Green building's footprint tends to grow fastest in countries that have national policies that promote construction of sustainable, energy-efficient structures, according to a report by Lux Research. The study found that national building codes that boost energy efficiency and the availability of financial aid helped drive sustainable construction in places such as Singapore and Germany. The U.S., which relies largely on local ordinances and voluntary organizations to drive sustainable construction, didn’t land in the top quadrant of countries in the report, despite significant pockets of cutting-edge green building activity.
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| Sep 1, 2011
Water Safety in Buildings Guide Published by World Health Organization (WHO)
This WHO book provides guidance for managing water supplies in buildings where people may drink water, use water for food preparation, wash, shower, swim or use water for other recreational activities or be exposed to aerosols produced by water-using devices, such as cooling towers. This publication is one of a series of supporting documents that provide guidance on implementing the World Health Organization’s Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. An electronic version of this publication is available on the WHO web site here. More information is available at the www.worldplumbing.org.
| Sep 1, 2011
USGBC Revises Energy Demand Response Credit
The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has updated the LEED Demand Response Pilot Credit. Originally launched in 2010, the revised and enhanced Demand Response Pilot Credit establishes guidelines that are anticipated to increase participation in automated energy demand response programs. LEED projects that satisfy the credit by demonstrating their ability to shift energy consumption by 10% of peak load demand will earn a point towards LEED certification when they participate in existing utility-sponsored demand response programs that meet guidelines established in the pilot credit. Additional points are available for projects that implement semi or fully automated demand response programs.(http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=9542)
| Sep 1, 2011
New Sustainability Standard Addresses Disaster Resistance
To aid local governments to adopt high-performance green building codes, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) have developed High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability 2.0. It includes the concepts in most other sustainability or green standards, while also enhancing disaster resistance.http://www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/facilityblog/2011/07/building-code-for-sustainable-construction-emphasizes-functional-resilience.html"A sustainable building with a higher degree of durability can decrease the amount of materials going to landfills and use of community resources when disasters occur,” says Steve Szoke, PCA director of codes and standards. “The PCA/IHBS ordinance provides mandatory requirements for increased resistance to natural disasters with the goals of reducing the number of destroyed buildings, protecting property, and saving human life."
| Sep 1, 2011
Pilot ISO 50001 Implementations Report Big Energy Savings
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recently published ISO 50001 to provide a recognized framework for integrating energy performance into management practices. ISO says it is "a single, harmonized standard for implementation across the organization with a logical and consistent methodology for identifying and implementing improvements."http://www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/facilityblog/2011/07/iso-50001-seeks-to-standardize-energy-management-strategies.html
| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +
