Jump to main content.

Region 8 Library Pages

Technical Library
Green Building Reference Links


On this page

Many of the links on this page are to other government or nonprofit web sites, outside of the US EPA Region 8 Web site. Exit EPA disclaimer
Resources listed on this page have been reviewed for relevance and content by the EPA Region 8 Contract Librarians. Resources listed here will be reviewed for content and accuracy quarterly.

What are the "LEED Links" listed below? These links are to documents and resources identified in the US Green Building Council's, New Construction Reference Guide, version 2.2, 2006. "LEED" stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Green Building print holdings in the reference collection.

Details about the Region 8 Green Building

Green building links by category

Site

What is the best orientation for a building on a particular site? Are there mass transit options close by? Walking distances? Also referred to as site selection or site and design.

Alternative Fuels and Advance Vehicles Data Center
From the Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Brownfields
EPA program providing technical and financial support to clean up and improve contaminated property.

LEED links

Top of Page

Design

How do all the building elements work together? Or do they? This category is also referred to as integrated design process or universal design by the major accrediting organizations.

American Institute of Architects
New feature "Walk the Walk" Architects leading the sustainable evolution. The nonmember area for "Walk the Walk" has fact sheets, resources and tips for working with an architect. Sustainability and green building news and events are listed here as well.

American Society of Landscape Architects
Learn the benefits of green roofs with the ASLA green roof in Washington DC. Includes a green roof Fact Sheet, performance data, webcam, and education modules.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Site includes a "Tree of Knowledge" searchable database of case studies, articles and research papers on green roofs. English language. Searching and abstracts are free, some full content articles are sold individually or as proceedings. Green Save Calculator is free with registration. Publisher of Living Architecture Monitor, previously Green Roof Infrastructure Monitor, issued quarterly. Promotes developing industry standards and accreditation.

Materials

What materials are being used to construct the building? What products are being used on a daily basis for cleaning and maintenance? Also referred to as materials and resources, or green products.

BEES 4.0 (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) National Institute of Standards and Technology
Free software from NIST to help select environmentally preferable and cost efficient building products. Version 4.0 includes data for more than 230 building products.

BuildingGreen.com
Bibliography by topic, numerous resources and links.
An annual subscription/membership to BuildingGreen.com provides online access to extensive resources on green building products. A newsletter is included in the annual fee. Publisher of the GreenSpec Directory, the most recent is the 2007, 7th Edition.

GreenerChoices.org
From Consumer Reports. Covers green building topics, products and their green ratings, toolkits, free email newsletter, site search engine. Ecolabels search: find out what those product labels really mean. Want to know more about a logo? Search by logo image.

GreenSeal.org
Science based environmental certification standards, since 1989, nonprofit organization with recognized credentials
Find certified products, get your products certified
Green reports on products including particle board and quick serve food packaging.
Free newsletter.

LEED link

Top of Page

Indoor Environment

How well does the design and materials used keep the occupants comfortable? Includes: ventilation, HVAC, low voc emitting materials, lighting fixtures and use of natural light. Also known as indoor environmental quality or indoor air quality.

GREENGUARD Environmental Institute
GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments and buildings. The advisory board members are experts in this field and volunteer their services. Buildings and products can be registered and certified.

Consumer Product Information Database or Household Products Database
CPID, produced by DeLima Associates. Database established in 1994 through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help inform consumers about household products. Site includes: glossary of terms, FAQ's, recalled products, search by product type, brand, ingredients, and manufacturers. Includes arts and crafts, personal care and pet care; also related Material Safety Data Sheets, MSDS. The Household Products Database is the same information as in CPID, but is located on the National Library of Medicine Web site.

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA)
Source for lighting related technical documents and publications, most for purchase.

LEED links

Top of Page

Energy

How is energy used? What methods are used for saving energy? How is energy efficiency measured?

American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACE3)
Top pick from this site is the Consumer resources: home energy checklist for action and greenercars.org. Includes a home energy checklist for action and information on greenercars.org and tax incentives. ACE3 promotes "development and adoption of energy efficiency improvements in buildings, appliances and other building equipment".

American Solar Energy Society
A leader in promoting solar energy in the US. Newsletter, free online solar calculator, locate solar installers, find out about solar energy events.

Building Energy Performance Info
Informational site developed and maintained by real estate professionals. Free newsletter, white papers and links to energy measurement and saving resources.

EnergyIdeas Clearinghouse
Washington State University Extension Energy Program. Established in 1990, this site provides "ask an expert" and a resource library with resources for businesses and homes.

LEED links

Top of Page

Water

What measures are there to protect water during and after construction. Also known as water conservation or water protection.

American Society of Landscape Architects
Learn the benefits of green roofs with the ASLA green roof in Washington DC. Includes a green roof Fact Sheet, performance data, webcam, and education modules.

H2OUSE; water saver home
Includes a home tour to help homeowners discover water saving opportunities, water budget calculator, top 5 actions and a garden guide.

LEED links

Waste

How will waste be handled (minimized) during construction and once the building is occupied? Include here recycling and reuse. Also known as waste management or waste minimization.

