Championing the
Changemakers

Old windows can be leaky and uncomfortable, but window replacements are expensive and resource-intensive.

BuildingGreen-Approved Interior Window Panels

BuildingGreen approves interior window panels with robust warranties that are designed to achieve improved thermal performance with both reduced... Read more

Remember 2013? LEED version 4 had just been released to the public. Hardly anyone was using it, though—not only because they didn’t have to, but also because there just wasn’t a pathway to achieve many of the new credits in the rating systems. Especially the product-related credits in the Materials & Resources category, along with the Low-... Read more

Hi all!

I'm working on my first energy positive / passive house multifamily building and trying to figure out the trash/recycling chute. I am curious what solutions you have employed to make the trash chute air tight? We have excluded the whole chute from the envelope. Do you use airtight doors (and which ones?) at each floor trash/... Read more

It's time for our next Peer Networks webinar! Ariane wowed us with her five minutes on future climate data at the Show-and-Tell at HKS in Chicago last November. Now we'll get the deep dive.

Wednesday, May 29, 2:00 pm EDT

Register here: https://www.buildinggreen.com/peer-networks/webinars

Remember--this live webinar is for... Read more

If you haven't seen it yet, today's U.N. report "Making Peace With Nature" tackles climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution jointly within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The analysis is anchored in current economic, social and ecological reality and framed by economics and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable... Read more

I'm hoping for some help answering the question of whether buildings/communities should pursue net-zero energy on site versus investing in new renewable energy (i.e. through the electric utility) that can be built at a more efficient scale elsewhere in the state. Our utility is asking us this question as we are working through how to get the... Read more

Related to some recent questions on site-specific sun/wind analysis and early energy modeling tools, are there any tools that account for nearby topography (like bluffs) or large buildings/vegetation in energy calculations? Or favorite methods to estimate its impact particularly during early massing studies?

Thanks,

Rachel

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

Hi, all.

Has anyone used Unicel's Timber Curtain Wall System? It uses engineered glulam wood mullions on the inside with aluminum mullion caps / butt joints. Has anyone gotten close to using it, but couldn't get it procured for a particular reason? They note up to 72% more energy efficienct than a conventional aluminum curtain wall and... Read more

At our SAL call today, folks were talking about how there was just too much to read about DEI. This is the best short summary I have read about the problems of incorporating it into the organizations where we work. It's much easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk because it takes time and accountability.

The Project StaSIO competition is in full swing, and its time to rate the submissions that made it to the public voting round!  Fancy yourself a connoisseur of simulation graphics and have a spare 5-10 minutes this Friday?  Take a browse through the gallery and rate the 10 graphics and 4 case studies that made it to the final round! Winners... Read more

Hello everyone,

For those I have yet to meet, I'm Jen, the latest member of BuildingGreen's Peer Networks team.

Although it's been a few weeks now, we wanted to share the slide decks from some of the presentations that took place in Las Vegas back in June. Thank you to those of you who presented and who have given us permission... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Deep Material Vetting (That Won't Chew Through Your Design Budget).

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


1. Align product vetting with goals that aim to mitigate occupant exposure and environmental toxicity.
2. Foster partnerships with... Read more

The deadline for submitting presentations is coming up. This year ASHRAE is hosting a joint conference with Simbuild. We are just about to send out an extension announcement (It is now Feb 9th) , so there is still time to get an abstract for a presentation. 

Possible ideas for topics: 

Daylight - new metrics and... Read more

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 this: please read... Read more