Representing one of the first significant acts of the new Republican majority, the House of Representatives is poised to pass a bill that would cut federal government programs by over $61 billion. There is no question that with the spiraling federal de…
Fine-Tuning our Buildings for Optimum Performance
The notion that green building is a process and not just an event is something that is often overlooked. Much like the life cycle of a building, the green building process is one that takes a building from merely a sustainable “vision” to a sustainabl…
Basin Electric Selected for Renewable Energy Loan
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the selection of Basin Electric Power Cooperative to receive a loan guarantee to construct over 100 wind turbines to produce an expected 151.5 megawatts of electricity.
More…
Uncategorized
Congressional Outlook Uncertain, but Executive Branch Opportunity Abounds
There has been a whole lot of negative talk about the prospects for energy, climate or other significant legislation coming out of our newly divided Congress, and that is not the best news for the green building industry. However, this does not imply that green building advocates should pack up and go home – in fact, it means quite the contrary.
Virginia School Installs Wind Turbine
The DOE has joined with local and state leaders in Heathsville, VA, to install a wind turbine as part of the Wind for Schools project.
More…
Uncategorized
Rick Fedrizzi on Winning the Future
Read USGBC Founding Chairman Rick Fedrizzi’s piece on President Obama’s Better Buildings Initiative in the The Huffington Post:
read more
Uncategorized
Keeping Ahead of Tenant Demand with LEED
Jack Beuttell, LEEP® AP
Global Sustainability Manager
Hines
One month ago Hines recertified 717 Texas, a Class A office building in downtown Houston. It had originally been certified to the Silver level in 2009, but after two years, we ratcheted its performance up to Platinum, even as the LEED rating system grew more stringent.
Uncategorized
From Cutting Edge to Common Practice: How Green Building Rating Systems Contribute to Energy Efficient Building Codes
2010 was a big year for building energy efficiency and state and national codes. The success of the year can be directly traced to decades of familiarity with green building programs as well as nationwide uptake of LEED.
read more
Geothermal Technologies Program
The DOE has announced plans to leverage oil and gas expertise to test reliability and efficiency of geothermal power generation at oil and gas fields under the Geothermal Technologies Program (GTP).
More…
Offshore Wind Initiatives
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar have announced more than $50.5 million for projects seeking to develop major offshore wind initiatives for rapid and responsible deployment.
More…