While still under development, Oryzatech's Stak Block rice-straw, interlocking, highly insulating building block is an exciting product that could revolutionize the use of straw as a building material.

Recommended by our very own Solar San Antonio.

BuildingGreen.com shares a few hightlights from Greenbuild 2009's Expo Floor.

With green certification becoming a requirement on an increasing number of projects, owners and developers face an expanding field of financial and regulatory risks. In some parts of the country, failure to achieve green certification could result in onerous code violations or lead to the loss of significant tax credits.

Check out GreenBuildingAdvisor's comparison of national green rating systems for homes. The article is a pretty concise summary of the programs with some critical analysis.

This Architecture Week article provides an overview and update on the SFI vs. FSC debate.

The Stealth toilet's flush rate saves 37% more water than a standard HET. It is certified by WaterSense and saves up to 20,000 gallons/yr with regular use.

Congratulations AT&T Executive Education Conference Center team! The USGBC was notified that is now LEED Gold certified!

See the top 10 most useless energy-related products. Read 'em and weep.

As many of you know, there is a lot of false information out there regarding R-values. Beware of terminology like "effective R-value, "performs like R-50," etc. Please read this short, informative article by GreenBuildingAdvisor.com.

Have a look at Bill Dunster's Beddington Zero Energy Development. Bill's urgent advice is that a return to a locally self-sustaining lifestyle is a crucial component of adapting to climate change.

With the April 27, 2009, release of the LEED 2009 family of rating systems, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduced a new element to its LEED package: minimum project requirements (MPRs). They vary slightly by rating system, but most significantly, they require owners of all certified projects to provide energy- and water-use data to USGBC for five years from the time of occupancy.

The appeal of integrating wind turbines into our buildings is strong. Rooftops are elevated above ground, where it’s windier; the electricity is generated right where it’s needed; and wind energy can make a strong visual statement. It turns out that, despite some benefits, building-integrated wind doesn’t make much sense as a renewable-energy strategy.