Building Materials | GreenerBuildings

California Winery Becomes First in State to Earn LEED-Gold Certification

GreenerBuildings Staff — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:29:00 -0700

With solar power, radiant floors and other eco-friendly building elements, Hall Wines' St. Helena winery has been certified at the LEED-Gold level, one of a growing number of vineyards and wineries that are greening their operations.

Eco-Friendly Wall Coatings Reflect Well on Green Building Project

GreenerBuildings Staff — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:24:00 -0700

Eco-friendly exterior wall coatings that incorporate heat reflective technology helped a Florida office building earn a LEED-Gold green rating and won the project recognition from an industry magazine.

Chipotle Earns the First LEED-Platinum Certification Awarded to a Restaurant

GreenerBuildings Staff — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:02:00 -0700

A Chipotle Mexican Grill in Illinois with its own wind turbine and a 2,500-gallon underground water cistern to harvest rainwater was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council at the organization's highest rating.

Mitsubishi Electric Spotlights Products that May Qualify for Stimulus Money

GreenBiz Staff — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:53:00 -0700

Since the passage of the stimulus legislation in February, a number of firms providing energy efficiency products and services have positioned their offerings in terms of their potential to qualify for tax credits under the Recovery Act. Mitsubishi's U.S. operations is among the latest company to do so, listing a diverse array of products.

World's Largest Cement Firms Slow CO2 Emissions Despite Production Growth

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Efforts by the world's leading cement companies slowed the rate of growth of carbon dioxide emissions from the industry's manufacturing process even while production climbed by 53 percent, according to a new report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Cement Sustainability Initiative.

The Integrative Design Guide to Green Building

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:35:00 -0700

Green building experts from the 7group consultancy and integrative design pioneer Bill G. Reed provide a clear, practical manual on the whole-building approach to sustainability.

Cement Industry Energy and CO2 Performance: Getting the Numbers Right

GreenBiz Staff — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:32:00 -0700

This report from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development's Cement Sustainability Initiative summarizes the work thus far in the nearly 3-year-old effort by the council and the industry's largest companies to make global cement production cleaner and greener.

Obama, Chu Unveil New Lighting Rules and Release $346M for Energy Efficient Buildings

GreenerBuildings Staff — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:06:00 -0700

With Energy Secretary Steven Chu by his side, U.S. President Barack Obama detailed stricter new lighting standards and promised the swift release of $346 million in Recovery Act funds to boost energy efficiency in new and existing commercial buildings and homes.

Cosentino's ECO Countertops Earn Cradle to Cradle Certification

GreenerBuildings Staff — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:50:00 -0700

ECO by Cosentino, a line of countertops and surfaces made from 75 percent recycled material, has received Cradle to Cradle Silver certification from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry.

National Gypsum Launches Green Website for Company Products and Plants

GreenerBuildings Staff — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0700

National Gypsum Company, the second largest producer of gypsum wallboard in the U.S., went live this week with a "Green Site" that provides information on its plants, product content and certifications.

The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:07:00 -0700

This report from the Center for American Progress and the University of Massachusetts explores how investments of $150 billion per year in energy efficiency, building retrofits, clean technologies and public transportation can create 1.7 million new jobs in the United States.

Green Jobs and Green Prosperity

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:46:00 -0700

This report from Green for All, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the University of Massachusetts explores how investments in energy efficiency, clean technology and public transportation can raise the standard of living for everyone in the United States.

HID Labs Unveils Smart Green Industrial Lighting

GreenerBuildings Staff — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:51:00 -0700

HID Laboratories has officially launched its SmartPod Luminaires, a lighting solution that mates IT with high-tech design and energy efficient performance, the firm says.

U.S. Cement Industry Protests EPA's Proposal to Regulate Kiln Emissions

GreenerBuildings Staff — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:32:00 -0700

Advocates for the U.S. cement industry and environmentalists are facing off in hearings this week as federal regulators call for comment on new rules to limit emissions from the energy-intensive kilns that are core to the business.

AAC: A Concrete Reason Why You Can't Have a Bullet-Proof Home in California

Shari Shapiro — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:00:00 -0700

We all know how important it is to live in a green -- not to mention bullet-proof -- structure, so one would think that a progressive state like California would allow for the use of autoclaved aerated concrete. Not so. The situation is illustrative of the issues that accompany incorporating new materials into traditional building codes.