Blog - New Buildings Institute

Decarbonizing Buildings: A Changing Lexicon

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Jim Edelson

From kilowatts to carbon, the language we use matters. Building sector policies and programs across the nation are in the midst of a critical shift from delivering energy efficiency in terms of kWh, to policies and programs that seek carbon...

Key Takeaways From Recent IECC Code Development Hearings

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Eric Makela

Code officials, architects, builders, engineers and energy conservation professionals gathered last month in Albuquerque for the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)’s Committee Action Hearings. The proceedings were the first step in a lengthy stakeholder process to update the 2021 IECC,...

Building Market Titans Team Up to Create a New Energy Future

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Stacey Hobart

Earlier this month, the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii recorded carbon dioxide levels that surpassed 415 parts per million. That’s the highest level in recorded human history. As the potentially devastating impacts from carbon-fueled climate change loom, many cities and...

2019 Zero Energy Buildings Count Nears 600, New Dynamic Tool Offers Online Access to Project Details

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Stacey Hobart

Every year, New Buildings Institute (NBI) digs into its extensive Getting to Zero Buildings Database and analyzes the information collected from thousands of low-energy projects across the United States and Canada in order to offer the market an official count...

Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Goals Converge at the Built Environment

Posted on April 17, 2019 by Jim Edelson

With mounting evidence that immediate and aggressive action is necessary to address climate change, combined with a lack of leadership on this issue by the federal government, state and local governments are taking meaningful actions to adopt, honor, and meet...

A Small Window of Opportunity to Make Huge Gains in Climate Action

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Amy Cortese

Cities face unrelenting demands on policy priorities. Affordable housing, transportation, economic development, climate action, and other pressing issues compete for limited resources and funds. Now is a moment in time, however, when the opportunity to make significant progress toward carbon...

5 Must Haves to Achieve High Marks in Ultra-low Energy Schools

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Amy Cortese

An increasing number of school districts are investing in ultra-low energy facilities and renewables as a way to save on utility costs and create healthier and more productive learning environments for students and staff. In fact, over 219 school buildings...

Local Governments Can Lead by Example in Climate Action, Starting with the Buildings They Own

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Alexi Miller

For communities across the United States that are committed to implementing policies and practices that advance the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, buildings represent a golden opportunity to lead by example. Overall, about 20% of the nation’s building floorspace...

Technology Talk—Getting to Zero Energy in Existing Buildings

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Cathy Higgins

Without upgrading our existing buildings to higher efficiency technologies we have zero hope of getting to zero energy (ZE)–or at least ultra-low energy performance–and our carbon reduction targets. We know that there are many roads to retrofits but rapid scaling...

2019 is the Year of Energy Codes

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Ralph DiNola

If there’s a defining theme for the building sector in 2019, it’s energy codes. Actions to update the rules that cities and states set to determine how effectively new residential and commercial buildings use energy are progressing on several fronts...

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