famous because it is the industry's only agreed-upon framework for systematically addressing the environmental and social impacts of construction activity.

Famous because it now has 27 signatories, collectively accounting for $49... Read more

I have been asked to recommend folks to join the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence.  The AIA Framework for Design Excellence is basically the top ten toolkit, that has been rebranded by the AIA and is forming the backbone of much of the policy that the AIA is currently setting.

From the AIA's website:

He just posted the following on the Building Performance Knowledge Community forum:

Does anyone have a recommendation for software that is easy to use and relatively inexpensive for doing energy performance analysis at the schematic design (or before) phase?  We are looking for a tool that gives good quantitative comparisons for... Read more

Since starting at LPA last fall, the number one question I get from people outside the firm is how we are hitting (2018-2019) or getting so close to hitting the 2030 Commitment goals. 

Here is a chance to see for yourself! LPA is seeking a Sustainable Design Specialist to join our RED team (Research Education Design) - location open to... Read more

Many on this list teach or have strong contacts with university programs, so I'm hoping to leverage our network in service of something that may be of general benefit.

EDR has a Research Fellowship program where we host young talent for 3 or 12 months addressing new theme each year. The Fellow(s) get "academic freedom" and have no... Read more

We had so much fun at our Contractor coffee talk that I reached out to our MEP friends to see if they would set up something similar.  And they have agreed to host a talk on Thursday December 2, at 1-2pm EST.  They will talk about decarbonizing buildings, on a schedule that keeps us under the 1.5° C limit and will also address strategies for... Read more

Hello SCL peeps, 

Thank you to all the people who filled out our 2021 event survey. Your feedback did help us narrow down the options, but it was still inconclusive about whether there’s enough interest in doing an SCL-only Summit. 

To stay on schedule with our planning (and to make sure the event will pencil out financially), we... Read more

I would be interested to hear which parties in our group have participated in the CDP Program and how you are reporting your efforts.  I have talked to several contractors that just submit the data for their offices. I always feel like it is asking about our operations including the jobsites, and wonder how you get there.  I am very much... Read more

Hi all,

I wanted to reach out to fellow MEP energy modeling teams to assess everyone's experience with the new PCI calculation methodology in 2016. It was a substantial change in how we show savings on projects. Big changes can often come with un-intended consequences. I'm all for pushing to higher efficiency - just want to make sure we... 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