Championing the
Changemakers

EBN Aug. 2009), with commitments to participate from the U.S. General Services Administration and several major developers and designers.

In rolling out the pilot,... Read more

Glasgow-based software development company Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) recently released a new component of its Virtual Environment software: the Climate Energy Index, a design tool for gauging building energy needs based on current and future climate data.

On December 9, 2009, the New York City Council passed a package of legislation, known as the “Greener, Greater Buildings Plan,” that it says will reduce the city’s carbon footprint by 5%—a figure that has been compared to the entire carbon footprint of Oakland, California.

EBN Dec. 2008.)

The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency placed... Read more

The most recent Green-e Verification Report, released annually by the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), shows a 45% increase in the U.S. certified renewable energy certificate (REC) market from 2007 to 2008.

EBN Nov. 2006). After considering manufacturer claims about safety, energy efficiency, and total cost, NEMA concluded, as did

EBN in... Read more

The Boston Architectural College (BAC) Department of Sustainable Design, a national leader in sustainability education for building professionals, will offer a variety of new certification options beginning in January 2010.

Changes to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) proposed by the New Buildings Institute (NBI), The American Institute of Architects, and the U.S. Department of Energy have cleared the first hurdle on their way to adoption.

The proposals, modeled on NBI’s Core Performance prescriptive building guidelines, would result in 20%–... Read more

Since its founding in 1993, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has depended on volunteer committees for a wide range of activities, from creation and management of the LEED rating systems to guiding green building research and education. After a six-month study by the Committee Assessment Task Force—a group of volunteers and staff—USGBC is... Read more

Standard 189, the code-enforceable high-performance green building standard that has been in development since 2006, will soon be available to the public.

10 Ways to save energy in 2010

Some energy-saving strategies involve spending money: replacing appliances and lights with more energy-efficient products, tuning up a heating system, and insulating an attic, for... Read more

You're down to the last few days before Christmas. You're looking for that meaningful, special gift for a family member, special friend, or co-worker. Buy a gift that keeps on giving--by saving energy! Below, is my... Read more

Interesting how it's at once forward-looking and backward.

Last week we took at look at one way to achieve very-high-performance windows: adding additional layers of glazing and multiple low-emissivity (low-e) coatings. This week, we'll look at another option that's even higher-tech: vacuum-... Read more

In November 2009, the Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) voted to move forward with code changes designed to make homes in the state more energy efficient.

The package of changes includes requirements for lighting and HVAC control systems, better metering, greater use of commissioning and inspection, and increased energy... Read more

The carpet manufacturer InterfaceFLOR announced at the 2009 Greenbuild conference that it will be oil-free by 2020. (InterfaceFLOR is the commercial modular carpet division of Interface, the international carpet company.)

InterfaceFLOR has led the way in the past with moves like replacing petrochemicals with cornstarch-based polylactic... Read more