Path to Zero-Energy Buildings Blog

NBI Encourages Washington State to Maintain Leadership on Energy Codes

With all the recent success improving the efficiency of national model energy codes (see 2012 IECC and 90.1 2010), it is easy to lose sight of the fact that codes are adopted and enforced on a state-by-state basis. NBI Executive Director Dave Hewitt and I drove up to Olympia, Wash., earlier this week to encourage legislators to hold on to the state’s leadership position on efficiency in energy codes. Read more »

Not Accepting Poor Performance

It's no secret that most commercial buildings perform poorly in terms of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The question is, why do we put up with it? As author Auden Schendler puts it in this post for Climate Progress it's because "broken is normal" when it comes to the state of most commercial buildings. As he puts it “almost no buildings mechanical system operate as they’re supposed to. But nobody knows. Nobody checks. Read more »

NBI at Greenbuild: Building Performance and Outcome-based Codes

Recently, NBI had the opportunity to present some of our projects and ideas at the world’s largest green building gathering, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild conference. Read more »

Better Building Energy Codes Now: the Reasonable and Crucial Next Step

By Dave Hewitt, NBI & Jessyca Henderson, AIA
With today’s conspicuous promotion of green building and sustainability, it is easy to forget that the bulk of commercial building design does exactly what it has always done: meet the local building energy code. Read more »

Getting the Biggest Bang for Our Energy Buck

In today’s recessionary times, most Americans are looking for ways to get more for less. It’s only natural that people facing today’s tough economy want to make sure that their dollars are spent well, and go further, on things they need. Read more »

NBI at ACEEE Summer Study

Every other year, energy efficiency advocates from around the world gather at the sleepy Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, Calif., to share what they’ve learned about energy efficiency in buildings. The Summer Study, which runs through this week, is hosted by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and expects over 1,000 attendees. Read more »

Taking It to the Bank: Finance and Real Estate Meet on Energy Efficiency

The Empire State Building–-what better icon to showcase the potential of energy efficiency to literally transform a building and a market? But the story of the Empire State Building (ESB) is really a story about money. Read more »

A Different T – Party: Thinking About Transforming the Market to Measured Performance

On a recent spring day more than 20 leading design professionals gathered in a small conference room at EHDD Architects in San Francisco. Read more »

Living Future 2010 and the Emergence of zEPI (Zero Energy Performance Index)

This year’s Living Future conference in Seattle provided many highlights. From the simple yet inspirational message of working together provided by Dr. John Francis to the heartfelt thanks (and slight roasting) NBI’s technical director Mark Frankel received as outgoing Director of the Cascadia Board (don’t worry, he was reelected to the Board).  Read more »

Window Volume Purchase Program Working to Lower Cost, Improve Availability

R-5 windows can reduce average heat loss by 30-40% over common ENERGY STAR-qualified products (with an R-3 value), and low-e storm windows have the potential for twice the energy savings of those without a low-e coating, according to Department of Energy (DOE) estimates. The problem? Because of low demand these windows are only available today at a considerable price premium through special order. Read more »

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