If we continue to construct the same kind of inefficient buildings that put high demands on the power grid, we will have to build additional supply-side infrastructure to serve them. What we need is to fundamentally change the way we approach the construction and operation of our buildings. If done right, we, as a nation, can have our cake and eat it too. Patrick Hughes, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, buildings technology research program

EVENTS

NEWS

EVENTS

U.S. Green Building Council Events Calendar
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a community of more than 7,500 organizations from every sector of the building industry united by a common purpose: to transform the building marketplace to sustainability. USGBC's 75 regional chapters serve as the front door of the Council, providing green building resources, education, and leadership opportunities in their communities.

Sustainable Building Coalition Meetings & Activities
The Sustainable Building Coalition in Austin, Texas, is a network of individuals interested in sustainable and ecological building, design and development. Members conduct regular meetings and workshops on various aspects of the built environment and its design.

Austin Energy's Green by Design Workshops
Anyone preparing to build, buy or remodel a home can learn how to improve energy and water efficiency, increase comfort and reduce maintenance. The Green Building Program's 1-day Green by Design Workshop is held four times per year.

NEWS

"Green" Is New Building Standard In Dallas April 2008
The Dallas City Council has unanimously adopted a green construction ordinance which aims to reduce energy and water consumption in all new houses and commercial buildings constructed in the city. With this ordinance, Dallas becomes one of the first major U.S. cities to pass comprehensive building standards for both residential and commercial construction. For mechanical heating, the buildings draw on a range of technologies, including a wood-pellet boiler, radiant floor heating, and ground- and air-source heat pumps. Cooling technologies include demand-controlled ventilation and fans with variable-frequency drive motors.

New Guidelines Launched for Green Home Remodeling March 2008
The American Society of Interior Designers Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched new guidelines for green remodeling of residential properties in mid-March. The new "REGREEN" guidelines are organized by the ten most common remodeling projects and can be applied to a wide variety of projects, from remodeling a kitchen to a full-scale home renovation. The guidelines are accompanied by case studies and address the major elements of any green renovation project, including the home's location, green building materials, and the project's impacts on energy efficiency, water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality. According to the USGBC, additional electronic resources will be available online starting in early summer, with a comprehensive educational lineup for the interior design, contractor, and consumer to follow. See the USGBC press release and and other materials from the USGBC's Green Home Guide Web site.

Home Builders Launch New National Green Building Program February 2008
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has launched the NAHB National Green Building Program, an education, verification, and certification program for building green homes. The new program, launched last week, allows green builders to accrue points in seven categories: water, energy, and resource efficiency; lot and site development; indoor environmental quality; global impact; and homeowner education. The program sets point requirements in each category for the bronze, silver and gold levels. Homes are inspected and verified by local green experts, who send their documentation to the NAHB Research Center for review. If the project qualifies, the home can receive national certification from the Research Center. See the NAHB National Green Building Program Web site, which features an online scoring tool.

USGBC Creates Green Building Certification Institute November 2007
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) started the LEED rating system, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and the council is now composed of more than 12,000 organizations from across the building industry. To keep its focus on buildings, the USGBC announced on November 19th that it will spin off its credentialing activities to a new organization, called the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The USGBC will transfer its LEED Professional Accreditation program to the GBCI in January 2008. See the new GBCI Web site.

Dallas Going Green with New Building Program November 2007
The Dallas City Council recently adopted a resolution to create a building program that emphasizes energy efficiency and resource conservation. The move for more environmentally friendly building standards was pushed by Mayor Tom Leppert, who campaigned to develop serious environmental policies for the city.

Green Building is Catching on in San Antonio November 2007

Building Green Can Provide an Edge in a Tough Market September 2007
Building and renovating green homes and facilities can make property more desirable, according to a new report from Carbon Free. The report, Zero And Low Emission Buildings, looks at energy-saving building technologies ranging from new materials to low-power appliances, and examines a green building market that, as the number of housing starts continues to fall, is shifting towards the retrofitting of low emission solutions into existing buildings.

Rice University to Build Houston's Greenest Building August 2007
Rice University has received $30 million to support its residential college system, which recently unveiled plans to create one of the most environmentally sustainable buildings ever built in Houston.

Keller ISD Planning 'Green' Features in New School August 2007
The Keller ISD's fourth high school isn't scheduled to open until 2009, but the drawings and blueprints for its $88.5 million construction have been completed for the project slated to start in the fall. The two-story building's "green" features will include windows for natural light to reduce the amount of electricity needed, geothermal heating and cooling and bricks bought locally or from energy-efficient companies. The school will be situated in the Villages of Woodland Springs subdivision in far north Fort Worth and will require the Keller school district to redraw high school attendance zones. It will have capacity for approximately 3,000 students.

Building a Zero-Energy Commercial Office August 2007

Green Developers Break New Ground August 2007
Speculative office buildings are beginning to go green. The reason: profits.

Texas One of 15 States Leading the Nation in Energy Star Homes July 2007
In 15 states, more than 12% of new homes are meeting Energy Star standards, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Nearly 200,000 new homes nationwide earned the Energy Star in 2006, bringing the total number of Energy Star-qualified homes across the nation to nearly 750,000. To date, these homes have locked in annual savings of more than $180 million for homeowners by saving over 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and 100 million therms of natural gas.

Green Schools are the Way to Go June 2007
This U.S. Green Building Council web site offers resources to help you learn more about what defines a "green" school and how your kids and your school district can benefit.

Houston Joins Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program May 2007
Sixteen of the world's largest cities-including Chicago, Houston, and New York-have joined in a global effort to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings. Four energy service companies will conduct energy audits, perform building retrofits, and guarantee the energy savings of the retrofit projects. The companies will be assisted by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the U.S. Green Building Council.

DOE Updates EnergyPlus Program for Building Energy Design April 2007
DOE issued a new version of its award-winning EnergyPlus software program last week. The EnergyPlus program allows architects, building engineers, and others to model the energy flow within a building, examining the effects of the building's heating, cooling, ventilating, and lighting systems.

NREL Laboratory Earns LEED Platinum, a Federal First April 2007
The new Science and Technology Facility (S&TF) at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the first federal facility to earn LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The 71,000-square-foot S&TF, completed in June 2006, consumes 41 percent less energy than comparable buildings through the use of daylighting, evaporative cooling, and efficient motors, ventilation fans, windows, and lighting.

Denton Fire Department Goes Green March 2007
The City of Denton plans to get the city's new $3.4 million fire station certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Once certified, it will be one of the first "green" fire stations in Texas. Additional green measures include four 5,500-gallon tanks for rainwater storage, recycled construction materials, natural lighting and a geothermal well system to heat and cool the building.

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