Championing the
Changemakers

The Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS) will no longer give its blessing to projects incorporating spray polyurethane foam insulation (SPF) that uses blowing agents with high contribution to global warming, according to executive director Katrin Klingenberg.

“It does not make any sense at all to use them if one of the major overarching... Read more

Trojan Battery Company and Palladium Energy have announced a research alliance, promising to bring a new wave of lithium ion-based batteries to the market.

Trojan Battery is among the largest producers of deep-cycle lead acid batteries in the world, and Palladium Energy is well regarded for engineering lithium-based batteries. The... Read more

By Evan DickThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released monitoring data showing that 21 areas in 14 states and Puerto Rico still do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead established in 2008.

While the data show the majority of the country is in compliance, locations that don’t meet the standard... Read more

By Evan DickThe International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) has launched an online survey management system called BEX that will house the association’s benchmarking surveys and results. The new system makes it easier to participate in the surveys and to access results. It allows facility professionals to update, filter, and search... Read more

NSF International has published the first American National Standard for water reuse systems. NSF/ANSI 350, Onsite Residential and Commercial Reuse Treatment Systems, will help ensure that systems designed to treat wastewater for non-potable onsite reuse meet water-quality requirements for the reduction of chemical and microbiological... Read more

You’ve probably heard the sickening sound of a bird flying into a window, but you may not have heard that annual bird fatalities from such collisions range from 100 million to 1 billion in the U.S. alone. This threat to bird populations is second only to habitat loss, according to ornithologists. Birds can’t see glass, so collisions can happen... Read more

The massive Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS)—akin to the U.S. Census but for building energy performance—has underpinned a number of key policies and building certification programs for years. While a major blow, the recent loss of new CBECS data due to funding reasons (see “Key Energy Data Hit Hard by Federal... Read more

A report published in Environmental Health Perspectives suggests an association between exposure to perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children ages 5 to 18.

Researchers used serum samples from residents near a chemical plant in the Mid-Ohio Valley region of West Virginia. The plant... Read more

I’m looking through you. Where did you go?
I thought I knew you. What did I know?
– The Beatles

In the last two years, building product transparency has started to get traction in North America: changes in consumer expectations, building certification systems, and international laws and standards have finally begun... Read more

Low-flow faucets have become a standard water-saving feature in public bathrooms. Unfortunately, it turns out that drying your hands can use a lot more water than washing them—anywhere from 18 to 70 liters (4.8 to 18.5 gallons) per hand-washing session, depending on the drying method—according to a life-cycle assessment (LCA)... Read more

The effort will see $2 billion invested in federal buildings with no first cost for the federal government due to a financing structure whereby energy service companies perform the retrofits and building owners gradually pay for the upgrades through savings on utility bills (see “Existing Buildings a Promising Investment, Say Global Firms,”... Read more

I can remember 30 years ago receiving samples of the latest, greatest phase-change material. As I recall, it was a eutectic salt product that came packaged in sealed, black cans, ready for installation in passive solar buildings. While a great idea, these products were expensive and didn’t hold up well. Phase Change Energy Solutions appears to... Read more

Since 2007, when Congress increased light bulb efficiency requirements, effectively phasing out conventional incandescent technology, light bulb manufacturer Sylvania has been conducting an annual consumer survey that gauges awareness of lighting options. Results from the 2011 survey show that for the first time, a majority of Americans (56%)... Read more

Research published in the journal Nature Geoscience by a team of atmospheric scientists at the University of Maryland shows that fine particulate matter—most of which comes from combustion-related air pollution—has greater effects on cloud formation and precipitation patterns than previously understood.

The research shows that high... Read more

Dear friends,

We know that the economic climate in 2011 has continued to be challenging, so we're all the more grateful and flattered that so many of you continue to rely on our tools and resources for insight, guidance, and community.

We're especially honored by the growth we've seen in enterprise licenses to firms and... Read more

Looking for ways to meet your "prescriptive" continuing education (CE) requirements with the LEED Credential Maintenance Program (CMP)? Here at BuildingGreen.com we have long offered articles to help you earn your credits--articles that... Read more

Anyone who was in Vermont in late August of this year and witnessed the raging floodwaters from Hurricane Irene and the havoc they wreaked, gained an intimate view... Read more

For some fun around the holidays, GreenSpec is holding a virtual "open house"--giving you a sneak peek at some cool new products we're reviewing, and our first impressions. We'd like to hear what you think, so please read our first impressions below and then take the quick survey. Happy holidays! Update: Thank you for your feedback. We have... Read more

The U.S. Congress is calling a halt to certain military spending on green building in a newly passed defense authorization bill (H.R. 1540). The bill prohibits use of Department of Defense funds to achieve LEED Gold or Platinum, with waivers possible if a cost-benefit analysis for the project can demonstrate payback. Exceptions may... Read more

With the holiday season upon us (yet no snow on the ground here in Vermont since the freak October storm that knocked out power across the Northeast) and the Durban climate deal still largely symbolic, I thought some... Read more