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For Consumers Green Building Means Energy Efficiency
Big Builder magazine article summarizes results of JD Power survey showing how buyers of new construction that were shown a long list of green features selected energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning units, energy-saving appliances, energy-saving lighting, and temperature-controlling windows as the most important.

KB Home To Build Only Energy Star Homes By 2009
KB Homes, one of the largest builders in the US, says every home they build in 2008 will feature ENERGY STAR qualified appliances. Starting in 2009, the company pledged that every home built would be fully compliant with ENERGY STAR certification requirements and would utilize low-VOC paint and low-VOC carpet.

Creating Realistic Expectations for Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy World article says there are a lot of high expectations about clean energy technologies and properly educating consumers, investors and journalists about what each technology can realistically offer will be one of the most important factors in moving renewables forward.

Global Warming Test: 10 Questions To Test Your Knowledge & Common Sense
Global Warming Test is a simple 10-question test, but an eye opener. It warns that it is not suitable for young people trying to get a good grade in political correctness. Al Gore probably wouldn't like it either, but give it a try.

Things Production Builders Should Consider When Building Green
Big Builder magazine describes key things production home builders should consider as they take green to a higher volume including piecemeal green, green undefined, making promises, high hopes, believing pretty lies, and broken promises.

Five Ways To Refine Your Strategy To Profit From Green Building
Journal of Light Construction article describes five ways to turn steeply rising energy costs into an opportunity for building green rather than a premature exit strategy.

BC SmartSteps Business Tools For Sustainability
Metro Vancouver offers tips and resources for improving profits, efficiency, and competitiveness, and helps you find specific, cost-effective actions you can take to reduce the amount of materials and energy your business uses.

Liability Exposure In Green Labeling
Canadian Home Builders Association bulletin Liability Exposure in Green Labeling, directed at builders and trade associations, outlines legal factors to consider in advance of participating in a green label/rating program, contracts to have at their disposal, and steps to undertake to minimize risk. (PDF)

Understanding Carbon Footprints Of Buildings
Building Green article from Environmental Building News explains what to count in calculating carbon footprint of buildings, how to count it, and considerations for implementing measures.

Key Energy Saving Strategies From Building America Program
Building Science case study outlines key strategies found by the Building America program for building homes that use up to 50 percent less energy, based on collaboration between teams of architects, engineers, builders, equipment manufacturers, and others. Key strategies include advanced framing, improved insulation, simplified HVAC systems, high performance windows, and durability details.

Change Engineering Design Process To Get Efficient Buildings
Automated Buildings article says project engineers must be ready to give up the detailed design work with which they are familiar and provide the flexibility, support, and oversight to others so they can ensure ultra-efficient performance is achieved and maintained over time.

Designing A Recycling Center In The Kitchen
Fine Homebuilding article describes how to design a recycling center in the kitchen with proper planning and some readily available cabinet accessories.

New BC Energy Efficiency Standards For Windows Doors & Skylights In Jan 09
BC Energy Efficiency Standards Regulation outlines new energy efficiency requirements that affect all windows, doors and skylights sold in BC beginning Jan. 1 2009. These requirements are detailed in Schedule 1, section 37 for windows, sliding glass doors and skylights, and row 41 for hinged doors.

Public Review Of New Canadian Window Energy Standards
CSA is asking for public review of the new standard A440.2 5th Edition for Energy Performance of Fenestration systems. You are invited to review the draft and provide any comments to Vanessa Mitchell at CSA (vanessa.mitchell@csa.ca) via email by the closing date of October 20,2008. (PDF)

Canadian Multi Family Green Building Program
Canadian Built Green now offers the Multi-Storey and Residential Tower program for green labelling of any residential building that is stacked (i.e. 1 apartment/condo unit on top of another unit or more) including Part 9 buildings (stacked 2 storey to 3.5 storey) and Part 3 (4 storey and up, which may include mixed commercial space).

Proposed Canadian Legislation To Take Inefficient Electronics Off The Market
Natural Resources Canada is amending the Energy Efficiency Act to include regulations governing the amount of electricity that will be used by home electronics while the products are switched off but still in standby mode.

