Energy-Efficient Roofing: More than a Black and White Issue

Few issues in single-ply roofing have been more contentious over the last decade than the “black versus white membrane” debate, and for good reason.
 

Commercial Toplighting – Thermal Loss vs. Electrical Energy Savings

Daylighting is the use of natural light as a main illumination source from a myriad of glazing devices in both vertical and horizontal positions within a building. The use of daylighting stems from the beginning of time and since the beginning there have always been similar concerns regarding proper design, light output, glare and even heat.

Increasing Profitability while Improving Indoor Air Quality

Commercial building owners are caught between two powerful forces – the need to lower energy costs and the need to attract tenants by providing building environments that meet or exceed Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) regulations. 

Protecting Lives and Property: Making Green Buildings “Functionally Resilient”

Protecting Lives and Property: Making Green Buildings “Functionally Resilient” is sponsored by the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative (Concrete JSI ). Formed in the spring of 2009, the Concrete JSI is a voluntary collaboration of 28 U.S. industry associations that seek to advance the sustainable development applications of all concrete structures. 

Improving Building Energy Efficiency with Metal Roofs and Walls

The practice of using the energy, water and materials more efficiently in all phases of commercial building construction has grown dramatically in the last decade. This process, referred to as green building, has shown a positive effect on the planet, people and profit.

Thermally Active Building Design: A Path Toward Carbon Neutrality

The gauntlet has been thrown down. Building designers now realize our design traditions have missed opportunities for energy efficiency and the key synergies that come from the disciplines of integrative design.

Integrated Lighting Control Steps to Success

Lighting control has traditionally been delivered to customers by electrical contractors as specified through Divisions 16 or 26 by the MEP firm employed by the owner. However, as energy costs increase and green building and sustainability needs grow the adequacy of this delivery mechanism falls short.

Oops! We've been Drilling in the Wrong Place!

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) oil disaster prompted research leading to a paper, “Oops! We’ve been drilling in the Wrong Place.” The paper compares the energy value of all the oil produced annually from the U.S. GOM with what can be achieved with a national program of building retrofits of just homes and commercial buildings. The results are informative. 

Water/Energy Correlation 

As cities continue to grow, particularly in regions already experiencing water scarcity, the linkages between water and energy use are becoming more important. A growing community needs more power, which requires additional water.

The Green Building Boom Continues 

In this report, Canaccord Genuity presents an overview of the green building industry, examining the economic and environmental benefits as well as discussing several of the industry’s long-term growth drivers. It also examines the burgeoning market for green retrofits, a particularly timely topic given the current slowdown in the nonresidential construction industry. 

Marriott Uses Fiberglass Mat Dens Brand Gypsum Panels for Construction and Renovation

Faced with preventing moisture issues while keeping time sensitive projects in mind, Marriott International, Inc.’s design and construction team chose the Georgia-Pacific fiberglass mat Dens™Brand gypsum panels for the Orlando, Florida-area hotel projects.

Published by the Modular Building Institute (MBI) and authored by Robert J. Kobet, this 40-page whitepaper is an overview of how the commercial modular construction industry's current practices and products can benefit from an awareness of the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED(tm)) Building Rating System.