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USE LESS. PERFORM BETTER.
Professional Building Performance Services and Sustainability Consulting |
PA DEP Adopts a Voluntary Registry for Tracking GHG DEP News Release Pennsylvania joined 30 other states last year in becoming charter members of the Climate Registry, which is a tool that measures, tracks, verifies and publicly reports greenhouse gas emissions accurately, transparently and consistently across borders and industry sectors. The registry will support voluntary, market-based and regulatory greenhouse gas emissions reporting programs. Solar Panels Are Vanishing, Only to Reappear on Internet NY Times Article Link (registration required) Solar power, with its promise of emissions-free renewable energy, boasts a growing number of fans. Some of them, it turns out, are thieves." Domain Now a Verifier for NAHB Green Find out more about the National Association of Home Builders' program to encourage home builders and remodelers to incorporate green building materials, systems, and practices at NAHBGreen.org RMI: Nuclear Power a Poor Investment Economically and for Climate Protection Rocky Mountain Institute Article Link "Nuclear power, once claimed to be too cheap to meter, is now too costly to matter"..."cheap to run but very expensive to build" "Nuclear plant operations emit almost no carbon - just a little to produce the fuel under current conditions - so nuclear power is touted as the key replacement for coal-fired power plants. But this seemingly straightforward substitution could instead be done using non-nuclear technologies that are cheaper and faster, so they yield more climate solution per dollar and per year." Domain Now a PA Home Energy Service Provider PA Home Energy website After completing coursework and both classroom and field examinations for Building Performance Institute's Building Analyst certification, Domain Building Performance accepted an invitation to become part of thePA Home Energy provider network. Domain Building Performance provides services for new and existing homes to help builders and homeowners adopt wise and practical energy efficient improvements. For existing homes, this starts with a thorough understanding of each unique home using the diagnostic energy audit as defined by PA Home Energy. Domain continues to offer a variety of services for customers on their quest for more comfortable, safe, durable, and energy-efficient buildings. Newly Released Studies Confirm Energy Savings in ENERGY STAR Buildings. Also Greater Occupancy and Value. "Energy savings under EPA's ENERGY STAR program ... are impressive: buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR label use an average of almost 40 percent less energy than average buildings, and emit 35 percent less carbon. But beyond the obvious implications of reduced energy use and reduced carbon emissions, the results from both studies strengthen the business case for green buildings as financially sound investments. Rental rates in ENERGY STAR buildings represents a $2.38 per square foot premium over comparable non-ENERGY STAR buildings and have 3.6 percent higher occupancy. And, in a trend that could signal greater attention from institutional investors, ENERGY STAR buildings are selling for an average of $61 per square foot more than their peers. Carbon Output Must Near Zero... Juliet Eilperin - Washington Post March 10, 2008 (registration required) "The question is, what if we don't want the Earth to warm anymore?" asked Carnegie Institution senior scientist Ken Caldeira, co-author of a paper published last week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. "The answer implies a much more radical change to our energy system than people are thinking about." When it comes to deciding how drastically to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Brian O'Neill of the National Center for Atmospheric Research said, "in the end, this is a value judgment, it's not a scientific question." The idea of shifting to a carbon-free society, he added, "appears to be technically feasible. The question is whether it's politically feasible or economically feasible." The Big Green Lie Orion Magazine (March/April, 2008 Orion): ...[L]et’s be realistic about the scale of change needed . An essay by Auden Schendler, director or communitiy and environmental responsibility for the Aspen Skiing Company. Cloth Shopping Bags Have Replaced Plastic Dublin (February 3, 2008 NY Times (login required)): Within weeks [of the tax], plastic bag use dropped 94 percent. Within a year, nearly everyone had bought reusable cloth bags, keeping them in offices and in the backs of cars. Plastic bags were not outlawed, but carrying them became socially unacceptable — on a par with wearing a fur coat or not cleaning up after one’s dog. Mullikin Completes Sustainability Course Domain Building Performance LLC founder, George Mullikin, earned the Certificate of Completion for the Sustainable Building Advisor Program. The National Sustainable Building Advisor Program held its inaugural East Coast class at Bucks County Community College and was aimed at professionals wishing to apply sustainable concepts to the buildings they design, develop, and construct. The concepts help us to make buildings that are energy and resource efficient, healthy working and living environments, environmentally responsible and cost effective. Mullikin also passed the Certification Exam. For more information about the National Sustainable Building Advisor Program, visit www.nasbap.org PATH's Top Ten: The Partnership in Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) updates their Top 10 Predicting the future is a tricky business, but that didn't stop researchers at the Partnership in Advancing Technology in Housing from forecasting the fortunes of 10 new building technologies at the 2007 International Builder's Show in February. Heat Smartly with ENERGY STAR @ home Explore the ENERGY STAR @ home Interactive Tool for advice and ideas to help you stay comfortable in your home. This simple-to-use tool can be a great start for reducing your home's energy consumption and environmental impact. Call on Domain Building Performance LLC when you need additional help and on-site expertise. Green Points Building Incentive Program Doylestown Borough announced the "Green Points" Building Incentive Program which proposes building permit fee waivers and reductions based on utilization of green building practices and systems. The Green Points credits can provide up to a fifty percent reduction in permit fees which can amount to thousands of dollars on a new building project. Incentives exist for solar hot water, photovoltaic, conversions to high-efficiency furnaces, appliances, and hot water heaters. Contact Domain Building Performance LLC or the Borough of Doylestown |
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