A national “cool” roof campaign could save some 5.7 quad of net primary energy valued at $33 billion over the 20-year lifespan of an average roof, according to researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Heat Island Group.

The Case for Cool Roofs recommends a no-cost cool (more…)

The skier’s delight rarely falls in the realm of green renewable eco-friendly holidays, but many resorts are trying to change that image. Some resorts are increasing their recycling, while others are working to have a less strenuous impact on Mother Nature. This means eco-friendly, sustainable and an awareness of how to use natural resources efficiently (more…)

Treatment without diagnosis is risky, for human health or home energy performance.

For any tax-paying citizen, the term “audit” probably has more negative than positive connotations. That’s why companies and individuals who perform home energy audits often refer to their services as “energy assessments” or “energy evaluations.” If the “A” word stigma isn’t bad (more…)

Two office buildings in Norway are being retrofitted so they will generate more power than they use when the project is completed next year.

The three- and four-story buildings, in the town of Sandvika, near Oslo, will generate geothermal and solar energy on site, making the buildings “energy (more…)

The fifty billion dollar (yes, that’s $50,000,000,000) Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill (the "Relief Bill") is headed to President Obama’s desk for his signature. The Full Text of the bill is available here  

The Relief Bill provides several different opportunities for the Federal government to encourage states to adopt up-to-date building codes by tying distribution (more…)

Whether driven by a genuine desire to reduce their environmental footprint, or simply to insulate themselves against rising costs, energy efficiency is becoming a significant organizational goal for many companies around the country. In order to achieve these goals, businesses are looking for direction on how they can have their buildings’ designed and/or (more…)

It’s arguably crucial for schools and colleges to do all they can to encourage future green builders; this means educating students about how to use sustainable technologies and alternative energy sources, while also conducting practical research. What, then, are schools currently focusing on, and what kinds of subjects are available? Moreover, what enterprise (more…)

Energy benchmarking can unlock $9 billion in energy savings by 2020, suggests a recent report by the Institute of Market Transformation. Despite our lofty aspirations of energy independence and tackling global climate change, we are only beginning to implement the first step in the multifamily building sector – understanding our energy use. Multifamily (more…)

On January 1, 2013, the U.S. Congress passed last minute legislation known as the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 to avoid automatic increases in income taxes for millions of Americans, as well as draconian cuts to the budget of the federal government, that many feared would plunge the nation’s economy back into recession.  (more…)

This article has been written to help time-poor but environmentally conscious homeowners and small business bosses make an informed choice about flat roofing materials.

Divided into sections, it looks at five common flat roofing products and examines their energy efficiency in terms of three things: insulation, projected life-cycle and manufacturing process. (more…)