Championing the
Changemakers

Hi Folks - 

The "request for participation" email below is from Brendan Owens, who most of you know was at the USGBC for over 18 years, and is now the Chief Sustainability Officer for the US Dept of Defense. As I read the text, I couldn't help but think of this group as a deep well of expertise and experience that could undoubtedly help... Read more

Hello everyone,

For those I have yet to meet, I'm Candace Pearson. I've recently rejoined BuildingGreen after a brief interlude at law school and am now getting back into the swing of things with editorial, consulting, and peer networks. 

We had a great turn out at this year's Show and Tell before Greenbuild and all of the... Read more

Just had a contractor call who said they had a university client interested in using natural-gas-fed fuel cells as an alternative to grid power in some applications.  They were interested in an intermediate scale: 300kW.

Anyone with any experience with these devices? 

Greetings to all of the sustainability leaders in the Green Commons!

Note: This is a message about politics, which we generally try to avoid in our safe space--but in this case it’s directly tied to climate action so I feel good about sharing it. Feel free to let me know or check in with the BuildingGreen folks if you have concerns or... Read more

What is the status of the roof insulation market regarding non-halogen containing polyiso boards? I know GAF and Atlas still have them. I thought JM had them as well, but seems to have taken them off the menu. Are there performance issues?

Conventional heating systems burn fossil fuels on the building site or use outrageous amounts of electricity.

BuildingGreen-Approved Heat Pumps

The best heat pumps solve both these problems and provide efficient cooling. BuildingGreen approves air-source heat pumps with minimum HSPF and SEER levels of 10 and 20, respectively.... Read more

We have a project that is looking for plaster/stucco/textured wall products that are sustainable, or “more sustainable.”

I know these products exist, but I haven’t had to spec or work with any, so I’m reaching out.

The project is in MA, so I'm also soliciting recommendations for products and/or companies who are experienced using... Read more

Hello Sustainable Community Design Leaders,

Now that everyone invited to the SCDL calls has access to this forum, I want to shift us over here for announcements and reminders, so here's your reminder that this month’s call is next Monday, March 21st, 11am–12pm ET (8-9am PT). Back to our usual time!

You can view the agenda here.... Read more

Sitting in SFO after an exhausting but also weirdly refreshing Greenbuild. Saw many of you at the Peer Networks event, which was so awesome!

Before my flight boards, I wanted to let folks know we're seeking a new Editorial Associate. It's pretty entry level with lots of room to grow. If you know a talented writer who's got background in... Read more

Anyone aware of tools or workflows for modeling of a specific outdoor space and effective surface temperatures?  We've done a goodly amoutn of microclimate simulations, but never explicitly factored in the ground surface, in terms of emissivity and other related factors.   

Welcome to the quiz portion of Why Schools Are Embracing Net-Zero Energy!

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


Recount why schools are at the forefront of the net-zero energy building trend.

Describe the financial arguments that have led school boards to accept net-zero... Read more

Greenbuild 2018 has a new feature – the People’s choice.  This is where you can vote for sessions that sound interesting.  I have been scrolling through this list and I am seeing a lot of great sessions, and familiar names.

So let’s crowd source this one.

Go here https://www.greenbuildexpo.com/en/education/peoplesvoice.html to... Read more

Financial literacy and speaking with clients on their terms. Guiding Questions:

Anyone have success stories? How do the financial considerations differ for developer work vs. institutional work vs. non-profit work vs. publicly funded work? What resources are available to assist?  How have others talked to clients about costs?  What has... Read more

Hi All! 

We have had a few multi-family projects consider this single package vertical unit with integrated ERV, but we haven't pulled the trigger for fear of the unknown. Our local engineers aren't sure how it actually performs and worry it may not meet code requirements for separation between exhaust and intake. Has anyone else used... Read more

Hello Everyone!

We’re beginning to plan events for the rest of 2021, which means we need your input to make sure we are putting together structures and content that are most valuable for you.

Please take a moment to take this brief survey DUE June 25th! You will find details on our current thinking for these events within the... Read more