Category: Thought Leadership
Hot off the Presses: New Grid-Interactive Buildings for Decarbonization Guide
Post / November 2, 2023
To succeed in decarbonizing our energy systems, we will be relying much more on variable renewable resources like wind and solar energy—but we’ll need to do more than install more clean generation resources. We’ll also need to get better at...
We can power the homes of the future with electric panels of the past
Post / July 24, 2023
Electrifying and decarbonizing existing buildings is critical to address the climate emergency and is one of the key priorities of leading cities, states, and utilities. Many people assume that to electrify an existing home, an electric panel upgrade from 100...
First annual Carbon Day in June will establish a carbon benchmark for the U.S. cultural sector
Post / June 7, 2023
Have you ever visited a zoo or aquarium? How about an art museum, a botanical garden or arboretum, or a historic site? With over 33,000 cultural institutions in the U.S. (UNESCO reports), my guess is that you have been to...
When flying is essential, how to make an impact through voluntary carbon offsets
Post / March 24, 2023
Greenhouse gas emissions from the airline industry are reaching new heights. By 2050, more than a quarter of all global emissions are expected to come from the aviation industry, according to a UN report. While many individuals and organizations are...
ASHRAE accelerates building decarbonization
Post / February 28, 2023
ASHRAE, along with 24 of the world’s leading building industry organizations, issued a statement a few months ago to government representatives attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 27) pledging to assume a leadership role in...
Schools are Leading in the Race Towards Clean Energy
Post / January 6, 2023
Building efficiency and decarbonization is a movement that has the potential to dramatically curb climate change and make buildings healthy and productive spaces. K-12 schools, where staff and students spend at least 1,000 hours each year, are leading the way....
New podcasts about NBI research
Post / December 30, 2022
In our new podcast series, we dig deeper into the research papers authored by NBI staff. We begin with NBI staff that presented at the 2022 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency. Professionals from around the world came together at...
NBI staff contribute papers, posters and discussion at ACEEE Summer Study
Post / September 26, 2022
NBI staff presented at the 2022 ACEEE Summer Study at Asilomar in Pacific Grove. Contributions included several panels, a poster, and informal discussion groups. See below for details and links to the final papers. We were also honored that Alexi...
The Future We Seek: Equitable and Resilient Buildings and Communities
Post / August 25, 2022
For more than 25 years, New Buildings Institute (NBI) has worked collaboratively with industry market actors to promote advanced design practices, innovative technologies, public policies, and programs that improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions from the built environment. Our collective...
NBI honors energy efficiency and green building leaders as Senior Fellows
Post / June 22, 2022
New Buildings Institute recently expanded the NBI Senior Fellows program and is excited to announce the addition of eight industry luminaries. With this program we recognize and honor their significant contribution to energy efficiency and carbon reduction in the building...
Building our future workforce today
Post / June 9, 2022
Over 100,000 construction industry workers will be needed to electrify all of California’s existing and new construction buildings, and up to 4,900 full-time manufacturing workers, according to a recent study from UCLA’s Luskin Center. By 2045, assuming the state has...
Two influential leaders added to NBI Board of Directors
Post / June 1, 2022
New Buildings Institute (NBI) enthusiastically welcomes two influential leaders to its Board of Directors this year. Dr. Tina Jayaweera is a Power Planning Resources Manager at Northwest Power and Conservation Council. Susan Rochford is Vice President of Energy Efficiency, Sustainability...
Using Passive House to fast-track building electrification
Post / March 29, 2022
This guest blog was written by Bronwyn Barry, CPHD, board member of the North American Passive House Network and NBI Senior Fellow. A growing body of research tells us achieving deep carbon reduction targets of 75% or more will require electrification, including...
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at New Buildings Institute
Post / September 28, 2021
We recognize there are structural injustices and inequities in our systems and climate work. NBI is committed to the journey necessary to ensure every member of our society has equal access to and benefits from zero energy and zero carbon....
An Insider’s Guide for Our Clean Energy Future
Post / September 7, 2021
The latest report from the International Panel on Climate Change (the Sixth Assessment Report) sounded an alarm about the urgent need to transition to net zero carbon emissions to avoid global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius. With buildings representing...
Students join Next Gen cohort to learn about getting to zero in the built environment
Post / July 19, 2021
This blog was originally published on newbuildingsin.wpenginepowered.com on July 9, 2021. NBI is excited to welcome 20 students from college campuses across the United States and Canada to the inaugural cohort of the Next Gen program. Next Gen was designed...
Utility Administrators Share Expertise on Zero Energy Programs
Post / March 17, 2021
Urgency to address climate change, along with policy and market forces trending toward a smart, flexible grid, has led a growing number of utility efficiency program administrators to consider ways to increase support for energy-efficient, zero energy buildings. With the...
Five Questions with Smita Gupta
Post / February 22, 2021
New Buildings Institute welcomed Smita Gupta as its new Director for Building Innovation in early February. We asked Smita five questions about her experiences over two decades in the energy and buildings industries. Here’s what she shared. Q: Welcome to...
Carbon a Key Focus at ACEEE’s Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings
Post / November 4, 2020
Every other year, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) welcomes energy industry professionals from around the country to its Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. Centered around the theme, “Efficiency: The Core of a Clean Energy Future,”...
Reilly Loveland Wins USGBC Green Schools Ambassador Award
Post / March 12, 2020
NBI Project Manager Reilly Loveland was recently awarded the USGBC Center for Green Schools Ambassador Award at the March Green Schools Conference and Expo held this year in NBI’s hometown, Portland. Ore. We asked Reilly some questions about the award,...
The Embodied Carbon Conundrum: Solving for All Emission Sources from the Built Environment
Post / February 26, 2020
Increasing urgency among policymakers and the design community to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Accord has spurred more aggressive codes and energy policies in jurisdictions around the United States. These strategies are making gains on driving down carbon...
A Must Read: Landreneau’s Roadmap for Cleaner, Stronger Buildings that Help Solve the Climate Crisis
Post / October 30, 2019
Reducing carbon pollution and improving resilience in residential and commercial buildings across the United States was the topic of a House Select Committee hearing on the climate crisis last month. The hearing, “Solving the Climate Crisis: Cleaner, Stronger Buildings,” featured...
New Buildings Institute Welcomes New Senior Fellows
Post / August 13, 2019
New Buildings Institute (NBI) welcomes five top-level industry influencers as new Senior Fellows. These are experts in advanced energy policy, program implementation, research and education who have helped define the efficient use of energy in the built environment. We recognize...
Banking on Sustainable, Zero Energy
Post / August 21, 2018
How Suncoast Credit Union is leading the way to save energy and connect with its customers and community With close to 700,000 members, Suncoast Credit Union is the largest credit union in Florida. It’s also a leading company in sustainable...
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...
Michigan Is the Latest State to Embrace the Value of Clean Energy Portfolios
Post / May 23, 2018
This guest blog was originally published by Rocky Mountain Institute on May 22, 2018. How renewable energy can unlock customer savings and shareholder value in the Midwest Last Friday, Michigan’s two largest electric utilities, DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, announced...
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
by Ryan M. Colker, Vice President of National Institute of Building Sciences 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....
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...