The Green Building Top 5 - October 28, 2015

Net Zero Challenges, Success and Failure

The challenging goal of innovative net-zero communities is to produce all the energy that they consume. Contractors and residents are working toward not just a smaller carbon footprint, but a tiny one, a proactive stance against depleted natural resources and harm to the environment. Read Full Article

Google’s newest renewable energy investment: Africa’s biggest wind farm

Google has made a reputation for itself in recent years as a major investor in renewable energy. And this morning, the company announced its newest investment: a wind power project in Kenya that, when completed, will be the continent’s biggest wind farm. Read Full Article

Massachusetts Ranked #1 for Energy Efficiency

Massachusetts has several green building programs targeted at state buildings. Executive Order 484 requires a reduction in overall energy consumption in state-owned and leased buildings (at which the state pays directly for energy) by 20% by fiscal year 2012 and 35% by 2020 (based on a fiscal year 2004 baseline). The executive order also states that all state agency new construction and major renovations over 20,000 sq. ft. must meet the MA LEED Plus green building standard and perform 20% better than the state energy code. Read Full Article

New York's Green Bank Invests $49M in Solar, Wind and Efficiency

For the past two years, New York has been building a portfolio that could eventually lure hundreds of millions of private dollars to clean-energy projects through its Green Bank. It began with $165 million in financing that would be matched by private capital, with the goal of scaling up to $1 billion. Read Full Article

Does Building Commissioning Reduce Risk?

When it comes to planning a high performance building, achieving a successful outcome requires the incorporation of quality assurance. Building commissioning is a professional practice that has been used for decades to ensure that a project meets the deliverables as defined by the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR). According to ASHRAE, commissioning is defined as: Read Full Article