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 folks,

I wanted to let people know about this webinar--I've heard it's good. If you do catch it please let us know what you think. Jason has offered to do a private version for our Peer Networks as well--I'd love to know how interested people would be in that opportunity.

November 14, 2019 from noon to 1 PM Pacific Time

... Read more

Is everyone else having trouble with a dysfunctionally slow LEED-Online today (i.e., worse than the usual incredibly slow performance)?

Hi all -

I got this yesterday from Renew Oregon, a credible environmental NGO here in the state.

"A secretive special interest group has filed a petition at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to take “net metering” rules away from states and make it a federal issue.  Net metering is the program that allows homes and... Read more

Hi All,

I am looking for a lifecycle analysis consultant to work on a feasibility study in New York. They should have capacity to analyze and compare various architectural, structural and mechanical components for environmental impacts, primarily GHG emissions. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

_Ilana

HI MEP Leaders,

Related to our thread about equipment needed for decarbonization, I have a question about what new or improved equipment is already available now that you're excited about.

Every year we at BuildingGreen publish (and present at Greenbuild) a listing of the Top-10 new and exciting products. Our focus this year is on... Read more

Has anyone seen a comparison between IECC 2021 and previous versions of the energy code, including ASHRAE 2010? I'm curious how far ahead code buildings are relative to LEED v4.0, and how much the latest IECC raises the bar relative to the previous. I did a quick search for the LBNL and other studies that look at this, but didn't see anything... Read more

Hi Everyone!

I'm Lauren Shumaker and I'm a Project Manager/Sustainability Manager with Turner Construction.  As a long standing advocate for healthy and sustainable building materials, I look forward to expanding my ability to promote material transparency and shine a greater light on our ability to positively impact human and... Read more

Sages,

I suspect that some of you have already seen this or already signed it, but just in case, for your consideration:

Add your voice to the powerful chorus for climate policy and sign the LEAD statement.

More than 500 sustainability professionals have now signed, and the number is growing! 

To learn more about... Read more

Hi All,

As of February 1, I’ll no longer be on this Forum as I don’t fit into any of the roles of SDL (yet) and I respect this space as a haven for those who do.  Helping to form this network with Nellie, Jim and Nadav has been a highlight of my career. Its truly exciting to see SDL networks finally expand to other practice areas.  I am... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of VOCs: Still Here, Still Making Us Sick!

Important: This quiz covers all related articles within this topic. Scroll to the bottom of the article page to find links to all the articles covered by this quiz.

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


1.... Read more

Check out this new executive order. It is broad and includes a lot of items, but of interest to this group, there are some things in here that we pointed towards in our letter back from the beginning of the year, including 24/7 carbon-free electrical energy, a net-zero emissions portfolio by 2045 and net zero emissions from procurement... Read more

Gypsum is calcium sulfate dehydrate, which is mined or produced as a byproduct of flue gas desulphurization (FGD) from coal-fired power plants. FGD gypsum may contain trace contaminants from coal processing, but not enough to represent a hazard to users. Years ago, some imported products created indoor air quality problems that required... Read more

I'm sure we'll learn more soon, but several people have asked on various platforms about how Betsy del Monte is doing (she lives in Asheville, NC, which was hard hit by Hurricane Helene). 

I had a brief text exchange with her on Saturday 28 September, and I feel sure that she would be OK with my sharing it with you all: 

We’re... Read more

Hi folks, we have a client who is interested in good precedents for measuring wellness. A little background: the project is a student health and wellness building, and what we'd typically measure (healthcare visits, staff absenteeism, etc) are pretty disease focused. We'd like to put in place systems for measuring positive things, like how many... Read more

Hello SCL,

Version 2.0 of the Contractor's Commitment has officially been ratified with 33 "yes" votes out of 52 members. Congratulations, and a big thank you to everyone who helped move this forward--especilly Amanda Atkinson, who really took this project by the horns. 

You can find the updated version here.

Next, I'll be... Read more