BuildingGreen Report

Blog Post

May 3, 2009
The long-time-coming "BSR/ASHRAE/USGBC/IESNA Standard 189.1P, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings" is open for public review until June 15, 2009. From the forward: "Standard 189.1 addresses site sustainability, water use efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality (IEQ... Read more

Blog Post

May 1, 2009

From the USGBC:

The consensus-based process that drives the development of the LEED rating systems is key to ensuring LEED encourages the very best in building, design and development practices. As LEED grows to cover the way we plan and build our neighborhoods, it's especially vital that we hear as many diverse voices as we can. The... Read more

Blog Post

It's actually pretty hard to get wind turbines to perform well on buildings and, even if you can, the economics are not very good.

May 1, 2009

For the EBN feature article this month I spent weeks learning about building-integrated wind. I'm a huge fan of wind energy in general, and the idea of putting wind turbines on top of buildings — or actually integrating them into the architecture of buildings — was really appealing. Why not generate the energy right where it's needed, and by... Read more

Blog Post

April 30, 2009

Twice each month, BuildingGreen publishes an email news bulletin with current news and product information briefs. Sign up here — it's free. We will never share or sell your email address, and you may unsubscribe at any time.

Read the current bulletin

Blog Post

April 29, 2009
The Obamas put in the first food garden (organic, natch) on the White House grounds since Eleanor Roosevelt's victory garden during World War II. We dig that. Skeptics may scoff that's it just symbolic, but I don't think so. According the The New York Times, the garden will have "55 varieties of vegetables, from a wish list of the kitchen staff... Read more

Blog Post

April 29, 2009
I've been involved with the AIA Top Ten Awards Program for a long time. In the early years, when Gail Lindsey started it as an informal program to generate some recognition for a handful of green projects, Environmental Building News was one of the very few media outlets available to provide that publicity. Later we participated in conversations... Read more

Blog Post

April 27, 2009
Electric ranges may actually be more efficient than gas ranges.

Which is better: a gas or electric range? Most serious cooks prefer gas, because it delivers heat instantly and is highly controllable. With typical electric cooktops, it takes longer for the burner to respond when turned on and when the setting is adjusted.

I used to be in... Read more

Blog Post

April 27, 2009
Electric ranges may actually be more efficient than gas ranges.

Which is better: a gas or electric range? Most serious cooks prefer gas, because it delivers heat instantly and is highly controllable. With typical electric cooktops, it takes longer for the burner to respond when turned on and when the setting is adjusted.

I used to be in... Read more

Blog Post

April 20, 2009
The Hallowell Acadia heat pump can operate at temperatures below 0 degrees and still perform significantly better than electric-resistance heat.

Last week's column looked at efficient but also very expensive ground-source heat pumps; this week we'll look at a less expensive option that's becoming more common even in our climate: air-source... Read more

Blog Post

April 18, 2009
All this week, webcasting service BrightTALK is honoring Earth Day by providing five days of free green building presentations. Many of the presenters are world-class. If you can't fit it into your schedule, the recorded sessions will be available on-demand later. Monday addresses Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability — the... Read more

Blog Post

April 16, 2009

Twice each month, BuildingGreen publishes an email news bulletin with current news and product information briefs. Sign up here — it's free. We will never share or sell your email address, and you may unsubscribe at any time.

Read the current bulletin

Blog Post

April 14, 2009
The ClimateMaster ground-source heat pump is recognized by the GreenSpec directory as a green product.

Last week I introduced heat pumps and described how they can deliver more heat than is contained in the electricity they consume--while being able to provide cooling as well as heating. I mentioned two different types of heat pumps: air-... Read more

Blog Post

April 13, 2009
The myth that plants will clean the air is a seductive one: if true, we could fix indoor air quality problems without expensive changes to mechanical systems and without worrying about what materials we introduce to the indoor environment. There is scientific evidence that plants clean the air, pulling formaldehyde and other pollutants out of... Read more

Blog Post

April 11, 2009
(For those who might feel that the Climate Denial Crock of the Week post needs some balance.)

Blog Post

April 11, 2009

Peter Sinclair is a graphic artist, illustrator, animator, and environmental awareness advocate. He's been posting a series of "Climate Denial Crock of the Week" videos on the internet.

The Great Petition Fraud. "We've all heard about the 'Petitions' of 'Scientists' who disagree with Climate Science. This sordid little episode... Read more

Blog Post

April 7, 2009
An air-source heat pump is like a window air conditioner: Running one way, it cools, running the other, it heats. When outside air is cold enough, electric resistance heaters kick in. Most air source heat pumps work better in moderate climates than cold ones, although there are specialized models for cold areas.

I used to think that electric... Read more

Blog Post

April 6, 2009
On March 27, a shake-table simulation of twice the ground acceleration of the '94 Northridge CA earthquake was run in the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation's Large Structures Laboratory at the University of Nevada on a full-scale model of a strawbale housing unit developed in the wake of the devastating 2005 Kashmir 7.6 magnitude... Read more

Blog Post

April 6, 2009
EBN reported last October on a California law requiring annual energy-use reporting for all nonresidential buildings. (Commercial owners will have to disclose energy use starting in 2010.) How far behind is a national law? Last week, a 648-page draft was released of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) bill by House... Read more

Blog Post

April 3, 2009
"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the first-ever nationwide report this morning on the level of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) found in U.S. coastal areas and the Great Lakes. The report contradicts earlier surveys that suggested PBDEs, chemicals commonly used as flame retardants in commercial goods since the... Read more

Blog Post

March 31, 2009
You're aware of the major changes that are coming to the LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) system. If you pass the exam now, you come on board through the older, more familiar system that doesn't require actual LEED project experience. The key dates for the changeover have finally been announced. Now all that's left to do is register for... Read more