News
Green Building & Eco Friendly News
We are excited to share green building industry developments, news about our Member Companies, and of course current Rate It Green information. Please feel welcome to submit interesting news you have found. Note that Rate It Green does include news announcements as a part of some sponsorship offerings.
You can also learn more by following Rate It Green on social media. We greatly appreciate your likes, follows, and general votes of support.
IWBI Announces Three Impressive Initiatives to Support the Green & Healthy Building and Wider Communities in this Time of Crisis
The International Well Building Institute (IWBI) has announced a number of initiatives designed to help and support the green and healthy building and wider communities in the time of crisis surrounding the coronavirus.
First, IWBI will be setting up a Task Force to help bring together experts and further inform WELL Building Standard improvements, but also general prevention and preparedness, and recovery efforts.
Existing task force members:
Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., MBA, former president and CEO of t… Show more
Green Builders, Let's Gather! IFLI Hosts a Happy Hour, Fridays at 3 - 5 pm EST
The International Living Future Institute has issued an offer and a call to gather!
"Talk Living Buildings, sustainability, and regenerative design with other advanced practitioners - without leaving your couch!"
The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) is hosting a global "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Happy Hour* every Friday, from 3 PM - 5 PM EST, until everyone can gather again in person. Join IFLI for 30 minutes, or the full two hours. It's casual and up to you… Show more
3-Part Webinar Series: Quarantine and Responses to COVID-19: What We Know, What You Can Do (Recorded 3/19, Available free, no registration required)
Healthy Indoors, The Building Performance Workshop, and the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council offered a series of three webinars on Friday, March 19. The webinars are now available as recordings, with no registration required.
These are comfortable, fairly approachable conversations, definitely by experts. When they get too technical, someone on the panel usually brings the conversation back to what everyone might need to know for living in our homes in a way we didn't initially plan for them, and what to… Show more
Global GreenTag Launches the World’s First Modern Slavery Transparency Declaration
“The time has come for Modern Slavery to be removed from history,”
-Mary-Lou Kelly, Global GreenTag, Managing Director
Global Green Tag has launched the start of a world first Modern Slavery Transparency Declaration, the Global GreenTag MSD, at the New York Build Expo where delegates were invited to become part of a global stakeholder consultation process to ready the Declaration for industry by the end of April 2020.
According to Mary-Lou Kelly, Global GreenTag Managing Director ,“The … Show more
Microsoft Pledges to Go Carbon Negative by 2030
Microsoft took an impressive climate leadership position this week when the company announced a promise to remove all of the carbon the company has ever put in the atmosphere directly or by consumption - back to the company’s founding in a garage in 1975. The company plans to be “carbon negative” by 2030.
According to a company statement by President Brad Smith, "While the world will need to reach net zero, those of us who can afford to move faster and go further should do so."
To r… Show more
Google's Nevada Data Center to be Powered by a $1 Billion Solar Farm
Google’s new data center in Henderson, Nevada will be powered largely by a $1 billion solar farm. The project is one of the largest corporate solar deals signed in the US, and maybe the the world’s larges such deal once battery-backed storage is included. Expected to be completed in 2023, the farm will produce up to 690MW of electricity. 380MW of lithium-ion batter storage will also be on site.
The planned site consists of 7,100 acres of public land and is located about 33 miles northeast of Las Vegas … Show more
Arizona Utility Announces Commitment to Carbon-Free Energy Production by 2050
Arizona Public Service Company (APS) CEO Jeff Guldner announced that the company will produce all electricity from carbon-free sources by 2050 and will produce 45% of power from renewable sources by 2030.
The decision seems impressive, as according to Guldner, the plan to convert more than half of the company's energy supply will require technology that is not even currently available. "“Nobody today actually knows how you get to 100% carbon free...I take some comfort from the fact that there are others who also b… Show more
New York City Buildings to Display Energy Grades
Starting this year, approximately 50,000 midsize and large buildings in Manhattan will be required to display energy efficiency scores which include a letter grade near public entrances. The buildings may only represent only 2% of the city’s building stick, but apparently they account for up to half of all building emissions, and 67% of all carbon dioxide emissions.
