Building Green and Healthy Building Network have announced a new strategic partnership. Part of that partnership is the formation of the Materials Research Collaborative which will investigate and evaluate building material claims. The purpose of the collaborative is to serve as an independent third party for significantly accelerating the pace of research into materials used in building products. This will help to distinguish products from greenwash.
The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) announced the accreditation of the CRRC-1 Standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The CRRC-1 Standard is now an American National Standard that can be referenced by building codes and rating programs worldwide. The CRRC-1 Standard is a standard for the measurement of initial and aged solar reflectance and thermal emittance values of roofing products. The Standard was adapted from the CRRC’s Program Manual, and describes sample preparation and test procedures. It helps ensure consistency in preparation and measurement of roofing properties and brings test procedures to a higher level of reliability.
According to a survey by GE Capital Real Estate, green building initiatives are a key influencer when tenants decide to sign a commercial real estate lease. The survey, which was conducted over the past year and included more than 2,220 office tenants in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, the UK, Spain, and Japan, shows that energy efficiency remains the No. 1 priority in most countries. Also ranking near the top: waste reduction programs and indoor air quality.