News
Green Building & Eco Friendly News
We are excited to share green building industry developments, news about our Member Companies, and of course current Rate It Green information. Please feel welcome to submit interesting news you have found. Note that Rate It Green does include news announcements as a part of some sponsorship offerings.
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France Plans to Ban Diesel and Gas Vehicles by 2040
On Thursday, June 6, France’s environment minister, Nicolas Hulot announced the plan to ban the sale of all diesel and gas vehicles in France by 2040. The decision is a part of the country’s renewed commitment to the Paris Climate deal. Diesel vehicles are to blame for a good portion of the pollution that surround France’s capital, and the mayor of Paris wants them banned by 2020.
Hulot says financial assistance would be given to lower-income drivers to help replace their gas vehicles. He admits this decision will be chall… Show more
Ireland Sets Up Its First nZEB Training Centre in Wexford
In an effort to mitigate the effects of climate change, the 2010 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive required that Ireland develop a plan to make all new buildings near Zero-Energy Buildings (nZEB) by the end of 2020. Additionally, all new public buildings must be nZEB by 2018. To achieve this goal, the building industry will have to transition to these new standards and regulations, a feat which is not as straightforward as it may sound. In order to facilitate this transition, the nearly Zero Energy Buildings Resource Agency (nZEBRA) is … Show more
Sustainable Comfort, Inc. - Deep Energy Retrofit of Triple Decker in Worcester
Worcester-based Sustainable Comfort, Inc. (SCI), is conducting a deep energy retrofit of the triple decker building at 38 Stanton Street in the Bell Hill neighborhood of Worcester, MA. This is the first project of its kind for SCI in Worcester.
Built a century ago in 1917 as an economical way to provide workforce housing, the SCI team is using an integrated project delivery technique to repurpose the 4,395-square foot building for today’s target market and its next 100 year lifetime.
The 38 Stanton… Show more
Johnson Controls Announces Opening of Asia-Pacific Headquarters
On June 22, Johnson Controls announced the opening of its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Shanghai, China. The building is 44,300-square meters and is located in Shanghai’s Chang’ning district. This building is the first in China to earn several top global efficiency awards, some of which include: IFC-World Bank Group’s Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies Certification, U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environment Design platinum Certification, and the China Green Building Design Label 3 Star… Show more
Green Building Community Affirms Commitment in Reaction to Paris Accord Withdrawal
On Thursday, June 1, President Donald Trump announced that America would withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, an agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) between 196 countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Many state and local administrations, organizations, leaders, and other individuals have expressed their utter disagreement with this decision. Within the green building industry, organizations such as USGBC and AIA have relayed strong statements that affirm continued support for green b… Show more
groSolar Assists in Operation of New Solar Farm
Rate It Green Member, groSolar, along with companies, JEA, and AEP Onsite Partners, announced the commercial operation of their Northwest Jacksonville Solar Partners solar farm (NWJAX). The seven-megawatt farm includes single axis trackers to track the sun from east to west throughout the day allowing it to be significantly more efficient. Located in Jacksonville Florida, the project is said to produce about 17,000 MW hours of clean renewable energy in its first year of operation, which is enough energy to power more than 1,200 homes… Show more
Johnson Controls Partners with World Green Building Council
Rate It Green Member, Johnson Controls, has entered into a partnership with the World Green Building Council as the first partner of the newly formed the Americas Regional Network. The Americas Regional Network represents nineteen national Green Building Councils with thousands of member companies across North, Central, and South America. The Council’s plans for 2017 include focusing on supporting cities in the development of building efficiency policies in partnership with the World Resources Institute, exchanging green schools… Show more
Harvard University, Snøhetta, and Skanska Technology Announce The HouseZero Project
Harvard University, Snøhetta, and Skanska Technology have announced The HouseZero Project, a collaboration to retrofit an 80-year old timber-framed former house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Purchased by the University in 2011, the building serves as the headquarters for the Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities, created in 2014 as a part of Harvard’s Graduate Center of Design. The project will allow the team to explore and demonstrate the benefits of energy efficiency improvement measures in existing buildings a… Show more
Unbelievable but True: US Withdraws from the Paris Accords
Just before 4pm today, President Trump announced that the US will with draw from the Paris Climate Accords. The agreement, ratified by 194 other countries, limited average global temperature change to below 2 degrees Celcius. Only Nicaragua and Syria had not ratified the Agreement prior to today’s announcement. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt also spoke and affirmed his support of this disappointing and potentially disastrous decision. Mt Trump’ speech left the door open to a renegotiation or to the creation o… Show more
ZeroEnergy Design Receives Fine Homebuilding's 2017 Award for Best Energy-Smart Home
Congratulations to ZeroEnergy Design for winning Fine Homebuilding's Best Energy-Smart Home 2017 Award!
