Championing the
Changemakers

There's a lot of talk about how renewable energy like solar and wind can't ramp up to meet our energy needs. What we need are creative solutions to that challenge, like distributed cogeneration. This image is a screen shot from a LichtBlick video demonstrating how distributed cogeneration can take up the slack when wind and solar energy sources... Read more

With so many types of window treatments available, including awnings, shades, storms, and shutters, it's hard to know which one is right. GreenSpec can help. Awnings are a traditional way to control solar heat gain in the American South. Blocking gain is more effective than dealing with the heat after it comes into the building. However, awnings... Read more

Vermont's winter and summer temperatures are both rising. Source: Alan Betts, Ph.D. Click on image to enlarge.

During these spring-like days in mid-February in Vermont, it's hard not to think about climate change. It's been reaching the mid- and upper-40s over the past few weeks in a winter that really isn't. Yes, this particular year might... Read more

Which flush is which? Dual-flush fixtures should be better at making it obvious.

Editor's note: Thanks to Evan Dick for this guest post. Evan is a former writer from BuildingGreen and now works at the Center for EcoTechnology in Massachusetts.

The adage "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" might be an... Read more

For wood siding, preparing the surface is as important as the paint itself. Here are some factors to look for, or fix, to help that next paint job last. Premature paint failure is often caused by poor preparation.

Even before you choose an exterior paint product, it's important to learn a bit about what makes paint stick--or not. For... Read more

The highly productive Kingsbury Farm in Waitsfield, Vermont in mid-August, 2011. Note the tracking PV modules in the background. Photo: Alex Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.

In this final installment of my ten-part series on resilient design, I'm taking a look at where our food comes from and how we can achieve more resilient food systems... Read more

Energy modeling Q&A: first some answers on cost, and then it's your turn to ask (or answer) some questions. Chris Schaffner

There is so much confusion about energy modeling--what it should cost, what benefits it offers, how to approach it--that clear statements addressing these questions are like a breath of fresh air.

When I was... Read more

It's easy to get lost in a sea of greenwash. Our updated GreenSpec criteria provide clear direction on what makes a product green.

BuildingGreen has been defining what makes a product green since the start of the GreenSpec directory in 1998--and we're repeatedly surprised by how far and wide our list of green attributes travels. The... Read more

Going to BuildingEnergy this year? There are a lot of exciting sessions to choose from. Alex Wilson, a naturalist as well as a green building expert, knows a thing or two about being prepared.

Interdisciplinary, cutting-edge, and combining high-flown philosophical ideas with practical nuts-and-bolts advice, the BuildingEnergy Conference in... Read more

A pedestrian-friendly, walkable community was created in Annapolis, Maryland, making getting around without cars much more feasible. Photo: Dan Burden. Click on image to enlarge.

In this ninth installment of my ten-part series on resilient design I'm focusing beyond individual buildings to the community scale. Following a natural disaster or... Read more

There are plenty of products that simply aren't efficient, low-emitting, or sustainable. but here are some products that have a lot going for them, but also have some serious flaws.

 

Editor's note: Since the original posting of this blog, we have revised our opinion of Eleek, and written more about its cast aluminum hardware... Read more

Free Webcast: LEED Energy Reporting Made Easy: Fulfilling LEED-2009 MPR #6 Tues. Feb. 28, 2012 | 1 p.m. Eastern Time

When the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) were introduced in 2009, it quickly became clear that MPR #6 would be perhaps the most controversial and the most difficult to comply with. Under the requirements of MPR #6... Read more

The Army is still going for Gold and Platinum despite recent legislation calling a halt to LEED spending. Fort Carson is piloting net-zero energy, water, and waste--and expects to meet that target by 2020.

The federal government has been one of the biggest supporters of LEED certification in the last few years, with the General Services... Read more

Lighter, more fire-resistant, and a better insulator, autoclaved aerated concrete caught on in the rest of the world ages ago. It's taking a lot longer in the U.S. The porous AAC structure comes from being "leavened" with aluminum. Photo: H+H UK

To read what manufacturers and distributors say about it, you'd think autoclaved aerated concrete... Read more

July, 2011 dust storm in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo: Militec, Inc. Click on image to enlarge.

Periodic drought is something that a significant portion of the U.S. will have to get used to in the coming decades. Climate scientists tell us that while precipitation will increase overall with climate change, certain regions, including the American... Read more

Will environmental product declarations end greenwashing for good? Not so fast. This is Part 3 in our series on transparency. Part 1: Why We Care About Product Transparency Part 2: Why We Need "Nutrition Labels" for Building Products We developed this visual tool to help us keep track of what EPDs really are--and what they aren't. Click the... Read more

  This green wall covers the exterior of Whole Foods in Vancouver, BC.

I live in Vermont, where agriculture is an integral part of our culture. I drive past the farms as the seasons change and see when the corn is high or when too much rain has made plowing impossible. And the family sees the results at the local farmer's market. Whenever I... Read more

Our pellet stove has DC fans and a kit that allows us to hook it up to a battery to power those fans in the event of a power outage. Photo: Alex Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.

House location and design are the starting points in achieving resilience--where the house located, how well it can weather storms and flooding, and how effectively... Read more

There are more than 20 different standardized tests manufacturers can invoke to "qualify" as a code-accepted weather-resistive barrier (WRB); with our GreenSpec section on WRBs, we've picked just one that we think does the job.

It's not easy being a weather-resistive barrier (WRB): it has to stop liquid water, be tough and not tear, but also... Read more

This exterior window shade in Florida blocks most of the solar gain, yet allows some view out. Photo: Alex Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.

Over the past month-and-a-half, I've been focusing on resilient design--which will become all the more important in this age of climate change. Achieving resilience in homes not only involves keeping... Read more