Information about Green Building

Building Energy Conference

Green Buildings Open House

Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Conference

MA Collaborative Building Awards

Northeast Green Building Awards

Green Schools Resources

Green Building Links

Recommended Books

Green Building Links

This list contains links to internet resources on green building. This list is not intended to be exhaustive. If you know of a web resource that should be listed here, please send us an email and we will update this list.

Resources for Homeowners
Resources for Professionals
State and Government Agencies
Green Schools Links

Resources for Homeowners

Clean Energy Grants
http://www.focusonenergy.com/page.jsp?pageId=725

Energy Savers
A US Department of Energy Consumer Guide to energy efficiency and renewable energy options.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/

Energy Star
Created by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy to help consumers save money and prevent air pollution. Includes list of qualifying products, contractor selection tips, and contacts for low interest loans for upgrading to high efficiency equipment.
http://www.energystar.gov/

Green Communities – Affordable Housing
http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/index.asp

Green Roofs
http://www.greenroofs.org/
http://www.greenroofs.com/

Geothermal
Geothermal Resources Council
http://www.geothermal.org/index.html

US Dept. of Energy – Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – Geothermal Technologies
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/

US Department of Energy – Geothermal
http://www.energy.gov/energysources/geothermal.htm

National Renewable Energy Laboratory - Geothermal
http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_geothermal.html

Iris Communications, Inc.
Resources include a library/bookstore, green building product database, and co-sponsorship of the Internet-based green building discussion list.
http://oikos.com/index.lasso

Straw Bale Construction
A great overview of straw bale technology from the US DOE Office of Building Technology with a comprehensive list of resources.
http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/documents/strawbale.html

Sustainable Building Sources
An Internet-based resource for information on green building.
http://www.greenbuilder.com

Top Websites for consumers interested in energy efficient homes
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/building_america/for_consumers_top_sites.html

Wind Powering America
http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/index.asp

Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) 2.0
Software for measuring environmental and economic performance. Download BEES 2.0 from the following URL:
www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/bees.html

Breaking through the Barriers to Sustainable Building
"Insights from Building Professionals on Government Initiatives to Promote Environmentally Sound Practices" (Masters thesis on sustainable building)
http://www.egret.net/SustainableBuilding.htm

Building Comissioning Association
The basic purpose of building commissioning is to provide documented confirmation that building systems function in compliance with criteria set forth in the project documents to satisfy the owner's operational needs. Commissioning is one way to ensure that high performance standards are achieved in construction or renovation of a building.
http://www.bcxa.org


Green Building Alliance
GBA is a non-profit organization that works to improve the economic, social, and environmental performance of the Pittsburgh region through the integration of green building practices into regional development projects. The GBA website also features a clearinghouse for regional green building information.
http://www.gbapgh.org

Green Homes Northeast
Green Homes Northeast (GHNE) is a collaborative program whose mission is to transform the residential building marketplace so that healthy, energy and resource-efficient homes become common practice. The Hickory Consortium, The Green Roundtable, The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, The Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, and What's Working are the core organizations leading this effort.
http://www.ghne.org/

Environmental Building News
A plethora of information on materials, design considerations and real-world building issues.
http://www.buildinggreen.com

Environmental Design & Construction
A bi-monthly publication covering both residential and commercial construction.
http://www.edcmag.com/


MTC Renewable Energy Trust Green Buildings Initiative
The Massachusetts Green Buildings Initiative is a program of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Renewable Energy Trust. The Initiative's primary goal is to provide funding for commercial, industrial, municipal, and multifamily building projects that incorporate renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency measures, and high-performance building design. This Initiative acts as a key component of RET's comprehensive approach to fostering a sustainable, competitive marketplace for renewable energy in Massachusetts. For more information on the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, please visit http://www.masstech.org.

NAHB Research Center ToolBase Services
A suite of information resources including a CD product directory, quarterly newsletter and phone hotline. Although not limited to environmental building issues and information, green building is one of the major areas of coverage.
http://www.toolbase.org

New Ecology, Inc.
A private non-profit working to promote sustainable development in urban areas, particularly the greater Boston metropolitan area. New Ecology works primarily with three constituencies: community development corporations, private sector developers, and universities, as well as various public policy networks and partners. Its current work and research agenda is heavily focused on green building for affordable housing applications, including a collaborative research project with The Tellus Institute and the Boson office of the Local Initiative Support Corporation. In addition, New Ecology provides referral services to local CDCs for green building professionals and services.
www.newecology.org

Whole Building Design Guide
Architects, engineers, and project managers can improve the performance and quality of their buildings by following the guidance and recommendations provided within the categories of this website.
http://www.wbdg.org

California Integrated Waste Management Board - Green Building Design and Construction
This is a great site with background information, government action, downloadable guides for sustainable building and more.
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding/

Massachusetts EPP Program Sustainable Design & Green Building
A state program with information on green design guidelines, purchasing, and other links.
http://www.state.ma.us/osd/enviro/products/grenbldg.htm

US Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network
Links to tools, simulations, software, and news on the built environment.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/

US EPA Environmental Building Specifications (EPA Research Triangle Park Building, NC)
A sample of how the federal government is using contract specifications to encourage more sustainable development.
http://www.epa.gov/rtp/new-bldg/environmental/specs.htm

US Green Building Council (USGBC)
The US Green Building Council is the nation,s foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Their links page provides a wealth of resources on green building.
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=20

Green Schools links

There is a growing movement dedicated to incorporate green building design principals in new school construction and renovations. School committees are often made up of all volunteer members who lack the information to make the right choices at the right times that can result in a school building that provides a healthier environment for children and staff, uses less natural resources, and costs less to operate. Following are some web resources designed to guide people in the process of designing greener, healthier schools.

For more information on green schools, visit the Building Green Schools Resource List.

MTC Renewable Energy Trust & Massachusetts Department of Education Green Schools Initiative
The Massachusetts Green Schools Initiative is a result of a collaboration between the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Renewable Energy Trust (RET) and the Massachusetts Department of Education's School Building Assistance Program. The Initiative's primary goal is to provide school districts in the Commonwealth with the information and resources necessary to enable the incorporation of renewable energy technologies, environmental quality, and efficient resource use into the planning, design and construction of school building projects. The Massachusetts Green Schools Initiative is a key component of RET's comprehensive approach to fostering a sustainable, competitive marketplace for renewable energy in Massachusetts. For more information on the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, please visit http://www.masstech.org

Energy Efficient Lighting, US Dept. of Energy

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, US Dept of Education Resources Information Center

Schools Going Solar

Energy Smart Schools; A Campaign of the Department of Energy and its Rebuild America Program

U.S. EPA Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit

Energy Star for Schools

Fuels For Schools

Sick School Syndrome