Rate It Green Member ZeroEnergy Design has been awarded the 2017 Award for Best Energy-Smart Home, along with Thoughtforms Corpporation, for a Net Positive Farmhouse in Lincoln, Massachusetts. The Award is presented by Fine Homebuilding and Taunton Press for excellence in six building, design, and performance related categories.
The Lincoln Net Positive Farmhouse shows that you can really have it all, consuming 70% less… Show more
Clean Vapor Becomes a Land Science Certified Applicator
Congratulations to Rate It Green Gold Company Member Clean Vapor for becoming a certified spray-applied barrier applicator for the Land Science family of products!
According to Rick Gillespie, Senior VP, Land Science, a division of Regenesis, "Clean Vapor's long track record of vapor intrusion mitigation expertise aligns perfectly with Land Science's industry-leading advanced composite barriers. Being a certified applicator for Land Science requires a commitment to quality installation and we are confid… Show more
School Air Quality and Sustainability Fellowship Opportunity, The Center for Green Schools, Apply by July 18
K-12 school professionals pushing for sustainability in schools, this program is your chance! The Center for Green Schools is accepting applications through Monday, July 18 for fellowships for School Air Quality and Leaders in Sustainability. Those chosen for the fellowship will gain access to networking opportunities, professional development and leadership training, and professional learning events to provide these advocates for environmental health with the resources to create change.
Children spend so much time in schools, but the actu… Show more
NRDC Petition: "Stop the Fossil Fuel Industry’s Cynical Exploitation of War in Ukraine to Expand Oil and Gas Drilling"
At Rate It Green, we agree that the unjustifiable and tragic war in Ukraine can not ethically or environmentally logically be used as an excuse to argue for more fossil fuel exploration and exploitation. Instead, we should of course be taking the opposite actions, to reduce our dependence on these fossil fuels which are a significant part of the tensions that lead to hostilities.
Why would we make backwards decisions that are bad for our health, the environment, and that threaten our best opportunities for&nb… Show more
For Sale: Healthy, Energy Efficient Micro-Farm in Concord, Massachusetts
After 45 years of careful renovation and maintenance, Rate It Green Member David Bearg, P.E. is looking to entrust his amazing healthy and sustainable home to the right new owners.
David and his family have grown the original small cottage on the property into a thriving mico-farm with a heat-storing greenhouse, a vegetable garden, raised bed gardens, a green, energy efficient house, and outbuildings that all take advantage of passive solar architecture.
Click to learn more about David's hom… Show more
ZeroEnergy Design Featured in Ocean Home Magazine
Congratulations to Rate It Green Member ZeroEnergy Design for the firm's recent feature in Ocean Home Magazine!
The magazine profiled Mt. Hope Modern, ZED’s green coastal 4,700 SF modern home in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
The piece includes interviews with owners Kerry Tyson and Zack King, who discovered the home while it was still under construction. The couple was particularly excited about the modern, energy efficient design as well as the stunning views of Mount Hope Bay.
Visit Ocean Home Magazine to re… Show more
10 New and Exciting Green Building Jobs Posted!
Are you looking for a new job centered around sustainability? Look no further — these 10 jobs are suitable for individuals with some experience in green building. For more environmental-related job postings, visit http://www.greenjobs.net.
California
Clean Power Alliance
Electrification Program Manager
https://cleanpoweralliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Electrification-Program-Manager_Paychex-Version.pdf
Massachusetts
Solect Energy
Multiple Positions
https://solect.com/company/careers/
… Show more
Low Carbon Multifamily Retrofit Playbooks - Available Online for Free!
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Steven Winter Associates and the Building Enegy Exchange (BEEx) have published a series of five free low carbon multifamily retrofit playbooks.
The playbooks are organized by common building types: Pre-War 4-7 stories, Post-War 1-7 stories, Post-War 8+ stories, Post-1980 8+ stories, and Garden Style 1-3 stories, and include retrofit strategies to maximize comfort while saving energy by transitioning to electric-based HVAC and hot water heati… Show more
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta - 2021 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) General Fund - Apply by June 4!
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta - 2021 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) General Fund - Apply by Friday June 4!
Do you work for a financial institution or a community housing partner? Is your company located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, or the District of Columbia?
Are you looking for a way to widen your customer base, offer community-oriented lending, and/or facilitate residential development?
Are you seeking to fund the construction, rehabilitation, or financing of housing for low… Show more
Parsons Healthy Materials Lab - 6th Annual Healthier Design Innovation Contest! Submission Deadline: Monday May 17!
Parsons Healthy Materials Lab - 6th Annual Healthier Design Innovation Contest - Apply by Monday May 17th!
Does your work exemplify healthy materials innovation and advocacy in design?
Are you a design activist creating innovative design while promoting equity? Are you using healthy materials and addressing climate change? Parsons Healthy Materials Lab is hosting the 6th annual Role Models Contest to award design innovations for material use that have no negative impact on the planet.