EPA’s Energy Star tool will be used to generate the letter grade, which will vary from A to D (and F for failure to submit). Failure to submit a grade wi… Show more
Massachusetts, Washington Take Steps Towards NetZero Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Leaders in Washington and Massachusetts have recently taken significant and exciting steps towards net-zero emissions.
In December, Washington Governor Jay Inslee introduced climate legislation aimed at reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, through measure including a clean fuel standard, increased electric vehicle availability, and an extended tax incentive for low-income community solar projects. The state was already the fourth to commit to a 100% clean energy goal for 2045 in 2019.
In Massachusetts, Governo… Show more
Minneapolis City Council Approves “Home Energy Score" for Real Estate Transactions
Home energy data collection is now a part of required Truth in Sale of Housing (TISH) evaluations in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The data is used to generate an Energy Disclosure report to be used in the City’s TISH report, which must be available to the public and displayed at all open houses. All 1-2 unit properties, townhomes, and first-time condo conversations must collect this data, unless an energy audit has been conducted within the past 5 years.
The Energy Disclosure Report provides a score that rates a… Show more
IWBI Announces Three Impressive Initiatives to Support the Green & Healthy Building and Wider Communities in this Time of Crisis
The International Well Building Institute (IWBI) has announced a number of initiatives designed to help and support the green and healthy building and wider communities in the time of crisis surrounding the coronavirus.
First, IWBI will be setting up a Task Force to help bring together experts and further inform WELL Building Standard improvements, but also general prevention and preparedness, and recovery efforts.
Existing task force members:
Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., MBA, former president and CEO of t… Show more
Green Builders, Let's Gather! IFLI Hosts a Happy Hour, Fridays at 3 - 5 pm EST
The International Living Future Institute has issued an offer and a call to gather!
"Talk Living Buildings, sustainability, and regenerative design with other advanced practitioners - without leaving your couch!"
The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) is hosting a global "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Happy Hour* every Friday, from 3 PM - 5 PM EST, until everyone can gather again in person. Join IFLI for 30 minutes, or the full two hours. It's casual and up to you… Show more
3-Part Webinar Series: Quarantine and Responses to COVID-19: What We Know, What You Can Do (Recorded 3/19, Available free, no registration required)
Healthy Indoors, The Building Performance Workshop, and the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council offered a series of three webinars on Friday, March 19. The webinars are now available as recordings, with no registration required.
These are comfortable, fairly approachable conversations, definitely by experts. When they get too technical, someone on the panel usually brings the conversation back to what everyone might need to know for living in our homes in a way we didn't initially plan for them, and what to… Show more
Global GreenTag Launches the World’s First Modern Slavery Transparency Declaration
“The time has come for Modern Slavery to be removed from history,”
-Mary-Lou Kelly, Global GreenTag, Managing Director
Global Green Tag has launched the start of a world first Modern Slavery Transparency Declaration, the Global GreenTag MSD, at the New York Build Expo where delegates were invited to become part of a global stakeholder consultation process to ready the Declaration for industry by the end of April 2020.
According to Mary-Lou Kelly, Global GreenTag Managing Director ,“The … Show more
Microsoft Pledges to Go Carbon Negative by 2030
Microsoft took an impressive climate leadership position this week when the company announced a promise to remove all of the carbon the company has ever put in the atmosphere directly or by consumption - back to the company’s founding in a garage in 1975. The company plans to be “carbon negative” by 2030.
According to a company statement by President Brad Smith, "While the world will need to reach net zero, those of us who can afford to move faster and go further should do so."
To r… Show more
Google's Nevada Data Center to be Powered by a $1 Billion Solar Farm
Google’s new data center in Henderson, Nevada will be powered largely by a $1 billion solar farm. The project is one of the largest corporate solar deals signed in the US, and maybe the the world’s larges such deal once battery-backed storage is included. Expected to be completed in 2023, the farm will produce up to 690MW of electricity. 380MW of lithium-ion batter storage will also be on site.
The planned site consists of 7,100 acres of public land and is located about 33 miles northeast of Las Vegas … Show more
Arizona Utility Announces Commitment to Carbon-Free Energy Production by 2050
Arizona Public Service Company (APS) CEO Jeff Guldner announced that the company will produce all electricity from carbon-free sources by 2050 and will produce 45% of power from renewable sources by 2030.
