Green building

Here are some selected links you might like to try.

Please note: sites open in a new window.

Acorn Trust
The Acorn Trust website is dedicated to making environmental performance control accessible and profitable for smaller companies and their customers.
http://www.theacorntrust.org/

AggRegain
Funded through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, the AggRegain service has been established by WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) to provide a unique one-stop source of practical information on the use of recycled and secondary aggregates. It is a free service, designed to assist anyone interested in specifying, purchasing or supplying these types of products.
http://www.aggregain.org.uk/

Air Quality Archive
The UK national air quality information archive, with constantly updated summaries of air pollution levels throughout the UK. It also describes different forms of pollution, what causes them, and what's being done about it.
http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/index.php

Altener
European Commission site promoting the use of renewable energy sources.
http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l27016b.htm

American Solar Energy Society (ASES)
The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is dedicated to advancing the use of solar energy for the benefit of US citizens and the global environment. Includes information on solar energy technologies.
http://www.ases.org/

Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB)
UK association that seeks to encourage greater environmental awareness within the UK construction industry.
http://www.aecb.net/

Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE)
ACE is a lobby group which carries out policy research on energy conservation. Includes details of research and campaigns.
http://www.ukace.org/

Association of United Kingdom RIGS Groups (UKRIGS)
UKRIGS is a national organisation formed with the encouragement and support of the Nature Conservancy Council's successor statutory agencies and RSNC to represent the Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites (RIGS) movement and its independent, regional and county-sized RIGS groups across the UK.
http://www.ukrigs.org.uk/

Bioenergy Feedstock Information Network (BFIN)
A gateway to information about fast growing trees, grasses, and residues for biomass fuels and power. A US Government site, with a lot of international links.
http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/main.aspx

British Photovoltaic Association (PV-UK)
This site is intended to help you keep up to date with the latest developments in photovoltaics and the many applications in the UK for the technology.
http://www.greenenergy.org.uk/pvuk2/

British Wind Energy Association (BWEA)
The British Wind Energy Association is the largest renewable energy trade association in the UK, and is committed to supporting the continuing development of the wind energy industry.
http://www.bwea.com/

Builders Without Borders
Builders Without Borders is an international network of ecological builders working together to help ensure a sustainable future. The site includes details of projects, publications, and resources.
http://www.builderswithoutborders.org/

Building Green
From the US Natural Resources Defense Council, Building Green contains information on streamlining design and construction, and how green construction can make good business sense.
http://www.nrdc.org/buildinggreen/

BuildingGreen.com
Information resources for practictioners of sustainable design.
http://www.buildinggreen.com/

CADDET Renewable Energy
Provides information and project examples on geothermal, biomass, energy from waste, hydro, solar, wind, and photovoltaic technologies.
http://www.caddet.org/

Centre For Alternative Technology (CAT)
CAT are an educational charity striving to achieve the best cooperation between the natural, technological and human worlds; key areas of work are renewable energy, environmental building, energy efficiency, organic growing and alternative sewage systems. The site includes information and a virtual tour of the centre.
http://www.cat.org.uk/index.tmpl

Centre for Sustainable Development
The Department of Engineering Centre for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge is the focal point for research and teaching in engineering for sustainable development, seeking to address the pressing issues that face engineers in responding to the increasing demands being made in this area.
http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/sustdev/

Chug's World of Strawbale Building
Site covering strawbale building in the UK and Europe, with links to technical information and courses, and a database of strawbale buildings.
http://www.strawbale-building.co.uk/

CMHC Strawbale Moisture Sensor Study
Canadian study on the performance of strawbale buildings in climates with long winters.
http://mha-net.org/msb/html/papers-n/strwmoist/strwmoist.htm

ComEETA: Environmental Engineering and Technology in Australia
ComEETA - Community for Environmental Engineering and Technology in Australia - is a web community for sharing and discussing information on environmental engineering, environmental science and ecology in Australia, but also includes international news and links.
http://www.comeeta.org/

Construction Resources
Britain's first ecological builders' merchant and building centre, which promotes energy saving and sustainable building products. The site gives product details, and details of their courses and seminars.
http://www.constructionresources.com/

Earth Pledge Foundation
American organisation that exists to promote the practical benefits of sustainable development - the need to balance our desire for economic growth with the necessity of environmental, cultural and social preservation.
http://www.earthpledge.org/

