OVERVIEW
Standards and rating systems have been at the heart of the green building movement at least since U.S. energy standards for buildings (like ASHRAE 90.1) started ratcheting up following the 1970s energy crisis.
If you care about health and sustainability, you can now rely on dozens of ratings and standards for buildings as well as things in and around them, including:
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Lab protocols for chemical emissions from finishes and furniture
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Testing methods for durability of paints, textiles, and many other products
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Standards for energy use, ventilation, thermal comfort, and more
- Rating systems for schools, healthcare facilities, parking garages, landscapes, and healthy spaces
IN-DEPTH
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Passive House on Campus: Eight Exemplary Projects
Spotlight Report
Over the years, the original Passive House Institute (PHI) certification system has branched out considerably to offer different requirements for different building types, such as offices, hospitals, schools—even swimming pools.
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How Six Affordable Housing Projects Got to Green
Feature Short
Stories of designers and developers who overcame the challenges of building affordable housing that is also green, sustainable, and healthy.
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How to Get from VOC Certifications to Better Products
Feature Short
The FDA regulates flies in our soup, but no one regulates VOCs in our indoor air. Somehow that’s a designer’s job to figure out.
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What These Forestry Labels Really Mean
Infographic
You’ve seen FSC and SFI labels on wood products. Most often, you’ve seen no label at all. Here’s a green guide to each one.
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Textile Choices: Cleaner Options for Every Application
Feature Short
Standard textiles can have a toxic, devastating impact on our environment. Your project can do better.
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The DNA of EPDs: The Making of Product Category Rules
Feature Short
PCRs are the instruction manuals behind EPDs. They’re supposed to provide foolproof rules for conducting LCAs, but they can also be the system’s fatal flaw.
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Three Steps To Make Green Globes Part of the Solution
Op-Ed
An entry-level alternative pushing LEED to get better would be great, but GBI’s Green Globes needs to start by joining the green building community.
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Incorporate Passive Survivability into Building Codes
Op-Ed
Voluntary programs for incorporating passive survivability into designs will not go far enough, fast enough-it's time to use building codes to require these design features in our residential buildings.
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Poor Insulation Work Adds to Home Retrofit Challenges
Op-Ed
Reader Paul Eldrenkamp encourages more widespread use of HERS ratings to measure the effectiveness of insulation retrofit work.
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Watch NAHB in the ANSI Process
Op-Ed
NAHB has a history of hijacking standards and code development processes, and should be watched during the ANSI green building standards process, writes Bion Howard.
