Significant energy demands
Medical equipment represents significant energy loads in healthcare facilities, yet there are no clear standards currently available to compare power consumption across brands or identify the most energy-efficient units.
Explore alternatives to harmful products
Note: This pilot credit was closed for new registrations as of March 1, 2012.
The PBT Source Reduction pilot credit encourages project teams to explore alternatives to building products and materials that may contain ingredients that have a harmful effect on human health. The credit specifically promotes alternatives assessment and avoidance of building products which contain certain halogenated compounds.
A first step toward a more holistic process—there will be challenges
Note: This pilot credit was closed for new registrations as of March 1, 2012.
This credit connects the real-world application of the LEED rating systems to the evolving field of life-cycle assessment (LCA).
Controlling Humidity
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To remove moisture when showering, install a quiet Energy Star bath fan, such as this Panasonic FV-08VKM2 with built-in motion sensor. Click on image to enlarge.
High relative humidity is a significant problem in many regions of the country during the summer months. In hot weather, the higher the humidity, the less comfortable we are--partly because moisture does not evaporate from our skin as readily.
Innovative Gas-Filled Panel Insulation from Fi-Foil
A new gas-filled panel insulation material that consists of pockets of low-conductivity gas in a honeycomb foil substrate provides high insulation levels.
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Fi-Foil GFP Insulation showing expanded (above) and as shipped (below). Photo: Fi-Foil. Click on image to enlarge.
A new gas-filled panel insulation material that consists of pockets of low-conductivity gas in a honeycomb foil substrate provides insulation levels as high at R-11 for inch-and-a-half-thick panels.
About gas-filled panels
The DOE Showerhead Rule: Someone is all wet
Draft interpretive ruling from the Department of Energy throws a few new wrenches into the system.
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You would think that establishing a definition for “showerhead” would be simple. But, as the Department of Energy (DOE) is discovering after issuing a draft interpretive rule on the matter, nothing is simple when it comes to getting people wet.
Simple Strategies for Keeping Cool
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While blocking sunlight on the outside of a house is better than using interior insulating blinds to reflect sunlight back out through windows, the latter can still make a big difference. Click on image to enlarge.
We're into those hot days of summer--really hot--with temperatures predicted in the mid- to upper-90s, even in Vermont, this week.
It's Time to Rethink the All-Glass Building
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The highly glazed CORE Building on 7th Avenue in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. Upper floors are residential. Photo: Alex Wilson Click on image to enlarge.
The July 2010 issue of Environmental Building News asks whether we should end our love affair with all-glass buildings. The short answer is "yes." With most large commercial buildings there is an energy penalty associated with increasing the glazing area beyond 20 to 30 percent.
More Money, Less Guesswork: ITE Parking Generation Study and SSc4.4
Parking Generation is a compilation of parking capacity data collected by volunteers through surveys.
by Emily Catacchio
Pursuing SSc4.4: Alternative Transportation—Parking Capacity in the LEED 2009 NC, CS, and Schools rating systems just got a little more expensive for some projects—$118.75 more to be exact.