Member/Industry News

Member/Industry Green Building News

Jan
19

New Book by Jeff Dondero: "The Energy Wise Home: Practical Ideas for Saving Energy, Money and the Planet"

How do you make your home energy wise?  Where do you start? What aspects of home living can affect and be affected by, our energy choices?  In The Energy Wise Home: Practical Ideas for Saving Energy, Money, and the Planet, Jeff Dondero walks the reader through a home’s...

Jan
05

Denver's Green Rooftop Initiative Takes Effect

Late this fall, the City of Denver passed a Green Roof Initiative that took effect as of January 1st.  Denver joins London, New York, Paris, San Francisco and other cities with a new code that requires green roofs or solar panels for most buildings 25,000 square feet or larger. ...

Jan
01

A Carbon Free City is Being Built from Scratch in Colorado

Colorado is planning to build a 400-acre carbon-free city from from scratch. The project called Peña Station Next in Colorado will rely on solar energy, a massive lithium-ion battery, and energy efficiency schemes. The city is an experiment by Panasonic with the support of Denver a...

Dec
16

NESEA Announces Partnership with VSECU to Expand Member Access to Green Loans

The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association has launched a partnership with VSECU, a Vermont-based credit union, to expand access to VSECU's VGreen loan program, a line of loan products and services designed to make residential sustainability projects affordable.   Thos...

Dec
14

New Buildings Institute Releases Model Stretch Building Code

New Buildings Institute (NBI) recently developed a new model stretch code that targets 20% better efficiency than the ASHRAE 90.1-2013 national model energy code. The new 20% Stretch Code offers jurisdictions a set of energy-saving building strategies that cover design aspects such as envelop...

Dec
06

YouthBuild USA CEO John Valverde Named an “Influencer” by the Chronicle of Philanthropy

  The Chronicle of Philanthropy has named YouthBuild USA CEO John Valverde "an Influencer" in the nonprofit world - someone who is “flying under the radar yet having a big impact on society’s toughest issues.” Youthbuild USA is the parent orga...

Nov
29

Mayor Marty Walsh Launches "Carbon Free Boston" - Can the City Become Carbon Neutral by 2050?

Mayor Walsh announces the launch of Carbon Free Boston and the first steps to look at options for the city to become carbon neutral by 2050. Carbon Free Boston will analyze the cost and benefits of technology and policy options to reach Boston&rs...

Nov
05

Harvard Maintenance: BSCAI Health and Wellness Award recipient

Harvard Maintenance:  BSCAI Health and Wellness Award Recipient       Harvard Maintenance, a privately owned national commercial cleaning contractor, was recognized as the Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) Cleaning for Hea...

Oct
23

Matrix Energy Inc. Saves Energy and Improves Air Quality for IKEA

Matrix Energy Inc. recently installed a solar air heating system for IKEA's location in Dartmouth Nova Scotia.  Next up:  Halifax! The systems help reduce fuel consumption y 18% while also supporting improved indoor air quality.     For more information: ht...

Oct
23

"Living Green Effortlessly: Simple Choices for a Better Home," by Marla Esser Cloos

Marla Esser Cloos has published "Living Green Effortlessly: Simple Choices for a Better Home," a how-to manual on living a green life from the ground to the roof, and for different home sizes and styles.   In addition to her role as The Green Home Coach, Marla host...

Oct
15

China Sets Ambitious Targets, Helps Set Global EV Trend

China has joined the UK and France in setting goals and a timetable for the elimination of fossil-fuel powered vehicles. China has vowed to cap its carbon emissions by 2030 and curb worsening air pollution which has a negative impact on public health.  Reducing emissions for the over 200 ...

Oct
09

On Twitter, Elon Musk Discusses Using Solar Technology Rebuild Puerto Rico - Can and Will Tesla Help?

The power grid in Puerto Rico, already vulnerable, after a decade without maintenance, clearly suffered crippling damage when Hurricane Maria struck on September 20th. Though progress has been made, nearly three weeks later the vast majority of the island is still without power.  Abo...

