George Washington University's Green Buildings

George Washington University is committed to building green. The school was the first in D.C. to sign the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, agreeing to reduce its total carbon footprint by 40 percent by 2025. The university also has four green roofs, eight LEED-certified buildings, with six more targeting certification.

Building Project Carbon Calculator (Free Tool)

This free easy to use online calculator can assess the whole life embodied carbon of building projects. The tool is called "ShapedEarth" and it does not require particular GHG expertise and can be used by anybody wanting to create beautiful and meaningful “low-carbon” buildings. ShapedEarth is powered by the Low-Carbon Building Method 3.0 (www.lcbmethod.com), a simplified methodology built on PAS2050 and in line with GHG accounting best practices for carrying out lifecycle assessments. Here is the five step process:

Event - Green Building Benchmarking & the Role of Data in EE (Roundtable Discussion)

This Green Building Benchmarking event will take place on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014, from 9:30am to 11:30am EDT. The Streamed Panel Discussion will take place from 10:00am to 11:30am EDT. The Meeting in New York, will take place at 10 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York.

In 2009 Mayor Bloomberg enacted the most comprehensive energy efficiency (EE) policy through the Greener, Greater Building Plan (GGBP). As part of this policy Local Law 84 requires buildings 50,000 sq ft or larger to publicly disclose their energy and water use. This data is being used to create a comparative online platform called the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.

It has already come to light that NYC buildings as a whole are more efficient than their counterparts around the country. The ENERGY STAR score has increased already from 64 to 67. As more years are cataloged and compared New York City will pin point what projects must take precedence over others and what strategies are successful.

Green Planet Architects: Find a Green Architect or Submit Your Profile

Green Planet Architects, highlights the profiles of architects and designers associated with sustainable building. This is an ideal site for developers and clients looking for designers with expertise in green building.

These listings contain the most outstanding practitioners of sustainable architecture in the world.

Members share trends and knowledge. They also collaborate, discuss new developments and products, find investors and connect with clients from all around the world.

Event - Ecobuild 2014 Conference (London)

Ecobuild 2014, will take place on March 4 - 6, at ExCel in London, UK. This event is the world’s leading event for sustainable design, construction, energy and the built environment.

Why Attend

Event - Green Port South Asia

The 2nd GreenPort South Asia Conference will take place on February 26 and 27, 2014 at the The President Hotel in Mumbai, India. The conference will again focus on the sustainable development of ports and terminals but will also look at the need for the infrastructure to keep pace with the development of ports together with investment and finance options and initiatives. This conference will include environmental policy framework and legislation; infrastructure: green initiatives for development and construction; investment for port development: financing green projects as well as the practical issues of pollution control; improving efficiency and increasing profitability in ports and terminal.

Examples of Renewable Energy Innovations in 2013

Renewable energy is one of the fastest growing and most interesting areas of innovation. The number of patents issued for renewable-energy technologies has risen sharply over the last decade. The number and size of investments in research and development, as well as in the growth of markets for these products is driving innovation. Here are some examples of renewable energy innovation from 2013.

Pyroelectricity

A new type of electronic circuit was developed in 2013 that may help to improve the performance of solar panels. Typically cooler, slower, mellower electrons don't have enough energy to produce a usable electric current. Ultrasolar has developed an electronic circuit (ideally built into an inverter) that passes a very high frequency signal backwards through the DC wires into the solar module and cells. The slower electrons catch these waves and are turned into hot and fast electrons for long enough to escape the crystal matrix and generate a useful current. This could lead to inverter efficiencies of over 100 percent.

Event - INNOVA-CON 2014 Conference

INNOVA-CON 2014 will take place on January 14-15, 2014 in Brooklyn, New York. The first conference by the International Association of Innovation Professionals (IAOIP) featuring world-class innovation experts. The INNOVA-CON is a great opportunity to meet in person and connect with luminaries in the innovation profession. Content will focus on how to use strategies and methods of innovation to create value.

IAOIP is a professional membership organization that is the world's only independent innovation certification body, providing members with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to deliver real change in their industry or field.

Webinar - Smart Building Technology: The Key to Comprehensive Building Performance

This complimentary event will take place on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 - 2:00 PM EST. Join Siemens, Navigant Research, and Energy Manager Today as we explore the most effective state-of-the-art technologies and services that enhance building performance through improvements to energy efficiency, energy supply, and operational sustainability. There will be ample time for Q&A.

Register below to join Siemens, Navigant Research, and Environmental Leader as they explore the most effective state-of-the-art technologies and services that enhance building performance through improvements to energy efficiency, energy supply, and operational sustainability.

White Paper - Evaluating the Sustainability of Existing Building Portfolios

This white paper helps organizations make investments that provide the greatest impact. From seasoned sustainability veterans to new green venture investors, this paper can help you to evaluate and prioritize while remaining within the parameters of your business mission. Find out how to evaluate sustainability investment options and focus green dollars where they will have the greatest impact. Whether your organization has a sophisticated sustainability program or is newly engaged in this effort, this paper can ensure that you are getting the most out of your investments.

