SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Northern California Chapter has launched the Building Health Initiative, a movement to promote green building as a health benefit.
IRVINE, Calif. — Sustainability is part of the culture and history of LPA Inc. With more than 100 LEED-designed projects, green buildings are an integral part of the firm. However, LEED is not the only marker of sustainable practices, said Dan Heinfeld, president of LPA.
WESTFORD, Mass. — A new study by the Building Science Corporation (BSC) analyzes the findings of the Thermal Metric Project, a multi-year collaborative research project. The project, also headed by the BSC, aimed at finding a new metric for the thermal performance of building enclosures that better accounts for known physical heat flow mechanisms and operating conditions.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland State University’s (PSU) Green Building Research Laboratory is partnering with Walmart to build a green roof on top of a local North Portland store. The university and Walmart will participate in a two-year research partnership to construct a 40,000-square-foot green roof and collect in-depth data to benefit future projects. The green roof project will be the largest in the city of Portland when Walmart’s new Hayden Island Meadows store opens Nov. 13.
ROYERSFORD, Pa. — In an effort to educate businesses and homeowners on the negative effects of rising carbon, Tad Radzinski, LEED AP, president and co-founder of Sustainable Solutions Corporation, described five strategies on how to reduce an organization or building’s carbon footprint.
Sefaira, a leader in software for high-performance building design, has introduced the first real-time energy analysis software for building design. Sefaira for SketchUp is a SketchUp plugin that provides real-time energy analysis without having to leave the design environment. The product delivers immediate and constant feedback directly in SketchUp while the architect is designing. The energy flows graph details the end uses of energy such as heating, cooling, lighting and appliances.
Windfall Lumber has released the Windfall Engineered Panel in a new lighter and more flexible .25-inch with all the same attributes as the .75-inch product. The panels are manufactured in the U.S. from reclaimed Douglas fir and Hemlock from deconstructed industrial, agricultural and residential buildings in the Pacific Northwest. The thinner panel size allows for easier wall and ceiling applications and also has the ability to wrap around fixtures or rounded surfaces. The Windfall Engineered Panel is offered in a variety of stains and finish options.
The Vibro-Curb, a vibration isolation curb from from Thybar Corporation, features integral, vibration-dampening, spring isolators that can be easily accessed. The curbs, which provide mounting for rooftop HVAC, allow roofing to be completed at a later date without disturbing the unit. The flexible 9-inch counter flashing provides a weather seal while permitting easy access to the isolators. A minimum of 90 percent isolation efficiency is achieved when using the Vibro-Curb, according to the company.
ITHACA, N.Y. — A study from Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research has found that hotels that concentrate on sustainable practices have no difference in revenue when compared to those that do not.
The study, Hotel Sustainability: Financial Analysis Shines a Cautious Green Light, analyzed the database of the travel technology company Sabre Holdings. Authored by Howard Chong and Rohit Verma, the analysis demonstrates receiving sustainable building certification had a net neutral effect on sales and rates at hotels.
WASHINGTON — The U.S General Services Administration (GSA) has issued a recommendation to the Department of Energy (DOE) to expand the use of third-party green building certification systems.