US Home Builder Association Green Building Program Guidelines
US National Association of Home Builders offers Model Green Home Building Guidelines, and National Green Building Standard for new home construction.

************************************************* Advertisement ************************************************* Glass World manufactures and supplies acrylic tubs, shower & tub units, shower bases & stalls, sinks, toilets, faucets, shower doors, shelving, mirror & glass, accessories, and more. They are known in the BC Building industry for providing competitive prices, superior product quality, dependable customer service, excellent product knowledge, and quick turn-around time. Find out more **********************************************************************************************************************

Case Studies Of Solutions To Building Problems
Building Science provides a number of energy efficient housing and green building case studies that are brief problem descriptions with illustrated solutions.

Using Wood For Sustainable Design & Construction
Building Design & Construction online magazine article describes attributes of wood materials that apply to green building, sustainable design considerations, environmental merits of wood, and alternative material choices.

Strategies For Implementing Advanced Framing
Build It Green describes how to implement advanced framing, or optimal value engineering, a systems approach to design, engineering, and construction of wood-framed structures that reduces lumber use, minimizes wood waste, and maximizes thermal efficiency. (PDF)

Greening Up The HVAC System
Qualified Remodeler article briefly describes four ways to green up an HVAC system: type of ventilation system used, duct location & duct sealants, air filtration system, and the overall system efficiency.

Canadian Indoor Air Research & Clearinghouse Initiative
Canadian Institute for Research in Construction initiative will contribute to better occupant health through improved air quality in buildings. It will study the correlation between ventilation, air quality and health, develop methods to assess technologies presumed to improve air quality, and provide a national forum and clearinghouse for on issues related to indoor air and buildings.

Technology Inventory Of New Green Products For Housing
US Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing created the Technology Inventory to accelerate the awareness and acceptance process for new housing technologies. PATH's Technology Inventory lists over 160 new technologies that demonstrate great potential for improving housing performance but have not been widely used or accepted.

Canadian Members Of Solar Industry Association
Canadian Solar Industries Association provides searchable directory of its association members who provide solar products and services.

Panelized Building Systems Are Green
US National Association of Home Builders article says of all the building systems on the market, panelization offers one of the quickest and easiest ways for a conventional builder to go green.

Sustainability Of Cedar Shakes & Shingles
Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau brochure provides information on the environmental benefits of using its Certi-label cedar shake and shingle products for roofing and siding. (PDF)

************************************************* Advertisement ************************************************* Designers' Choice For Windows & Doors – We Do It All Choose from a wide range of window design options Frames of wood, vinyl, or combination wood interior and vinyl exterior Choose from 25 custom frame colours to match your project design 5 Year building envelope warranty covering water infiltration Limited Lifetime warranty on Super Spacer warm edge® insulating glass Wood, fibreglass, and aluminum-clad doors for entry, patio, and garage Our staff will gladly assist you on both standard and complex projects View your many design options in these window galleries Find our more about Westeck Windows – We Do It All **********************************************************************************************************************

Free Building Simulation Plug-In for Google SketchUp Program
Integrated Environmental Solutions, developer of software-based building performance analysis tools, has released a free plug-in to Google SketchUp and SketchUp Pro that allows users to run sustainability performance simulations and analyses on building designs.

Guidelines For Making A Home Solar Ready
Canadian Solar Industries Association online Solar Ready Technical Guidelines provide detailed information on how you can prepare a home for solar heating in the future.

Air Handlers Need Time Off
Advanced Energy bulletin says in an attempt to provide non-medicinal aids to patients, a notable number of allergists tell allergy sufferers to turn their air handlers on permanently, rather than letting the system cycle them on and off. The thinking is that constant filtering of the air can only help the patient, but in reality this practice can actually aggravate allergies, in addition to driving up energy costs.

Online Calculator For Comparing Heating Fuel Costs
Building Green online fuel cost calculator considers heat content of each fuel, efficiency of combustion by heating equipment, and efficiency of distribution.

Overview Of Alternative Fuels In Canada
Natural Resources Canada provides an overview of alternative fuels including ethanol, biodiesel, natural gas, propane, electricity, hydrogen & fuel cells, biogas, and next-generation biofuels.

