USGBC publishes an annual announcement to celebrate the "Top 10 States for LEED." Now in its 12th year, the annual list is based on the gross square footage of LEED-certified space per capita added in each state over the past year, using U.S. Census data.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a well-documented impact on the US economy, the construction industry, and real estate. But what impact has the COVID-19 pandemic had on the momentum of green building projects in the Unite State over the past two years?

Though they may be comprised of seemingly permanent materials such as concrete, masonry, metal, glass, or wood, our buildings slowly deteriorate; or may be adapted to changing needs; they may be gutted, expanded, or sometimes even contracted.

Whole-building pressurization testing is becoming standard practice for building projects. Many common energy conservation standards and model codes now exhibit requirements for enclosure airtightness, which are to be achieved through measured air leakage rates.

There is one type of refrigeration cycle that has the potential to provide clean, low-carbon air conditioning: absorption refrigeration.

Every air conditioning unit that uses vapor compression refrigeration contains chemical refrigerant mixes that absorb and release heat to enable a cooling effect through heat transfer.

The refrigeration machine of a mechanical system is that component that removes thermal energy (heat) from one location and transfers it to another location by inducing a cycle of heat exchange. 

A life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) essentially serves as the "what does it mean" step in the broader process of conducting a life-cycle assessment (LCA) for a product or material. 

As the building design and construction industry continues to advance low-carbon solutions that tackle both operational and embodied carbon, a looming challenge remains: our national electrical grid still emits a lot carbon into the atmosphere.