Sunday, February 16, 2014

Jim Newman at Passive House New England

I recently attended a talk about the "Larger Ecological Impact of Super Low-Energy Building" , by Jim Newman at Linnean Solutions.

Jim is an interesting speaker, funny and informative, peppering his data-rich talk with informative graphics and real-life examples. The takeaway from that : paraphrasing, The choices you make can make a difference.

Looking at green building with a different lens, Jim talked about the energy that is used in making a green building, and the major energy hogs in making a building. It was interesting to note the Global Warming Potential of foam, and the importance of going local. Transportation Energy : the energy used in transporting people to the site is a major hog. He also talked about materials, their Global Warming Potential and how choices of materials can make a difference in the overall sustainability of the building. It was great to hear about how to make construction more sustainable, while keeping the same performance of the buildings.

For those of you in Boston that haven't checked out Passive House, it is a group that meets every second Tuesday of the month at the BSA Space. Check them out, it is a great group !