Green Building

 

A blooming industry, green building is rising with greater public demand, legislative focus, and code and standard mandates. With programs like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) becoming more popular, contractors are finding new building processes and technologies to be more efficient and environmentally minded. The below articles dive into alternative energies, energy efficiency, the smart grid, and more and include editorial from our annual special issue on the subject.

New Year’s Day brought wind-energy developers a belated holiday gift when Congress included in its fiscal-cliff budget deal a one-year extension of the production tax credit (PTC) that helps wind farms operate profitably.

Transformative change often requires major societal shifts to reach and cross the proverbial tipping point.

In the ongoing push for a cleaner and more sustainable energy society, growing popular and political support for renewables are two strong indicators of success.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which is the coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system, and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council Inc.

NSi

More on Green Building

 
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Settlement Spurs More PV Installs

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Light-Emitting Cells Ramp up Solar Efficiency

Like all renewables, photovoltaics (PVs) are in a constant state of innovation. Researchers are forever striving for breakthroughs in materials and productivity to help them lower costs and chip away at the historical advantage enjoyed by fossil fuels in mainstream energy markets.

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Cashing in on Real Money

You’ve heard the claims: This product will save electrical energy! If you install this system, you’ll be the greenest person on the block and will never have to pay another electric bill!

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Editors' Pick
Current Events: Smart Power Storage

Thus far, the structure and integrity of the grid have limited the deployment and effectiveness of intermittent alternative energies, such as solar photovoltaics (PV). The sun may not always shine enough to meet demand.

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