Championing the
Changemakers

Does anyone know of a good summary of state and local energy code adoption for new building and ordinances for existing buildings? I know of this energycodes.gov site, but it feels somewhat misleading when you dig into it. For example, in CO, it suggests there is no min code, but there is, and it doesn’t show the extent to which local govs are... Read more

It’s here! By popular demand we’re re-running the SDL Salary Survey that we last ran in 2015. 

This is for people who are currently in an SD Leader role at a firm. We’re sending this invitation out on both the Green Gurus and the SD Leaders forums, because some of you are still in transition and haven’t moved into the SD Leader forum yet... Read more

Hi All,

I wanted to share an exciting opportinity with this esteemed group: Placetailor is seeking out a Mechanical Engineer to add to their growing team. They are located in Boston, MA and focus on Passive House, Low-energy Design, and they have for two years running meet the tenets of the AIA 2030 Commitment! This is an exciting place... Read more

Hello and Happy New Year!

I joined the SAL Peer Network a few months back and I’m really excited to be part of this group, although a bit delayed in my introduction. I’m an architect working as a consultant and managing the Sustainability Department at Entegrity (an energy and sustainability consulting firm) located in Arkansas. I’ve... Read more

Hi!

I'd love to hear what you all--especially the New Yorkers--think about the newly adopted gas ban. Is this the bill we were hoping to see? Any concerns or questions?

One question I have--maybe just reveals my ignorance--but it seems to leave the door open to steam hookups, which I guess are still an option through much of... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Can We Replace Foam Insulation?

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


1. List four ways in which foam is environmentally problematic and provide four examples of foam replacements.
2. Discuss the industry's relationship with foam... Read more

is anyone aware of some guidance about citation protocols for when a person/team/org uses an AI tool to generate some base components for a report (which is then heavily edited by humans)?

I'm inclined to disclose in detail which tools were used and how ... but would love to know if there are some industry protocols shaping up about this... Read more

Greetings friends.  Our leadership has decided to create a partner-position to my role but in the engineering group of our firm.  This person would be a key ally in my work improving the high performance and sustainability of our projects with a focus on high-performance mechanical systems, net-zero, electrification, etc...  If you are... Read more

You’ve probably heard that wood products are carbon neutral. You might also have heard that timber harvesting causes immense carbon emissions.

Which is it?

Could it be both?

Hi All,

I introduced BE+ CONNECTS at the Greenbuild Show & Tell and I wanted to follow-up. For those who weren't there, we've tried to create a solution to people asking, “I want to build Net Zero and I don’t know who to call….”

Check out 5 Thinks to know about BE+ CONNECTS here: https://mailchi.mp/builtenvironmentplus/... Read more

Not sure if anyone is currently looking to hire someone, but I wanted to pass along info on Bohan Zhang in case anyone might be interested.  Bohan recently graduated from the GSD's MDes Energy and Environment program.  He also has an MArch degree, and I know took a number of courses in Real Estate and Finance at both MIT and Harvard.  I had him... Read more

Trillian Dent

Should the Best Practice names always be accompanied by their number? See the attached screenshots, all taken from the main forum page:

Hi Green Gurus,

We are convening our first Regional Coordinators quarterly call Thursday, July 21 2-3pm ET (11am-12pm PT). Anyone who might be interested in this role is welcome to join. We’ll give you more specifics, answer any questions, and create our list of representatives for each region. We’ll finish by looking ahead at what to... Read more

The Winter Summit participants have had this for a few weeks now, and no one has screamed about anything being inaccurate, misleading, or too revealing, so it's time to share the latest Summit report more widely. 

Per our long-standing policy, this report can be shared outside our "safe space"--it's a great way to share the wealth of... Read more

Chillers are part of larger systems that provide cooling in large commercial buildings.

BuildingGreen-Approved Water Chillers

Because there isn't a single relevant efficiency standard for chillers, approved products use innovations such as magnetic bearings, variable frequency drives, or other technologies that significantly... Read more