Opening a new window on daylight

Reducing electricity consumption by improving windows A new approach to windows that could let in more light and cut indoor lighting needs by up to 99 percent in buildings in Tropical regions without losing the cooling effect of shades. Details are reported in the International Journal of Engineering Systems Modelling and Simulation this month. Lerdlekha

US-China agreement on building energy efficiency

This apartment building in Beijing, China, is heated and cooled with an energy-efficient geothermal heat pump, the result of a previous agreement between the United States and China. Photo by: Jean Ku DOE and the Chinese Ministry of Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) signed a joint agreement to foster collaboration in the development of more efficient building

Up in environmentally friendly homes in the US

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that nearly 17 per cent of all single-family homes built nationally in 2008 earned EPA’s Energy Star label, up from 12 per cent in 2007. Both home builders and home buyers are continuing to invest in high performing homes that save consumers money on their utility bills

Yale Opens Ultra-Green Kroon Hall

Yale University has completed construction of a new ultra-green building-designed to use 50 percent less energy than a comparably sized modern building-for its School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES). Kroon Hall achieves its remarkable energy savings from a host of design elements and technical strategies molded to fit the building’s New England weather and

IFAW Headquarters Named Top Green Building

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment selected IFAW’s (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) headquarters building as one of the 2009 top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design. The award will be given to IFAW and Boston-based designLAB architects at the AIA National Convention and Design Exposition