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.
You can also learn more by following Rate It Green on social media. We greatly appreciate your likes, follows, and general votes of support.
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
Understanding The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) - Introduction and Update
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
Hello to everyone gathering at Greenbuild this week! I had hoped to attend in person but had some schedule complications. As much as I think we absolutely need to connect and share information online when we can’t be together, I of course believe it’s meaningful and impactful to gather and build community in person. I’ll be attending as I can online, and I’ll hope to ”see you” there!
I have spent a good deal of time in the past weeks &ldq… Show more
Strategies for Staying Cool: Air Sealing and Insulation
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
It’s quite an understatement to say it’s been hot this summer. Playfully, and yet deadly seriously, Vox declared that this scorching summer might just "be one the coolest summers of the rest of your life." Scientists at the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service estimate current summer temperatures as not only the hottest since modern record keeping began, but possibly in the last 120,000 years. And summer&rsqu… Show more
The Perfect Wall - Explained
It feels a bit funny to describe a product or practice as "Perfect," but that's our task as we explore "The Perfect Wall." In a recent video, Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. explains this important concept and also shows how he and his team are applying theory to practice at the #1920sMakeoverATL deep energy retrofit project in Ansley Park in Atlanta, Georgia.
As Matt explains, along with fellow Rate It Green Membe… Show more
Global GreenTag Launches the World’s First Modern Slavery Transparency Declaration
“The time has come for Modern Slavery to be removed from history,”
-Mary-Lou Kelly, Global GreenTag, Managing Director
Global Green Tag has launched the start of a world first Modern Slavery Transparency Declaration, the Global GreenTag MSD, at the New York Build Expo where delegates were invited to become part of a global stakeholder consultation process to ready the Declaration for industry by the end of April 2020.
According to Mary-Lou Kelly, Global GreenTag Managing Director ,“The … Show more
Microsoft Pledges to Go Carbon Negative by 2030
Microsoft took an impressive climate leadership position this week when the company announced a promise to remove all of the carbon the company has ever put in the atmosphere directly or by consumption - back to the company’s founding in a garage in 1975. The company plans to be “carbon negative” by 2030.
According to a company statement by President Brad Smith, "While the world will need to reach net zero, those of us who can afford to move faster and go further should do so."
To r… Show more
Google's Nevada Data Center to be Powered by a $1 Billion Solar Farm
Google’s new data center in Henderson, Nevada will be powered largely by a $1 billion solar farm. The project is one of the largest corporate solar deals signed in the US, and maybe the the world’s larges such deal once battery-backed storage is included. Expected to be completed in 2023, the farm will produce up to 690MW of electricity. 380MW of lithium-ion batter storage will also be on site.
The planned site consists of 7,100 acres of public land and is located about 33 miles northeast of Las Vegas … Show more
Arizona Utility Announces Commitment to Carbon-Free Energy Production by 2050
Arizona Public Service Company (APS) CEO Jeff Guldner announced that the company will produce all electricity from carbon-free sources by 2050 and will produce 45% of power from renewable sources by 2030.
The decision seems impressive, as according to Guldner, the plan to convert more than half of the company's energy supply will require technology that is not even currently available. "“Nobody today actually knows how you get to 100% carbon free...I take some comfort from the fact that there are others who also b… Show more
New York City Buildings to Display Energy Grades
Starting this year, approximately 50,000 midsize and large buildings in Manhattan will be required to display energy efficiency scores which include a letter grade near public entrances. The buildings may only represent only 2% of the city’s building stick, but apparently they account for up to half of all building emissions, and 67% of all carbon dioxide emissions.
EPA’s Energy Star tool will be used to generate the letter grade, which will vary from A to D (and F for failure to submit). Failure to submit a grade wi… Show more
Massachusetts, Washington Take Steps Towards NetZero Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Leaders in Washington and Massachusetts have recently taken significant and exciting steps towards net-zero emissions.
In December, Washington Governor Jay Inslee introduced climate legislation aimed at reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, through measure including a clean fuel standard, increased electric vehicle availability, and an extended tax incentive for low-income community solar projects. The state was already the fourth to commit to a 100% clean energy goal for 2045 in 2019.
In Massachusetts, Governo… Show more
Minneapolis City Council Approves “Home Energy Score" for Real Estate Transactions
Home energy data collection is now a part of required Truth in Sale of Housing (TISH) evaluations in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The data is used to generate an Energy Disclosure report to be used in the City’s TISH report, which must be available to the public and displayed at all open houses. All 1-2 unit properties, townhomes, and first-time condo conversations must collect this data, unless an energy audit has been conducted within the past 5 years.
The Energy Disclosure Report provides a score that rates a… Show more
Tiny Home Communities in Development for Homeless Veterans - in Brunswick, Georgia, Kansas City, Missouri, and Beyond
The Nine-Line Foundation has partnered with the Golden Isles Veterans Village to build a new development of tiny homes for homeless veterans in Brunswick, Georgia. Between 30 and 40 homes will be located on the property.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, Veterans Community Project (VCP) also works to end veteran homelessness through tiny housing communities and community and outreach centers. VCP is working to expand to other cities, including Longmont, Colorado, St. Louis, Missouri, and Orlando, Florida.
Nearly 50… Show more
2020 Green Single Family and MultiFamily Homes SmartMarket Brief
Dodge Data & Analytics, partnered with The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), recently released the “2020 Green Single Family and MultiFamily Homes SmartMarket Brief.” The study was done in order to better understand green building activity in the residential market. The findings are based off of four online surveys created for US single family and multifamily home builders and remodelers conducted from September to November 2019. The topics of the four surveys include: green building market activity, marketing of gre… Show more
Rhode Island Commits to 100% Renewable Energy by 2030 (First US State)
In her annual State of the State speech to lawmakers, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo signed an executive order this month calling for an end to fossil fuel reliance by 2030. The action makes Rhode Island the first state in America to plan 100% renewable electricity within a decade.
Raimondo also called for the state’s Office of Energy Resources to analyze the state’s economy and energy markets by the end of the year in order to map out the steps needed to reach the ambitious goal.
To read the … 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
Understanding The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) - Introduction and Update
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
Hello to everyone gathering at Greenbuild this week! I had hoped to attend in person but had some schedule complications. As much as I think we absolutely need to connect and share information online when we can’t be together, I of course believe it’s meaningful and impactful to gather and build community in person. I’ll be attending as I can online, and I’ll hope to ”see you” there!
I have spent a good deal of time in the past weeks &ldq… Show more
Strategies for Staying Cool: Air Sealing and Insulation
Rate It Green Members and Friends -
It’s quite an understatement to say it’s been hot this summer. Playfully, and yet deadly seriously, Vox declared that this scorching summer might just "be one the coolest summers of the rest of your life." Scientists at the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service estimate current summer temperatures as not only the hottest since modern record keeping began, but possibly in the last 120,000 years. And summer&rsqu… Show more
The Perfect Wall - Explained
It feels a bit funny to describe a product or practice as "Perfect," but that's our task as we explore "The Perfect Wall." In a recent video, Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. explains this important concept and also shows how he and his team are applying theory to practice at the #1920sMakeoverATL deep energy retrofit project in Ansley Park in Atlanta, Georgia.
As Matt explains, along with fellow Rate It Green Membe… Show more