Better Bags Colorado
Information on local initiatives to reduce use of plastic bags. Links for other resources and organizations.

Container Recycling Institute
Recycling rates, packaging facts, bottle bill resource guide.

EcoCycle
Working to build Zero waste communities. One of the largest nonprofit recyclers in the US, award winning organization based in Boulder, Colorado. Resources for any community or individual.

Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx)
A consortium of regional pollution prevention information centers. A good source for information on organizations working to reduce pollution, publications on reducing pollution, innovative technologies and discussion lists. Funded in part through EPA grants.

Top of Page

Selected Resources

Think of this section as the Librarians' Choice category. Where can I learn more?

BuildingGreen.com
Bibliography by topic, numerous resources and links.
An annual subscription/membership to BuildingGreen.com provides online access to extensive resources on green building products. A newsletter is included in the annual fee. Publisher of the GreenSpec Directory, the most recent is the 2007, 7th Edition. Web-based content is more current than the print edition.

CORE, Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy
"It's not the business you do, it's how you do business". A sustainable "chamber of commerce" if you will. Hosts the annual Sustainability Summit in Colorado.

Environmental Protection Agency Partnership Programs
EPA partners with companies, organizations, communities and individuals to address environmental issues. Access a variety of programs with this portal.

Federal Facilities Environmental Stewardship & Compliance Assistance Center
Federal government's resource page for high performance buildings. See the section titled "Supporting Information and Tools" for an extensive list and links to resources for any green building.

Green Building Initiative (GBI)
Non profit organization promoting green building practices. The Green Globes building guidance and assessment program is a GBI product.

US Green Building Council (USGBC)
Nonprofit leadership group dedicated to promoting green buildings. Develops the standards for certification in the Green Building Rating System Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

Top of Page

Alphabetical Listing by Organization or Resource Name

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

(* indicates information also appears in one or more of the categories above)

A

Alternative Fuels and Advance Vehicles Data Center
From the Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy *

American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACE3)
Top pick from this site is the Consumer resources: home energy checklist for action and greenercars.org. Includes a home energy checklist for action and information on greenercars.org and tax incentives. ACE3 promotes "development and adoption of energy efficiency improvements in buildings, appliances and other building equipment.*

American Institute of Architects
New feature "Walk the Walk" Architects leading the sustainable evolution. The nonmember area for Walk the Walk has fact sheets, resources and tips for working with an architect. Sustainability and green building news and events are listed here as well.*

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
Source for building heating and cooling standards used by USGBC LEED. Includes a free, online newsletter with case studies, High Performance Buildings. Issued quarterly. Designed to help inform about the benefits of innovations and energy efficiencies for indoor climate control.

American Society of Landscape Architects
Learn the benefits of green roofs with the ASLA green roof in Washington DC. Includes a green roof Fact Sheet, performance data, webcam, and education modules.*

American Solar Energy Society
A leader in promoting solar energy in the US. Newsletter, free online solar calculator, locate solar installers, find out about solar energy events.*

ASTM International
International standards organization organized in 1898 as the American Society for Testing and Materials. Develop standards which make products that are safer, meet environmental requirements and cost less. Fee based access to full text standards.

B

BEES 4.0 (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) National Institute of Standards and Technology
Free software from NIST to help select environmentally preferable and cost efficient building products. Version 4.0 includes data for more than 230 building products.*

Better Bags Colorado
Information on local initiatives to reduce use of plastic bags. Links for other resources and organizations.*

Building Energy Performance Info
Informational site developed and maintained by real estate professionals. Free newsletter, white papers and links to energy measurement and saving resources.*

Building Green.com
Bibliography by topic, numerous resources and links.
An anual subscripton/membership to BuildingGreen.com provides online access to extensive resources on green building products. A newsletter is included in the annual fee. Publisher of the GreenSpec Directory, the most recent is the 2007, 7th Edition.*

C

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
Prime source of expertise for sustainable buildings for the UK. Offers some free downloads to registered users. Registered users do not need to be members.

Colorado Governor's Energy Office
Includes Using LEEDNC® in Colorado: Tips, Resources and Examples a 2006 document focusing on completed Colorado projects.

ColoradoEnergy.org
Energy efficiency and renewable energy in Colorado. Designed for energy professionals and consumers. Includes updates on legislation and local building codes by linking to Colorado General Assembly Web site.

Consumer Product Information Database
CPID, produced by DeLima Associates. Database established in 1994 through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help inform consumers about household products. Site includes: glossary of terms, FAQ's, recalled products, search by product type, brand, ingredients, and manufacturers. Includes related Material Safety Data Sheets, MSDS.*

Container Recycling Institute
Recycling rates, packaging facts, bottle bill resource guide.*

CORE, Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy
"It's not the business you do, it's how you do business". A sustainable "chamber of commerce" if you will. Hosts the annual Sustainability Summit in Colorado.*

Top of Page

D

David Suzuki Foundation, Canada
Ways for society to live in balance with nature. Focus is in 4 areas: Sustainability, oceans and sustainable fishing, climate change and clean energy, nature challenge.