Win $1,000 , and socia… Show more
ZeroEnergy Design Featured in Boston Magazine's Spring Edition
Congratulations to Rate It Green Member Company ZeroEnergy Design for their feature in Boston Home's spring issue! The magazine profiles fhe firm's Hingham, Massachusetts "eco-oasis" in a piece called, "Everything you Need to Know to Design a Greener Home."
The 4.200 square foot home, designed by ZED’s Stephanie Horowitz and John Mucciarone, features continuous insulation, triple pane windows, air-source heat pumps, and a 36-panel solar electric system, all contributing to net zero energy per… Show more
Green Building Optimism for 2025 and Beyond - December 2024 Green Building News
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
Happy New Year!! I hope this year has delivered progress on key goals and wishes and that you remain solidly optimistic about the future of green building in 2025 and beyond. If yes, let's discuss. And if no, let's also discuss. That's the idea of building a community together where we can grow as we support our mutual goals, and we also support each other's growth as well.
Our team is excited about 2025, even though I also remain anxious short-term about environm… Show more
The Toitu Earth-Sheltered House - Comfortable, Energy Efficient & Unique - October, 2024 Green Building News
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
The title of this news may seem a bit provocative, but hold on to your construction hats. We just got word that Green Builder Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. will be working on the Toitu House, an earth-sheltered home that really could last several hundred years, as in 500 (we will have to wait to find out)! Some claim an earthen home can even last 1000 years in theory.
What does earth-sheltered mean? Earth-sheltered homes can be partially or completely… Show more
HVAC Project Progress Update - September Green Building News
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
I hope this September news finds you well and feeling great about your green building goals for this year and beyond. I want to hear about your progress, and also your challenges as well. We can all learn from each other! I am happy to share that we've almost completed a personal HVAC upgrade project where we installed two VRF heat pumps and replaced our boilers with new 96% efficient equipment. Why both? Read all about it in my upda… Show more
All Electric Summer: Opportunities to "amp up" your electrification expertise
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
It’s a great time to learn about electrification! Whether you are just learning about today’s energy efficient electric equipment and appliances, or you’re already somewhat expert, there’s really something for everyone to learn or contribute this summer, as several leading green building organizations are hosting some terrific educational offerings. And most are free! Check out Rate It Green's open green building calendar for these and more green bu… Show more
All About Heat Pumps
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
If you feel that recent news has been all about heat pumps, I agree! It seems there's a growing push to educate consumers and increase demand, as part of support for wider electrification and decarbonization efforts. Why are heat pumps so exciting? As you may already know, heat pumps are 300-400% efficient, as they move energy instead of generating it, and without onsite fossil fuel combustion. The numbers seem almost unreal. Heat pumps a… Show more
What Happens In Vegas... (Will We See You There?) Let's Create Some Great Green Building Content!
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
I know, the leading image for this email shows some serious wattage and doesn't really make me think first about green building. And yet, suddenly it seems like everyone I know is heading to Vegas next week for the International Builders' Show. That includes Green Builder and Rate It Green Content Partner Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc.! I encourage you to connect with Matt to say hello, or to share your expertise or to introduce your company and what y… Show more
Looking Forward - Engaging Together as a Green Building Community
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
Thank you for being a part of our green building community, and welcome to our first newsletter of 2024! With this email, we bring you so much positive energy and a reaffirmation of the spirit of what we do. As Green Builder and Rate It Green Content Partner Matt Hoots said the other day, "The only way we are going to keep progressing toward solutions is to continue the conversation and share.” I wholeheartedly agree!
I am excited to report that I am&n… Show more
Happy New Year, 2024!! Looking back at Top 2023 News, and Some Sneak Previews for 2024!
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
Happy New Year! Thanks for all you do, and here's to an AMAZING 2024!
We expect great things from this new year! Whether you celebrate recent COP28 Results or feel anxious about insufficient progress, perhaps we can agree that 2023 was a year of foundation building and stage setting. We can then think of 2024 then as a year of great framing, where the structure and promising opportunities really come together more rapidly, where we can see tangible gains… Show more
Reframing Perspective: What Can "Positive" (Nature Positive) Look Like?
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
There are so many pressing crises, it can be overwhelming to decide what to do first or next. At a time when we need to take immediate and drastic action to mitigate the worst climate change consequences, some of which have already arrived, how is it possible that there are ongoing and disastrous wars and famine, extreme weather crises, raging fires, disease, and areas that are literally becoming uninhabitable for human life, among other global challenges which are hard to fully i… Show more
Making Smart Window Choices for Meeting Comfort, Health, Energy & Sustainability Goals
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
Do you have window questions? We've got some information and answers! Green Builder Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. has been busy answering Rate It Green Member questions and also interviewing manufacturers to learn about their energy efficient window and doors as well as the latest technological advances.
Matt recently recorded a series of conversations to answer key window questions, including:
How do you decide when and whether to replace windows? &n… Show more