Category: Thought Leadership
Getting to 50 and Back Again
Post / May 30, 2018
2005 was a tumultuous year and it was in those challenging times that I got the call that Jeff Johnson was gone – a mountain bike accident in the Columbia River Gorge. I knew Jeff as the Executive Director of...
Moving Daylighting into a New Era
Post / December 29, 2017 / Daylighting
In the energy efficiency world, we know that if there are specific and tangible non-energy benefits to energy conserving measures, it can be a game changer to motivating the implementation of these measures. One example of this is the work...
Checking in with the Passive House Network
Post / December 7, 2017 / Energy Codes
It’s been over 25 years since the Passive House concept — tight, well designed and insulated envelope and minimized mechanical loads — was formalized in Germany, and it feels like the movement has reached a tipping point here in North...
Outcomes Matter
Post / November 16, 2017 / Energy Codes
We all know what it takes to lead a healthy life—eat your vegetables, exercise, and visit your doctor to monitor your cholesterol, blood sugar, weight and blood pressure. Now imagine what life would be like if you decided to eat...
NBI 20th Anniversary: The Arc of Innovation
Post / September 21, 2017
Anniversaries provide the opportunity to mark a point in time and provide the space to examine accomplishments, purpose, and vision of the future. Staff and board members, some with NBI since the beginning, are reflecting on why the organization was...
New Tool Calculates Water Savings from Energy Efficiency Measures, Spotlights the Water-Energy Nexus in Buildings
Post / May 31, 2017
The water-energy nexus is a nascent topic in the building industry. The impact on water systems linked to energy generation has important ecological, conservation, and sustainability implications, particularly in water-strained areas such as the Southwestern desert of the United States....
The Budding Energy Footprint of Indoor Agriculture
Post / April 7, 2017
Indoor agriculture energy usage is projected to grow substantially over the next several years, driven in large part (but not entirely) by the legalization of medical and recreational cannabis. Seven U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational...
Chicago Real Estate Leadership Summit Defines the Building Industry’s Next Opportunity for Leadership
Post / February 9, 2017
Back in November, ComEd, Seventhwave and NBI hosted a Summit, focusing on the question: “What is Chicago’s path to net zero energy buildings?” Nearly 90 real estate professionals, designers and utility representatives gathered to focus on how they might build...
New Buildings Institute: A Top 100 Nonprofit to Work for in Oregon
Post / November 21, 2016
New Buildings Institute is proud that we have been named one of the top 100 nonprofits to work for in Oregon by Oregon Business magazine. We were ranked #25 under “Small Organizations: Fewer than 20 Oregon employees.” There is a...
Top 16 Trends for 2016
Post / January 6, 2016
Each year at NBI, we get together to discuss the most significant and potentially impactful or disruptive trends we see coming in the commercial building and energy sectors and actions individuals can take to get ahead of what’s to come....