Earthship
This site encourages the building of houses from recycled materials, primarily old tyres and tin cans, and tells you how to do it. These houses really do exist, though mostly in the USA so far.
http://www.earthship.net/

EcoConstruction.org
Searchable database of recycled and reclaimed materials for construction in the UK. Also includes information on the need to recycle and the environmental impact of construction.
http://www.ecoconstruction.org/

Ecological Design Institute (EDI)
The EDI appears to be largely one US architectural practice promoting strategies of conservation, regeneration, and stewardship (and themselves), but the site does include some useful information.
http://www.ecodesign.org/

EcoMarket International
The European platform for green products, services and information. It includes construction products, but does not concentrate on them exclusively.
http://www.ecomarket.net/

e-Digest of Environmental Statistics
Summary statistics on the environment in the United Kingdom. Statistics are presented on a number of Topics divided into several Key Facts - key information linking to pages with detailed information and extensive links to other web sites.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/index.htm

Energy Projects UK
A guide to UK Local Agenda 21 renewable energy projects.
http://www.energyprojects.co.uk/

Energy Saving Trust: Solar Photovoltaics (PV)
Everything you need to know about Department of Trade and Industry grants for generating electricity from the sun.
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/housingbuildings/funding/solarpv/

Engineering for a Sustainable Future
Engineering for a Sustainable Future is an IEE Professional Network for engineers of all disciples with an interest in environmental and social issues. The site includes an online library, a forum, and details of events and training.
http://www.iee.org/OnComms/PN/sustainability/index.cfm

Environment Agency
The Environment Agency aims to achieve major and continuous improvements in the quality of air, land and water in the UK. Includes facts and figures, and summaries of key reports.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

Environmental Change Network (ECN)
The Environmental Change Network (ECN) is the UK's long-term environmental monitoring programme. It is designed to collect, store, analyse and interpret long-term data based on a set of key physical, chemical and biological variables which drive and respond to environmental change at a range of terrestrial and freshwater sites across the UK. The site contains a range of data and links.
http://www.ecn.ac.uk/

Environmental Expert.com
Environmental business information service centre for professionals worldwide, with environmental articles and technical papers, news, events, etc.
http://www.environmental-expert.com/

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA is responsible for the protection of the environment in the USA.
http://www.epa.gov/

Environmental Protection UK
NSCA's objectives are to promote clean air and environmental protection through the reduction of air, water and land pollution, noise and other contaminants, while having due regard for all aspects of the environment. The society examines environmental policy issues and aims to place them in a broader social and economic context. Includes full text of fact sheets and other information.
http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/

Enviropedia
Over 300 short articles on the environment, covering global warming and climate change, pollution, and sustainability.
http://www.enviropedia.org.uk/

EUREC Agency
An independent association grouping about 40 prominent RD&D groups from all over Europe in the field of renewable energy technologies.
http://www.eurec.be/

European Biomass Association
A group of national biomass associations with the aim of promoting biomass production and application throughout Europe. Includes articles and details of projects and publications.
http://www.ecop.ucl.ac.be/aebiom/

European DataBank Sustainable Development
The DataBank lists institutions, associations, societies and experts throughout Europe involved theoretically and/or practically in the achievement of sustainable development on an international, national and regional level. Includes a search engine leading to comprehensive details on the organisations included, plus articles, events and links.
http://www.sd-eudb.net/

European Environment Agency
The EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvements in Europe's environment through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy making agents and the public.
http://www.eea.europa.eu/

European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER)
EPER is the first European-wide register of industrial emissions into air and water. Includes access to information on the annual emissions of thousands of industrial facilities in the Member States of the EU as well as Norway. You can group information easily, by pollutant, activity (sector), air and water (direct or via a sewerage system) or by country. It is also possible to see detailed data on individual facilities. You can search by name or by clicking on a map. Alternatively you can look for the sources of a particular pollutant.
http://eper.ec.europa.eu/eper/default.asp

Eurosolar
Promotes the replacement of nuclear and fossil fuels and their sources with environmentally sound energy sources, using both direct and indirect sources of a solar energy, such as solar energy, wind energy, biomass, hydropower, and the ocean energies.
http://www.eurosolar.de/en/

Global Environment Facility (GEF)
The Global Environment Facility was established to forge international cooperation and finance actions to address critical threats to the global environment. It brings together 166 member governments, leading development institutions, the scientific community, and a wide spectrum of private sector and non-governmental organizations on behalf of a common global environmental agenda.
http://www.gefweb.org/