E

EcoCycle
Working to build Zero waste communities. One of the largest nonprofit recyclers in the US, award winning organization based in Boulder, Colorado. Resources for any community or individual.*

EnergyIdeas Clearinghouse
Washington State University Extension Energy Program. Established in 1990, this site provides "ask an expert" and a resource library with resources for businesses and homes.*

Envirolink
The Online Environmental Community. A nonprofit organization providing environmental resources since 1991. Information arranged by topic, breaking news with optional RSS feed. Provides Web site and domain hosting for other nonprofit environmental organizations.

Environmental Protection Agency Home page for EPA. Green building and sustainability sites here include:

F

Federal Facilities Environmental Stewardship & Compliance Assistance Center
Federal government's resource page for high performance buildings. See the section titled "Supporting Information and Tools" for an extensive list and links to resources for any green building.*

Federal Agencies in the Western United States, Leading by example
Sustainable Practices News, weekly news covering "innovation in technology, social and governance models and sustainable best practices since 2000". Source for federal initiatives, not an official government Web site.

Top of Page

G

Green Building In North America; Commission for Environmental Cooperation
The scope for this site is North America. Language options for English, French and Spanish. Features white papers under the Resources section. FAQs are useful.

Green Building Initiative (GBI)
Non profit organization promoting green building practices. The Green Globes building guidance and assessment program is a GBI product.*

GREENGUARD Environmental Institute
GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments and buildings. The advisory board members are experts in this field and volunteer their services. Buildings and products can be registered and certified.*

GreenerChoices
From Consumer Reports. Covers green building topics, products and their green ratings, toolkits, free email newsletter, site search engine. Ecolabels search: find out what those product labels really mean. Want to know more about a logo? Search by logo image.*

Green Guide, National Geographic
Articles, videos, quizzes, calculate your CO2, newsletter.

Green Home Guide
Features include "Ask a Pro", search for advice and professional builders in certain areas of the US. Location options are limited, but advice on paints, flooring, and energy efficiency are not location specific.

GreenPrint Denver
City of Denver action agenda for sustainability, hosted by the Denver Public Library.

GreenSeal
Science based environmental certification standards, since 1989, nonprofit organization with recognized credentials. Find certified products, get your products certified. Green reports on products including particle board and quick serve food packaging. Free newsletter.

Green Roofs
Library of Congress, Science References Service. Includes subject headings and links to internet resources and materials in the LC collection.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Site includes a "Tree of Knowledge" searchable database of case studies, articles and research papers on green roofs. English language. Searching and abstracts are free, some full content articles are sold individually or as proceedings. Green Save Calculator is free with registration. Publisher of Living Architecture Monitor, previously Green Roof Infrastructure Monitor, issued quarterly. Promotes developing industry standards and accreditation.*

Top of Page

H

H2OUSE; water saver home
Includes a home tour to help homeowners discover water saving opportunities, water budget calculator, top 5 actions and a garden guide.*

I

IGreenBuild.com
Case studies, articles, buyers guide, bookstore, blog, and more. Easy to search, results clearly organized.

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, IESNA
Source for lighting related technical documents and publications, most for purchase.*

International Code Council: Green Building
Links to a variety of resources, including the proposed National Green Building Standard, the ICC Green Building White Paper, and other useful information.

International Institute for Sustainable Development
IISD's publications center offers some papers for free download and offers suggestions for related reading materials.

Top of Page

N

National Library of Medicine

National Institute of Standards and Technology
Building and Fire Research Laboratory, Healthy and Sustainable Buildings

O

Oikos Green Building Source
News, library of technical articles, product information, green build glossary.

P

PEW Charitable Trusts
Includes a resource library that can be searched or browsed for PEW videos, fact sheets, polls, press releases, news articles going back to 2004.

Playbook for Green Buildings and Neighborhoods
Resources designed for communities starting or improving green building, green neighborhoods, and sustainable infrastructure initiatives. Consortium of over 20 government, utility and nonprof organizations .

Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx)
A consortium of regional pollution prevention information centers. A good source for information on organizations working to reduce pollution, publications on reducing pollution, innovative technologies and discussion lists. Funded in part through EPA grants.*

S

City Green Building
Seattle Department of Planning and Development provides tools, including a comprehensive Green Building Glossary, Green Roofs references, and Home Remodel Guides

Sustainability, American Public Media
Radio coverage, web stories, blogs, special reports on environmental issues.

SustainableBusiness.com
News from around the world, investor information, green job, articles, event calendar. Free newsletter. Business connections tab organized by topic, includes energy, green building, green consumer products, smart growth, recycling and transportation.

SouthFace
Mission: to promote sustainable homes, workplaces and communities through education, research advocacy, and technical support.
A content rich site, provides a hotline (4048723549) for energy and building questions. Southface is based in Atlanta, GA.

Top of Page

U

US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Energy calculators and software for buildings, homes, industry and vehicles.

US Green Building Council (USGBC)
Nonprofit leadership group dedicated to promoting green buildings. Develops the standards for certification in the Green Building Rating System - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)*

W

Whole Building Design Guide
Provides government and industry practitioners access to current information from the whole building perspective. Eleven participating agencies, not an official government site.

Top of Page

 

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.