Many thought green building mandates would spread across the county. But today, with more than 89,000 local government across the U.S., there are less than 200 green building mandates that apply to 'purely' private building. Saint Paul has an alternative to LEED ..… Continue Reading
2015 will be a year of great change in green building standards, rating systems and codes. Participating now in the development of the 2015 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria is an ideal way to prepare for what is to come.… Continue Reading
This evening an ordinance will be introduced in the Baltimore City Council for the purpose of adopting the International Green Construction Code. Mandatory green building has been and remains the law in Baltimore City. This bill makes the flavor of green more palatable.… Continue Reading
The 2015 IgCC will be released for use in the calendar year 2015 offering a more robust and greener Green Construction Code that will be a real alternative to LEED and Green Globes, with broader and wider adoption across the country. Review the draft and comment now.… Continue Reading
All the cool green building people will be in Memphis next week updating the 2012 International Green Construction Code. There are more than 900 changes proposed ..… Continue Reading
With nearly 128 million residential housing units existed in the U.S., if green building is going to mitigate the negative impacts that human activity has on the planet, green building must include houses. And there are opportunities for you to participate in the development of the 2015 version of the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard.… Continue Reading
Today there are 29,724 ICC 700 National Green Building Standard certified homes and lots. As the residential green code is on the cusp of eclipsing 30,000 certifications, more than a dozen governments across the country are evaluating adopting mandates or incentives tied to ICC 700.… Continue Reading
ASHRAE standard 189.1 will be republished in 2014 for adoption in the IgCC 2015. In an environment of green building standards, rating systems, and codes, it is the republishing of ASHRAE Standard 189.1 that may be the single most significant act in 2014 toward improving the built environment.… Continue Reading
Proposals for changes to the International Code Council's "Green Construction Code" have been accepted since November and are due not later than January 10, 2014. Proposed IgCC changes are accepted from any member of the public. This is your opportunity to effect change in the environmental industrial complex.… Continue Reading
Mandatory green building (including LEED-centric) laws are spreading internationally. The international growth of LEED presents huge business opportunities when today there are LEED projects in 142 countries and USGBC member companies in 86 countries, from Brunei to Israel and from Mauritius to Mongolia.… Continue Reading
"Winter is coming." This is the common refrain in the popular book, Game of Thrones, in which kings vie to take over lands. As I thought about the green building policy mess of 2012, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to Game of Thrones. This was supposed to be the year of the USGBC’s … Continue Reading
For much of 2011, my focus has been the Destiny USA project. This should not come as a surprise to readers who waded through my thirteen posts on the topic. I had planned to not write about the Destiny USA project again. But then I came across a press release while I was at Greenbuild: Destiny USA in Syracuse … Continue Reading
Over the past year, I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Jeremy Sigmon at the US Green Building Council. Jeremy works to educate the public and government officials about building codes. It has been a busy year for him with the introduction of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). When Jeremy invited me to … Continue Reading
I have spent just over a year thinking about the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). I know it has been one year because I received my first copy of the code at Greenbuild 2010. My conclusion today about the code is no different than it was one year ago: The IgCC is unnecessarily confusing. Take, for instance, … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, Green Building … Continue Reading
I can’t believe it has come to this. We are just over four months away from January 1, 2012. On that date, the D.C. Green Building Act of 2006 requires that all new construction of non-residential buildings greater than 50,000 square feet be LEED certified. While there are many technical problems with the Green Buildling … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes a transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, Green … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, Green Building … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, Green Building … Continue Reading
I was recently given the opportunity to interview Thomas Taylor and I jumped at the opportunity for two reasons. First, Taylor wrote the forward for the first green building book I ever purchased. Second, Taylor was involved with the Northland Pines High School project, which I have written about extensively. Taylor currently works for Alberici’s sustainable consulting service, Vertegy. This … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, Green … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, … Continue Reading