Green Book Live
Green Book Live is a free online database designed to help UK specifiers and end users identify products and services that can help to reduce their impact on the environment.
http://www.greenbooklive.com/

Green Building Concepts
Green Building Concepts supplies information on resources and energy efficient home building.
http://greenconcepts.com/

Green Building Information Centre (GBIC)
Canadian site that disseminates information about energy and environmental issues in the building sector. It includes a broad range of information from other sources and organizations around the world, all of which are separately identified.
http://greenbuilding.ca/

Green Home Building
US site with a wide range of information about sustainable architecture and natural building.
http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/

Green Providers Directory
The Green Providers Directory is a resource for finding green, organic and fair trade goods and services. It provides links to a range of renewable energy suppliers, recycled and natural products, fair trade clothing, gifts and gadgets. It also provides news, blogs and updates on the environment, recycling, energy efficiency and related topics.
http://www.search-for-me.co.uk/

Green Seal
Green Seal is an independent, nonprofit organisation dedicated to protecting the environment by promoting the manufacture and sale of environmentally responsible consumer products. It includes construction products, but not exclusively.
http://www.greenseal.org/

GreenClips
A summary of news on sustainable building design and issues. An American site, but it covers international news.
http://www.greenclips.com/

GREENTIE
The Greenhouse Gas Technology Information Exchange (GREENTIE) site is an international information network that distributes details of suppliers whose technologies help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The GREENTIE Directory database contains details of almost 8,000 technology suppliers and information organisations from all over the world.
http://www.greentie.org/

IEA Bioenergy
IEA Bioenergy was set by the International Energy Agency (IEA), and aims to accelerate the use of environmentally sound and cost competitive bioenergy on a sustainable basis, and thereby achieve a substantial contribution to future energy demands.
http://www.ieabioenergy.com/

Illustrated History of Wind Power Development
As this is a US site, it's particularly interested in the development of the wind power industry in America, but it does cover Europe to a lesser extent.
http://www.telosnet.com/wind/

International Ecological Engineering Society (IEES)
The IEES provides a common forum for anyone involved in ecological engineering projects. These include traditional engineers, marine biologists, ecological economists, development workers, and many others.
http://www.iees.ch/

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
IISD promotes the transition toward a sustainable future. They seek to demonstrate how human ingenuity can be applied to improve the well-being of the environment, economy and society. Has a searchable archive of articles.
http://www.iisd.org/default.aspx

International Solar Energy Society (ISES)
ISES exists for the promotion of solar and renewable energy, covering such diverse fields as solar thermal and solar photovoltaic, solar architecture or wind and biomass energy.
http://www.ises.org/ises.nsf

Introduction to Environmental Protection
A guide to environmental protection material produced by the UK government.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/

Landscape Impact and Visual Design of Windfarms
A lengthy review of a report on wind turbines and aesthetic design, containing a lot of information itself.
http://www.ilr.tu-berlin.de/WKA/windbooks/stanton.html

Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Site supporting the UK government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) Phase 1. This programme provides grants for the installation of microgeneration technologies in a range of buildings to include households, community organisations, public, private and the non-profit sectors. Inlucdes details on microgeneration technologies, how to apply, information and resources, and news.
http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/home/

National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT)
NCAT serves economically disadvantaged people by providing information and access to appropriate technologies that can help improve their lives. The site provides information on programmes on in energy, agriculture and communities.
http://www.ncat.org/

Natural Building Resources
Natural Building Resources is an umbrella organization created to disseminate and coordinate information and activities regarding natural building, sustainable architecture, and ecological living. Includes links to other resources and details of their publications, plus an overview of natural building techniques.
http://www.strawbalecentral.com/

Nature-GIS
A European thematic network for protected areas, nature preservation and geographical information.
http://www.gisig.it/nature-gis/

New Buildings Institute
The New Buildings Institute, Inc. is a US not-for-profit public benefits corporation, helping to make buildings better for people and the environment. The site contains a lot of information on energy efficient buildings available for download, although registration is required for some of it.
http://www.newbuildings.org/

NREL: Photovoltaics for Buildings
US government site that aims to improve photovoltaic (PV) building technology and to educate consumers and the building industry about PV to overcome technical and commercial barriers to market acceptance of the technology. Includes research, and information on PV for homes and commercial buildings.
http://www.nrel.gov/pv/building_integrated_pv.html

offshorewindfarms.co.uk
Information on the newly emerging offshore wind energy industry in the UK, with news, views and photos.
http://www.offshorewindfarms.co.uk/

