News

The functionality of a building is largely dependent on the quality of its lighting. In order to safely and comfortably perform their tasks, occupants need lighting that provides adequate visibility without causing discomfort or distraction.

But a focus on quality is also the key to achieving sustainable lighting.

As Nancy... Read more

Buildings contribute to social sustainability by providing environments that support communities in meeting their social needs. It’s generally easy to understand how the design, construction, and operation of buildings affect the environment. A building’s energy use or carbon cost, for example, are objective and quantifiable. But the building’s... Read more

The most energy-efficient LED light is cold, blue, and focused directionally on a small area; it is some of the worst light quality imaginable. Yet in the early years of LEDs, energy efficiency, or efficacy (measured in lumens produced per watt consumed, lpw), was the prime metric for judging LED performance. The industry suffered through a... Read more

Curious about the toxic substances in building products? See a chemical on a Health Product Declaration that you’d like to know more about? You might want to check out the Chemical Hazard Data Commons, a free online resource from the Healthy Building Network (HBN). HBN is a nonprofit focused on reducing the use of toxic chemicals in building... Read more

Building energy modeling has become more common over the last decade or so, and it’s a standard practice for projects pursuing LEED certification. But there’s a problem: the later the team waits to start modeling the building, the more potential energy-saving opportunities have been missed along the way.

“Often building energy modeling... Read more

If you haven’t used the WELL Building Standard because it seemed too difficult or too expensive, it might be time to give this relatively new rating system another look. And if you were just getting used to the requirements of WELL, hold on to your hat: the newly introduced version 2 is a major overhaul.

Released in May of 2018, WELL v2... Read more

Are you struggling to find products for your LEED or WELL project? We’ve been there, and we know how to help.

In this hour-long free webinar, BuildingGreen's Nadav Malin and our partner Anne Hicks Harney of Long Green Specs share their tips finding green, healthy products that meet the requirements for LEED and WELL.

If you want... Read more

Dow Styrofoam, Owens Corning Foamular, and Kingspan GreenGuard insulations no longer contain the flame retardant HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane)—a persistent, bioaccumulative toxic chemical (PBT). With these changes, HBCD is no longer being used in either extruded (XPS) or expanded (EPS) polystyrene insulation.

HBCD was the primary flame... Read more

Previous research has shown that schools designed with sustainability features provide an environment conducive to learning, and support student health and performance. And many such schools include programs to teach students about nature and ecology.

But can students learn from these buildings, instead of just in them? Can school... Read more

Alphonse Ponson was only 11 years old when Hurricane Katrina darkened the skies and lashed Tremé, his New Orleans neighborhood. At the time, he lived with his mother in the Lafitte public housing project—896 units in three-story brown brick buildings.

Ponson watched from the family’s second floor window as the muddy stormwaters filled... Read more

Imagine going to a gym where you not only burn calories but also generate power—just by working out. That’s the case at Sacramento Eco Fitness, in Sacramento, California, where cycling classes generate electricity that helps power the building.

The fitness center has installed Eco-Powr stationary bikes manufactured by SportsArt, which... Read more

The Powerhouse Drøbak Montessori secondary school in Norway, equipped with solar panels and a ground source heat pump, will produce more energy over its lifetime (close to 30,500 kWh a year) than the total amount of energy that will ultimately be used for its construction, operation, and demolition.

The school, which serves 60 students... Read more

As the 2018 hurricane season begins, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. and the Asociación de Constructores de Puerto Rico are spearheading a collaborative effort to write Keep Safe: Strategies for Puerto Rico Housing Resilience, a manual for building to withstand future natural disasters. Other key partners include the University of Puerto... Read more

Just after midnight, the skies opened.

Hour after hour, for three hours, a relentless deluge hammered Houston’s Texas Medical Center (TMC), causing nearly $2 billion in damage. Hundreds of patients had to be evacuated.

No, we’re not talking about Hurricane Harvey.

It was nearly 16 years earlier, in June 2001, when... Read more

Retrofitting buildings for energy savings can save money in the long run, but deciding when and how to invest can be tricky—especially if you own multiple buildings. A new report from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) offers advice on optimizing and prioritizing energy retrofits across the whole building portfolio to achieve maximum returns.... Read more

Originally published May 16, 2011. Updated by Paula Melton June 1, 2018.

A friend of mine used to be a long-haul truck driver. At one point he even became a trainer working with new drivers.

Over dinner recently, I asked what was one key lesson that he would want to impart to any new driver. While he was thinking about it,... Read more

Originally published February 28, 2012

I'm often asked the question, "How much insulation should I install in my house"? It's a great question. Let me offer some recommendations:

First of all...it depends. It depends to a significant extent on where you live. And it depends on whether we're talking about a new house or... Read more

[Editor's Note: This guest post comes to us courtesy of Peter Talmage, P.E., an energy and design consultant and an instructor in the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency program at Greenfield Community College. Originally published April 4, 2013.]

I have heated my various homes with wood since 1975. It was always a love/hate... Read more

Editor’s note: Guest blogger Anne Hicks Harney, of Long Green Specs, is our partner in providing product vetting services. Harney offers guidance on writing green specs and on finding products for LEED v4, WELL, and beyond. This is the first post in a series focusing on transparency documents for specific product categories.... Read more

Are your clients asking you about wellness? You’re not alone. Employee health and wellbeing has been called the ‘second wave of sustainability.’ In this hour-long webinar, GreenStep Education’s Alex Spilger will walk you through Fitwel certification, including its requirements, lessons learned from Fitwel projects, and how Fitwel... Read more