BuildingGreen Report
BuildingGreen Report
Webcast
Wood products are widely considered to be inherently “carbon neutral.” The current surge of interest in mass timber was spurred by this belief.
But could scaling up our demand for wood actually make climate change worse?
It’s a huge risk. Our forests are a massive carbon bank and a critical climate buffer,... Read more
Blog Post
Now is your chance to comment on LEED version 5, a pivotal update and the first major change since 2013. We give you the highlights below.
By Nadav Malin and Paula Melton
It’s here. So what’s new?
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released LEED v5 for its first public comment period on April 3, 2024, giving us our first detailed look at the next generation of the program that has defined green building in North America and around the world for more than... Read more
Webcast
You’ve probably heard that wood products are carbon neutral. You might also have heard that timber harvesting causes immense carbon emissions.
Which is it?
Could it be both?
This on-demand webcast investigates these questions and others, using a scientific lens to examine wood’s carbon... Read more
Webcast
Join Brent Ehrlich, BuildingGreen’s products & materials specialist, as he unveils ten innovative technologies he believes are solving the building industry’s biggest challenges.
For 2024, we’ve showcased products that nix toxic chemicals, advance efficient electrification, cut embodied carbon, promote... Read more
Webcast
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers us a once-in-a-generation chance to equitably decarbonize the built environment and prepare communities to weather future climate threats.
... Read moreBlog Post
LEED project managers are like intrepid explorers in search of … expiration dates? A longtime traveler discusses two big rules of thumb on project timelines, product documentation, and best practices for submittals.
LEEDUser guest author Dave Hubka is sustainability practice leader at architecture firm EUA and has been working with sustainable design and LEED for 20+ years.
Hunting for documents when compiling a LEED application can be quite the adventure. The task requires a seasoned LEED explorer ready to battle the elements while... Read more
Webcast
ESG is the hottest acronym in green building right now. But let’s face it: most people are flying by the seat of their pants.
Most—but not all.
Four experts representing design, construction, and consulting firms will come together during this virtual roundtable to share their field notes and... Read more
Webcast
Please note: LEEDuser’s informal 45-minute coffee talks are not approved for continuing education units.
This lively conversation features:
Brent Ehrlich, Products & Materials Specialist at BuildingGreen (moderator) Gioia Connell, Built Ecology Consultant, WSP... Read moreBlog Post
Proposed EQ credits and prereqs would target inclusive design, biophilia, and a climate-change-adaptive approach to indoor air quality.
This is the fourth post in a series on LEED v5; it focuses on new construction. Part One provides an overview of the philosophy and underlying structure of all the LEED v5 rating systems. Part Two discusses what’s new in the already drafted O+M rating system. Part Three looks at operational energy and carbon in design and construction.
... Read more
Webcast
Want to optimize your product selections for health and sustainability while also earning LEED certification? This webinar is designed for you.
Products meeting the requirements of LEED v4 BD+C and ID+C were barely available a decade ago. But since then, market forces and the introduction of LEED v4.1 in... Read more
Blog Post
Existing buildings are “where it matters most,” said USGBC CEO Peter Templeton at Greenbuild 2023. So they rolled out the v5 O+M draft first.
This is the second post in a series on LEED v5. Part One provides an overview of the philosophy and underlying structure of all the LEED v5 rating systems. Part Three looks at energy and operational carbon in BD+C and ID+C. Part Four is about the proposed building design and construction EQ approach.
Greening existing buildings is our... Read moreBlog Post
The design and construction rating systems under v5 will draw on v4 pilot credits, requiring both energy efficiency and GHG reductions.
This is the third post in a series on LEED v5; it focuses on new construction. Part One provides an overview of the philosophy and underlying structure of all the LEED v5 rating systems. Part Two provides an overview of the O+M draft. Part Three looks at energy and operational carbon in BD+C and ID+C. Part Four is about the proposed building... Read more
Blog Post
Paris-aligned decarbonization and resilience are half the weight. Cross-credit integration and new prereqs weave in equity, biodiversity, and more.
This is the first post in a series on LEED v5. Part Two provides an overview of the O+M draft. A later series will dive deeper on O+M. Part Three looks at energy and operational carbon in BD+C and ID+C. Part Four is about the proposed EQ approach.
LEED v5 could change everything. But will it?
The U.S. Green Building Council (... Read more
Webcast
Conventional stormwater management treats rain as the enemy—a dangerous and destructive force that must be deflected away from building sites as quickly as possible.
But as we pave more and more of paradise, this conventional approach actually compounds rainwater’s danger and destructiveness. The resulting runoff can... Read more
Blog Post
Share your views with GBCI reviewers! No, not your ideas. We mean sample documentation that helps you show your work for the v4 Quality Views credit.
Everyone wants a window.
But the design strategies for ensuring everyone gets one—particularly in a shared open office—are far from straightforward. Plus, that extra glazing is hardly worth it if people see nothing but a brick wall or an acre of parked cars. Human beings who find themselves stuck in buildings all day long typically want... Read more
Blog Post
Our guests reply to the Qs we didn’t get to during our July 26 event. Plus, here’s the recording if you missed it, and USGBC will host several v5 update sessions at Greenbuild.
What a pleasure it was hosting Sarah Talkington (LEED Steering Committee chair) and Keith Amann (past chair of the LEED Advisory Committee, past member of the LEED Steering Committee) for our recent LEEDuser coffee talk, What’s up with LEED v5?
Even better: Sarah and Keith generously agreed to answer some lingering questions we didn’t... Read more
Webcast
Concrete is one of the construction industry’s largest carbon emitters, responsible for about 5% to 8% of the world’s anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is also one of the most important building materials.
There are well-proven ways to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint, such as replacing... Read more
Blog Post
Multifamily developers are embracing green building certifications, leading to greater energy efficiency, cost savings, healthier places to live, and more environmental awareness among tenants.
Buildings produce about 40% of annual CO2 emissions globally, according to an Architecture 2030 analysis of International Energy Agency data. With awareness of this fact growing in both the real estate industry and the general public, developers are becoming increasingly attracted to the idea of “going green” because they can tackle carbon... Read more
Blog Post
The Cool Roof Rating Council also vets wall materials. Their database of third-party-tested products can help teams earn Pilot Credit SSpc154, Heat Island Mitigation with Cool Walls.
Climate change is searing us with localized heat waves, and the planet recently reached its highest-ever average temperature—a record that was immediately broken and is sure to be broken again and again in the near future.
As Earth heats up, passive strategies like cool roofs are increasingly urgent—especially since the most vulnerable... Read more
Blog Post
A fresh online platform for BIT, which targets low-performing existing buildings, draws users through simple, low-cost, step-by-step improvements.
LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (O+M) is designed to make pretty good buildings even better. But O+M has never really gone after low-performing buildings.
The 2009 version, for example, required a minimum Energy Star score of 69 (indicating the 69th percentile, or the top 31%) for most building types. In v4, the... Read more