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Measurement and verification (M&V) involves recording actual energy use over the course of occupancy, and comparing that data with the estimated energy use seen in the design. The M&V process ensures all systems are performing as specified and identifies any anomalies in equipment, operations procedures or user habits. In addition, an M&V plan can help reduce energy costs, assist with commissioning, and, over time, document and improve the efficiencies of energy conservation measures.

Flame Retardant Used in Polystyrene to be Banned by EU

HBCD is used in all polystyrene building insulation--both extruded polystyrene (XPS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS).

by Alex Wilson

The European Union announced last week that it is banning HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane), the brominated flame retardant used in polystyrene building insulation. The ban will take effect by mid-2015 and be implemented through the European Union's REACH program (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals).

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Direct-gain passive-solar design was used extensively at the Cob Hill CoHousing project in Hartland, Vermont. A majority of the windows face south, with overhangs and window blinds that help block unwanted sun in the summer. Photo: Alex Wilson.

A Guide to the Key LEED BD&C v2009 Addenda - NC, CS, Schools

Here is a review of key LEED 2009 addenda to date. The following covers BD&C systems: NC, CS, and Schools.

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Update! See our ongoing coverage of LEED Interpretations and addenda here.

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A Trombe wall retrofit workshop that I was leading in the late-1970s in New Mexico. To this simple frame, a layer of glazing was added, and sunlight would heat up the dark-painted wall. Photo: Alex Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.

Last week I wrote about sunspaces and how they can be used to deliver passive solar heat to our homes.

LEED to Award Points for Non-LEED Credentials

Last month USGBC issued a memo opening a new path to LEED points for professionals with green building credentials other than the LEED AP (LEED Accredited Professional) credential.

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Last month USGBC issued IDc2 (IOc2 in EBOM), the new path is part of IDc1: Innovation in Design.

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The 2030 Challenge for Products aims to reduce the embodied carbon of building materials 50% by 2030. Graphic: Architecture 2030. Click on image to enlarge.

All right, it's not a product. But the 2030 Challenge for Products, announced today by Ed Mazria's organization, Architecture 2030, BuildingGreen, and others, promises to make a lot of products a lot greener.

New Plaintiffs Join Amended LEED Lawsuit

Filed February 7th, 2011, the amended complaint has been boiled down to a claim of false advertising, and is no longer a class-action suit.

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From LEEDuser's sister publication Environmental Building News:

A federal lawsuit filed in October 2010 against the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and other defendants, focusing on allegedly fraudulent claims of the LEED rating system, has been amended. Filed February 7th, 2011, the amended complaint has been boiled down to a claim of false advertising, and is no longer a class-action suit.

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A solar greenhouse workshop from the late-1970s. Photo: Alex Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.

Way back in the late 1970s, I worked for the New Mexico Solar Energy Association in Santa Fe. I ran the Workshop Program, leading a crew of three or four like-mined idealists teaching mostly low-income New Mexicans about solar energy through hands-on construction workshops.

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This screen capture from the webinar shows how each piece of the matrix is filled in in the Assessment Tool. Here, you can see the three associators (relative efficacy, benefit duration, and benefit control) and their respective options.

The USGBC recently hosted an “Introduction to LEED Rating System Weightings Process” webcast detailing how point allocations for credits in the next version of LEED, a.k.a. LEED 2012, will be determined.

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Monitor energy—or more

Flame Retardant Used in Polystyrene to be Banned by EU

by Alex Wilson

Direct-Gain Passive Solar

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A Guide to the Key LEED BD&C v2009 Addenda - NC, CS, Schools

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Trombe Walls

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LEED to Award Points for Non-LEED Credentials

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Reducing the Carbon Emissions of Products Through the 2030 Challenge

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New Plaintiffs Join Amended LEED Lawsuit

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Sunspaces - Solar Heat and a Place to Grow Plants

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LEED 2012 Points—or, How we'll eventually get points

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