CRRC-Cool Roof Rating Council A cool roof reflects and emits the sun's heat back to the sky instead of transferring it to the building below. The CRRC develops methods for evaluating and labeling the solar reflectance and thermal emittance (radiative properties) of roofing products and to disseminate the information to all interested parties. "Coolness" is measured by two properties, solar reflectance and thermal emittance. Both properties are measured from 0 to 1 and the higher the value, the "cooler" the roof.
EEBA-Energy & Environmental Building Association Mission: education and resources to transform the residential design, development and construction industries to profitably deliver energy efficient and environmentally responsible buildings and communities.
GBI - The Green Building Initiative The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is a not for profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches for residential and commercial construction. The green building trend goes beyond saving the environment; benefits include utility savings, improved indoor air quality and less overall maintenance. Green buildings also have less negative impact on the environment by saving energy and reducing waste, particularly during construction.
Green Globes Rating System Green Globes is an environmental assessment, education and rating system that is promoted in the United States by the Green Building Initiative, a Portland, Oregon-based non-profit. Canada’s federal government has been using the Green Globes suite of tools for several years under the Green Globes name and it has been the basis for the Building Owners and Manufacturer's Association of Canada’s Go Green Plus program. The system is an online interactive software tool, which competes with the better known LEED system (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Houses That Work - Educational Series for builders EEBA's series includes information on: incorporating "green" practices; building practices and requirements as they relate to the 2006 IECC; Building science principles applied to mainstream construction practices; increasing the tolerance and durability of structures; reducing exposure to litigation due to building system failure; reducing costly call-backs; increasing customer satisfaction; increasing profits.
NAHB-National Association of Home Builders Information for builders - also has information on courses and meetings on green building. NAHB sponsors the NAHB National Green Building Conference, the NAHB National Green Building Awards, and provides information and education on sustainable home building using renewable materials prudently to conserve energy and environmental resources. In February 2008, NAHB unveiled the NAHB National Green Building Program and the University of Housing Certified Green Professional designation for builders, remodelers and other members of the home building industry.
Overview of Green Building An overview of green building, the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal. Green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by: efficiently using energy, water, and other resources; protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity; and reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation.
SBIC-Sustainable Buildings Industry Council The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) is an independent, non-profit trade association that seeks to dramatically improve the long-term performance and value of buildings through our outreach, advocacy and education programs. The Council has five regular programs that center around specific building types and several Beyond Green projects including an annual Beyond Green Awards Program and a high-performance building advocacy program. SBIC serves as the Secretariat for the High-Performance Building Council, housed at the National Institute of Building Sciences and represents members at meetings of the Interagency Sustainability Working Group, the Whole Building Design Guide Board of Direction/Advisory Committees, and other events.
The U.S. Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built and operated. The USGBC is best known for the development of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and Greenbuild, a green building conference that promotes the green building industry, including environmentally responsible materials, sustainable architecture techniques and public policy.