Overview Of Green Power In Canadian Provinces 2007 & 2008
Renewable Energy Access newsletter article summarizes how Canadian provinces are ramping up renewable energy and energy-efficiency developments, led by a number of progressive companies and schools, and some select government actions.

Online Resources For Green Building Design & Construction
Build It Green program provides technical reports and factsheets on green building design & construction covering general information, design & planning, and products & practices.

Online Videos On Green Architecture & Green Building
American Institute of Architects online videos help those planning a new building or renovating an existing structure with topic areas including water conservation, smart controls, radiant heating & cooling, and more.

Articles On Green Remodeling
Remodeling Magazine archives their past articles on green remodeling that include industry news, case studies, business tips, new products, and more.

Email News On Additions To Green Building Site
Oikos Green Building Source free e-mail newsletter gives updates on new information added to their site including green building news, products, procedures, and more.

Purchasable Books On Green Building & Sustainability
Cascadia Region Green Building Council sells books and resources for industry members involved in green building and sustainability.

US Green Building Council Conference & Expo
Greenbuild will feature networking, educational programs, speakers, and exhibits. Highlights include LEED workshops, green building tours, poster sessions, plenary and master speakers and the annual USGBC Leadership Awards celebration.

US Conference & Show On Green Remodeling
Remodel Green, held in Michigan on October 31 & November 1, is a conference and trade show that brings together builders, architects, designers, homeowners, suppliers and community leaders who share excitement about green remodeling and building.

Solar Power International Industry Conference
Solar Power International conference and expo, held in San Diego Oct 13 - 16, is the annual US solar industry conference and trade show, organized by the Solar Electric Power Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Surrey Art Gallery Exhibition On Sustainable Architecture
Surrey Art Gallery is presenting a series of three exhibitions that offer a comprehensive look at sustainable architecture, including Regional Responses to Sustainable Architecture in Canada, Building Green: A BC Showcase, and Regenerative Architecture: Visions of the Future. The exhibition runs from October 2 - December 21.

Emerging Green Builders Resources For Students & Young Professionals
Cascadia Regional Green Building Council created the Emerging Green Builders to provide students and young professionals affordable and accessible resources for integration into the growing green building industry as active and qualified employees and professionals. They offer special events in BC and the Pacific Northwest.

BC Training Program In LEED Green Building Documentation
Light House Sustainable Building Centre in Vancouver is offering a green building documentation training program that will equip project coordinators and administrators with the skills and tools necessary to efficiently and affordably manage green building rating certification process applying to Part 3 buildings.

BC Course On LEED For Contractors
ICBA and Metro Vancouver seminar on October 30th is aimed at introducing LEED to general and trade contractors. It will provide an overview of how LEED works, contractor roles and responsibilities when undertaking a LEED project, documentation requirements, and practical details of how to navigate the LEED process to successfully deliver a LEED project. (PDF)

Canadian Guide To Implementing Energy Efficiency Awareness Program
Natural Resources Canada online Guide To Implementing An Energy Efficiency Awareness Program offers a step-by-step approach to designing and implementing energy efficiency awareness campaigns in buildings.

Canadian Energy Efficient Housing Mortgage Insurance Program
Genworth Financial Energy-Efficient Housing Program for home buyers purchasing an energy-efficient home or refinancing an existing home to make energy-saving renovations with Genworth-insured mortgages are now eligible to receive a 10 per cent premium refund.

Power Smart Offering Free Energy Saving Kits For Low-income Households
BC Hydro customers who live in a low-income household may be eligible to receive a free energy saving kit from Power Smart.

Green Incentive Types, Barriers & Successes
American Institute of Architects commissioned a report, Local Leaders in Sustainability – Green Incentives, that defines and examines many types of incentive programs, details the inherent barriers to success and highlights best practice examples from around the country.

Potential For Green Real Estate Finance & Mortgages
Build It Green article suggests a new era is coming for the green real estate industry now that the US National Green Building Underwriting Standard, a consensus standard that recognizes the value of specific green building features, has been slated for committee approval. (PDF)

Dittie For Today: On Technology

I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. And now my wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone. - Bjarne Strous`trup

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