Oct
05

It's Energy Efficiency Day, 2017!

October 5 is Energy Efficiency Day!  "Energy Efficiency Day is a collaborative effort between regional and national organizations, businesses, utilties, and individuals working to promote energy efficiency: the cheaptest, quckest way to meet our enenrgy needs, cut customer b...

Sep
25

ZeroEnergy Design is Named "Best of Boston" Top Sustainable Architect by Boston Magazine

Congratulations to ZeroEnergy Design!  The company was recently named the top Sustainable Architect in the Boston area by Boston Magazine as a part of the publication's 10th Annual Best of Boston Home Awards.   According to Boston Magazine, "Stormwater-capturing cisterns...

Sep
25

World Green Building Week - September 25th - October 1st

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), including 70+ green building councils and thousands of their member companies, are celebrating World Green Building Week from September 25th - October 1st.   The theme this year is "Our Hero is Zero," a celebration and amplif...

Sep
13

It's National Drive Electric Week - Sept 9 - 17 - Attend an Event Near You

It's National Electric Drive Week! September 9-17 is National Drive Electric Week - This is a nation-wide series of events to raise awareness about all-eletric and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles.   Attend an event near you, and find out what it's like to own and drive an...

Aug
31

Washington, DC Named First LEED Platinum City

Washington, DC has been recongized as the first LEED Platinum City in the world. United States green Building Council (USGBC) President and CEO Mahesh Ramanujam announced the honor at a ceremony today at tDubar High School, the highest LEED rated school in the United States.  The certific...

Aug
12

Auburndale Builders - High-Performance Building Education Center Planned for Newton, MA

  Auburndale Builders is extensively retrofitting a new headquarters building in Newton, MA. The space is planned to be the first Passive House Office in the state. As if this wasn't impressive enough, the company will be creating a High-Performance Building Education Center....

Aug
07

Jarami Bond Named to the 2017 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 - Congrats!

Rate It Green Community Member Jarami Bond was recently named to the 2017 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 List.  GreenBiz works with the World Business Council for Sustaonable Development to search globally for those who are shaping the future of sustanable business.   As the Sustaina...

Aug
03

IKEA has Apparently Entered the Retail Solar Market

Forbes reports that IKEA will start selling solar panels and battery sotrage to retail customers, starting in the UK. The combined solar-battery storage syste will help consumers raise solar consumption from 40% to up to 80% of power generated. Electric bills might be cut up to 70%.  The ...

Aug
03

Will California Go 100% Renewable by 2045?

The California Assemly Utilities and Energy Committee has approved Senate Bill 100, a step towards a statewide goal of delivering 100% renweable energy.  Introduced by Senate President De Léon, the bill would set a 60% renewable energy goal for 2030 and 100% by 3045.  If the b...

Aug
02

Tesla Puts a Price on The Solar Roof - and It's Competitive

Tesla is now taking orders on the company's Solar Roof, at $21.85 a square foot. Consumer Reports had predicted the tiles would need to come in at $24.50  to be competitive, and the company has clearly delivered.   The tiles will come in four styles - Tuscan, Slate, Text...

Jul
28

Hawaii Makes Plans to Work 100% on Renewables

Hawaii has set a goal to be powered 100% on renewable energy by 2040. Regulators have been pushing for this for some time, but Hawaiian Electric’s Power Supply Improvement Plan (PSIP) has recently been approved by the Public Utilities Commission.   Since Hawaii is so remote...

Jul
24

New Homes in South Miami Now Require Solar Panels

New homes being built in South Miami will now have to install solar panels due to new law approved on July 18. This law will also apply to existing houses that chose to renovate and will be going into effect on September 18. The new law requires new residential construction to have 175 square ...

Jul
19

Executive Director & Founder of Member Project Green Schools, Robin Organ, named a HUBweek change maker

Executive Director and Founder of Member Project Green Schools, Robin Organ was recently named a HUBweek change maker. Robin is responsible for creating and applying Project Green School’s programs across first United States, and now internationally. Robin has spoken with the former...