Sustainable Materials
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Sustainable Materials
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Net-Zero Energy Isn’t the Real Goal: 8 Reasons Why
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Net-zero-energy buildings don’t always reduce carbon emissions. These are the tweaks we need to ensure they do.
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Wood: Is It Still Good? Part One: Embodied Carbon
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The idea that wood is inherently carbon neutral has masked negative impacts. The climate stakes are too high for us to keep buying those claims.
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AEC Was Left Out of a Key Decarbonization Pilot. What’s Next?
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Science-based targets for the building sector no longer apply to design firms and most construction companies, but experts say AEC must continue leading the industry toward net zero.
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Wood: Is It Still Good? Part Two: Moving from Carbon to Climate
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Mass timber at scale could make climate change worse. Instead of embodied carbon alone, “climate-smart” practices focus on our increasingly fragile forests.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Whey-Based Floor and Furniture Finishes
Product Review
PolyWhey floor and furniture finish from Vermont Natural Coatings uses whey protein, a byproduct of the cheese industry, to create a durable product with low levels of volatile organic compounds.
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Top-Performing Pellet Stoves
Product Review
High-efficiency pellet stoves from Quadra-Fire and Harman Stove Company offer heat from a renewable source with low particulate emissions.
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An Affordable Heat-Pump Water-Heater Retrofit
Product Review
AirTap is an affordable heat-pump module that can be retrofit onto a conventional electric or gas water heater. The unit has a first-hour rating of 42.5 gallons, an efficiency of 240%, and a GAMA-tested energy factor of 2.11.
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Energy-Efficient Water Coolers from Elkay and Halsey Taylor
Product Review
Elkay and Halsey Taylor have introduced two pressure water filters, the VRCGRN and HVRGRN, respectively, with improved compressor and bubbler technology that lowers energy and water consumption.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Heat-Pump Clothes Dryers Really Work, Study Confirms
News Analysis
The technology, prevalent in Europe, could be adapted for super-sized American laundry loads.
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Breathing Easy in LEED Housing
News Analysis
A new study finds that asthma symptoms recede for residents of a LEED-certified building with indoor air quality measures.
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Transparency Is the Secret Ingredient in "Declare" Products
News Analysis
Several dozen products are now participating in the Declare database, supporting Living Building Challenge documentation and ingredient disclosure.
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Passivhaus Windows, Made in the U.S.A.
News Analysis
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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