You will learn how to:

Establish a sustainability framework
Define and track key performance metrics
Identify green opportunities
Prioritize sustainability options and rank projects
Integrate sustainability into the capital planning process.

Course - NJ Builders Association Legislative & Regulatory Update

NJ Builders Association Legislative & Regulatory Update will take place on November 15, 2013 from 9 am to Noon at Woodard & Curran Auditorium, Building 100,East Windsor, NJ. This event will be moderated by Robert M. Washburn, Esq., Professor of Law at Rutgers-Camden School of Law, Of Counsel with Flaster/Greenberg PC and General Counsel to the NJBA.

Event - Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Celebration

This event will take place on Friday, November 15, 2013 at
IAC HQ, 555 West 18th Street, NYC. Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Celebration in New York City will honor C2C leaders and present the winners of the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Challenge, sponsored by the Schmidt Family Foundation and the Dutch Postcode Lottery, with a shared cash prize of $250,000.
Aveda, Method, PUMA, Shaw, Steelcase among Innovators to be Honored.

Across the globe more than 200 companies are transforming product design and leading a new, green industrial revolution. Come see their product innovations first hand.

Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2C) is celebrating manufacturers of everything from clothing and furniture to carpets and cleaning products who have committed to “remake the way they make things” - transforming product design and leading a new industrial revolution. Following the lead of the green building industry, manufacturers from fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle brands are striving to make every product that touches our lives adhere to the highest standards of environmental and human safety.

Event - Greenbuild 2013

Greenbuild 2013 is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building from November 20-22, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, is brought to you by the U.S. Green Building Council. At Greenbuild 2013 you can learn about new technological innovations and new products. The event features three days of inspiring speakers, industry showcases, LEED workshops and tours of the host city's green buildings.

Innovation is Key for Sustainability: Best Companies are Getting Better According to Tomorrow’s Value Rating 2013

Sustainability strategy company Two Tomorrows', tenth Tomorrow’s Value Rating 2013 (TVR), shows that the best companies are getting better. The rankings recognize companies that increasingly demonstrate “clarity of vision and innovation in their pursuit of a sustainable business model,” that is likely to likely to drive sustainable value in the future. This rating assesses the performance of the 50 companies in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI).

In order of their performance here are the top ten.

Event - Nexus Conference: Innovative and Sustainable Solutions

The Nexus Conference, will take place March 4-7, 2014, in Chapel Hill, NC, USA. This event will bring together leaders in business, government, NGOs and research to discuss innovative and sustainable solutions that address the intersection of the world’s water, food, and energy needs and uses in a changing climate. The Nexus approach requires systemic thinking and a quest for integrated solutions to guide our decision-making about resource use and development and move to a more sustainable planet.

Sustainable Development Goals to Follow Millennium Development Goals

Under the auspices of the UN, a new global sustainability initiative is taking shape. With the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) having wrapped up its work on September 20th and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set to expire in 2015, political leaders and policy makers are crafting a new development framework based on sustainability.

Event - Green Materials and Services Expo

Green Materials and Services Expo will take place on October 10, 2013, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at HSBC Plaza, 100 Chestnut Street in Rochester, NY. The Genesee Region of the US Green Building Council NY Upstate Chapter's 'Green Materials and Services Expo' is an excellent way for your company to specifically reach your preferred customer market. Last year this event was held in the Hudson Valley, and featured 23 exhibitors and a lot of fun! Meet your peers. Learn from each other and collaborate to grow!

Click here for more information or to register.

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Event - CEB® Clean Energy Building Expo

CEB® Clean Energy Building Expo will take place on Wednesday October 9 to Thursday October 10, 2013, in Budapest, Hungary. The CEB® Clean Energy Building Expo is an international trade fair and congress for energy efficiency. At the exhibition you will receive extensive information on the products, technologies, services and innovations in the area of energy efficient buildings and reconstruction.

Video - Building Powered by Algae

There is a building in Hamburg, Germany, and developed entirely by algae. Inside the glass panels is a green liquid which can see small bubbles rising to the surface. This is the result of having a bio-reactor built into the facade, which heats the 15 floors in the building. The motor is a micro algae, and the principle is photosynthesis.

Event - FSC Design & Build Awards

The 9th annual FSC Design & Build Awards will take place on November 20, 2013, 7pm - 9pm. This event will take place in conjunction with Greenbuild 2013 in Philadelphia. The event will be held at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (118 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102), which is directly across the street from the Convention Center, where Greenbuild 2013 is being held. The museum is itself a celebrated building, known for its collections of 19th- and 20th-century American paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. The Forest Stewardship Council will present awards to the best residential and commercial projects at the 9th Annual Design & Build with FSC Awards Reception. Everyone is invited to attend this celebration of commitment to responsible forest management and design excellence.