The decision seems impressive, as according to Guldner, the plan to convert more than half of the company's energy supply will require technology that is not even currently available. "“Nobody today actually knows how you get to 100% carbon free...I take some comfort from the fact that there are others who also b… Show more
New York City Buildings to Display Energy Grades
Starting this year, approximately 50,000 midsize and large buildings in Manhattan will be required to display energy efficiency scores which include a letter grade near public entrances. The buildings may only represent only 2% of the city’s building stick, but apparently they account for up to half of all building emissions, and 67% of all carbon dioxide emissions.
EPA’s Energy Star tool will be used to generate the letter grade, which will vary from A to D (and F for failure to submit). Failure to submit a grade wi… Show more
Massachusetts, Washington Take Steps Towards NetZero Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Leaders in Washington and Massachusetts have recently taken significant and exciting steps towards net-zero emissions.
In December, Washington Governor Jay Inslee introduced climate legislation aimed at reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, through measure including a clean fuel standard, increased electric vehicle availability, and an extended tax incentive for low-income community solar projects. The state was already the fourth to commit to a 100% clean energy goal for 2045 in 2019.
In Massachusetts, Governo… Show more
Minneapolis City Council Approves “Home Energy Score" for Real Estate Transactions
Home energy data collection is now a part of required Truth in Sale of Housing (TISH) evaluations in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The data is used to generate an Energy Disclosure report to be used in the City’s TISH report, which must be available to the public and displayed at all open houses. All 1-2 unit properties, townhomes, and first-time condo conversations must collect this data, unless an energy audit has been conducted within the past 5 years.
The Energy Disclosure Report provides a score that rates a… Show more
Green Building Melting Pot - A Quick Look at Our 100 Most Recent Company Members
Who’s joining the Rate It Green community, and how are we evolving? We were curious at to what we'd learn if we took a snapshot of the most recent 100 companies to become Rate It Green Members.
I was pleased to see the diversity we’re seeing as we grow. 12 of our most recent organization members are Building/Contracting organizations, which makes sense, but we saw higher percentages of other service organizations, including cleaning/remediation services (9), plumbing (9), and real … Show more
Spotlight on GreenCE Inc., our Newest Premium Listed Company
We’re pleased to introduce GreenCE, Inc. as a sponsor for the Rate It Green platform. GreenCE is an AIA Education Provider and USGBC Education Partner based in the Portland, Oregon area. GreenCE provides free AIA continuing education for design professionals seeking their mandatory CE hours. In addition, the organization offers no-cost LEED specific hours and the only free LEED Exam Prep program in North America.
“We are very excited to be working with Rate It Green. Collaboration and innovation are the core principle… Show more
Rate It Green's Open Green Building Calendar
We're excited to announce the launch of Rate It Green's open Green Building Calendar. More than the tool itself and the events we can now host and promote, this calendar represents the idea of expanding collaboration. As a platform, Rate It Green of course facilitates online connecting and discussion. But we all know that when we can get together in person, we can also learn and collaborate in tremendous ways.
What's so exciting about a Calendar? Lots! For one thing, the calendar will accept events in ANY&… Show more
Post Election '16 - What Can You Do?
Rate It Green is not a political organization to be sure, but this community resource supports the natural environment by working with others to lessen the impact of the built environment. We promote healthy and sustainable building practices, and it's our goal to help as many people and companies connect and share informatoin to help green building become mainstream. As such, our goals pretty much make it clear that we support safe air and water, healthy and green materials and buildings, resouce and energy efficiency , reuse a… Show more
See you in New Orleans!
Allison Friedman will be attending the Healthy Building Materials Summit and Greenbuild October 21 - 25, in New Orleans. Email afriedman@rateitgreen.com if you are also attending and want to meet in person. Here's to a great week! Show more
Build YOUR Ideal Rate It Green!
With Rate It Green's Community features now live, it's now time to build YOUR ideal Green Building Community! Ideas for participation include:
Create a Profile, and show off your talents and expertise
Register Your Company and List your Products and Services
Rate Products and Services you have worked with
Start or join a Discussion, and ask or answer questions
Create or Join a group of folks with similar interests
Submit a "Comments" for a Directory listing
Reach out to other M… Show more