Does adding solar panels reduce a building's EUI?

Existing operational use of a building is 80 kBtu/sf/year. When we add solar, it will change the source of energy but does not change the usage.

My understanding is that the EUI does not change, but it would be good to hear from others.

It's energy consumption at the point... Read more

Textiles have some of the worst environmental records of any product found in our buildings. Textile production uses a number of hazardous chemicals and pollutes water; and its environmental impacts often affect our most vulnerable populations.

BuildingGreen favors textiles made using fibers and manufacturing processes that have low... Read more

We are T-minus two days from the ILFI unconference and I am looking forward to seeing a bunch of you there.  I have a vague memory about there being a meet up scheduled - can somebody remind me of where/when.

Also, can folks that are speaking post a reply about when their session is and what the topic is please.

Thanks in advance... Read more

Hi folks,

We often hear from you with a suggestion of someone who would be great for the network, and a question about how to refer them. We've now made that easy, with three steps laid out in an Outreach Toolkit that's posted in the left margin of the Member Directory.

So, if you're thinking of someone to invite or come across... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Can Commercial Kitchens Go Electric?

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


Understand why building electrification can be better for the environment and human health than use of fossil fuels, including natural gas.

List eight reasons... Read more

This month on our Sustainable MEP Leaders call we were asked what resources would be suggested for advancing integrative design.

Two books immediately came to mind for me:

How Building Learn, by Stewart Brand

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

It was many years ago but reading Stewart Brand’s How... Read more

Happy Friday, SDL!

We're running a Tally WBLCA for an environmental education center, which has a very small floor area but a fairly robust concrete/steel structure. Still, I was surprised to find an intensity of over 1,000 kgCO2/m2 for the building.

This is way higher than the general benchmarks I've found in the CLF's database,... Read more

In our quest to create a low carbon future the lectrification/Decarbonization working group is planning spend the next 10 months creating tools to advocate for electrification:

Does anyone have experience pursing SITES certification on an essentially a zero-lot line project?

We are required to achieve silver certification, but the project scope/phasing recently changed and the entire site/parking area was eliminated and we no longer have a green roof. It still appears we can meet silver certification as so few... Read more

What is the lag time for historical embodied carbon data catching up with real-time information as manufacturers source renewable energy? Is our professional time best spent calculating with out-of-date information or more simply calling for manufacturers' elimination of fossil fuel combustion in their production and transportation of materials... Read more

Does anyone here have a draft spec for low embodied carbon concrete they could share? I see the GSA has a standards sheet with MGWP limits, but we are hoping to actually specify the mix for upcoming projects.

Hi all,

I had a position listed for a Sustainable Design Coordinator which we have down for the moment as we've taken on a fall intern instead. In the interim, however, I did have a couple of great candidates that I'd like to help find good matches. One of those candidates is Marissa Lantieri, see her resume and portolio attached.

Hello all,

We are having a mini office debate on fiberglass vs aluminum windows for use in schools (k-12) in Massachusetts. In the past we have always used aluminum windows on our schools, for durability. However, their performance is not as great as other products that are up and coming on the market. There is some hesitation to switch... Read more

Does anyone subscribe to Green Badger? Do you find it valuable?

I'm curious if anyone can share their strategy on indoor air quality for the return to office. Is this something that is prioritized at your firm from a wellbeing standpoint and with the current health crisis at hand? Lendlease is looking into options to safeguard our employees/occupants as we move back into the workplace and I'm researching... Read more

Water treatment systems often rely on harsh chemicals to treat bacteria, and on high water use from drawdown of water to reduce build-up of concentrates—a process called blowdown.

BuildingGreen-Approved Water Treatment

BuildingGreen approves systems that:

Practitioners interested in reducing the embodied carbon of buildings are likely now used to considering the impact of different materials, like mass timber or low-carbon concrete. Low-carbon construction, however, may be less familiar. 

Contractors are just... Read more