Oikos
Oikos is devoted to serving construction professionals whose work promotes sustainable design and construction. It's an American site, but has some information on green products and methods that is applicable elsewhere.
http://www.oikos.com/

Permaculture the Earth
Links, articles and a forum on permaculture design and its applications.
http://www.permaearth.org/

Plant Conservation Research Group
The Group applies and integrates traditional and contemporary approaches to plant conservation in the context of native species preservation, agriculture, horticulture, forestry and freshwater biology.
http://scieng.abertay.ac.uk/plant/

RecycleWood
RecycleWood is an interactive resource produced by WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) to help producers of wood waste find collection services and recycling facilities. This is a free resource that can be used by entering your postcode or browsing a map of the UK.
http://www.recyclewood.org.uk/

Renewable Power Association
Trade association for the UK renewable energy sector. The site includes information on different form of renewable energy.
http://www.r-p-a.org.uk/home.fcm

RESTATS
RESTATS is the Renewable Energy STATisticS database and is the results of an ongoing study undertaken by AEA Energy & Environment on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry. It consists of a database containing information on all relevant renewable energy sources in the United Kingdom, and can be searched using an interactive map.
http://www.restats.org.uk/

Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution is an independent standing body established in 1970 to advise the Government and the public on environmental issues. The site includes details of all RCEP report, with the more recent ones full text.
http://www.rcep.org.uk/

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
SEPA is responsible for the protection of the environment in Scotland.
http://www.sepa.org.uk/

Smart Communities Network
US government site promoting green building methods.
http://www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/

SMARTWaste
The SMARTWaste system is a set of tools to allow companies to apply the concept of sustainable waste management. The system includes a benchmarking tool, an auditing tool, a monitoring and target setting tool for local government, contractors and managers, and a geographical information system (GIS) that helps identify the best practical environmental option for waste.
http://www.smartwaste.co.uk/

Solar Radiation Resource Information
Solar radiation data that may be used when planning solar power projects.
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/

Sourcebook Straw Bale
Sourcebook of information on straw bale construction, concentrating on the US.
http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/strawbale.html

Surfin' Strawbale
Everything you need to know on strawbale construction.
http://mha-net.org/html/sblinks.htm

SUST.
Developed by The Lighthouse in collaboration with the Architecture Policy Unit at the Scottish Executive, SUST. gives free access to a wide variety of information, resources and guidance on sustainability. The site includes, links, downloads, and a My Sust. House game to design your own sustainable house.
http://www.sust.org/index.php

Sustainability Web Ring
An extensive list of resources on sustainable development and green building.
http://n.webring.com/hub?ring=sustainability&list

Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy
Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy is a new peer-reviewed, open access journal that provides a platform for the dissemination of new practices and for dialogue emerging out of the field of sustainability. Includes the full text of articles in both HTML and PDF formats.
http://ejournal.nbii.org/

Sustainable Architecture, Building and Culture
A collection of links and other resources on ecological and natural building.
http://www.sustainableabc.com/

Sustainable Development Commission
The Sustainable Development Commission is the UK Government's independent advisory body on sustainable development.
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/

Sustainable Development Dimensions
Articles and links on all aspects of sustainable development throughout the world.
http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/sustdev/welcome_.htm

Sustainable Development International
Sustainable Development International provides official information on issues related to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.
http://www.sustdev.org/

Sustainable Environment
The Encyclopedia is a one-stop source of brief information on sustainable development topics.
http://www.sustainable-environment.org.uk/

Sustainable Sources
Sustainable Sources provides links to resources that offer practical options to the conventional methods of building, community, travel, and more.
http://www.greenbuilder.com/

Task 7
An International Energy Agency (IEA) site that promotes the use of photovoltaics in the built environment.
http://www.task7.org/

Terms of Environment
An alphabetical list of terms and acronyms relating to environmental issues and environmental engineering.
http://www.epa.gov/OCEPAterms/

The Commons
An open world-wide forum concerned with improving our understanding and control of technology as it impacts on people in their daily lives, including construction and transport.
http://www.ecoplan.org/

UK carbon map
Provided by the Carbon Trust, the map shows how much carbon dioxide (CO₂) is emitted across the UK, illustrating carbon dioxide density per square kilometre and with detailed information on the tonnes of CO₂ source emissions by various towns and cities throughout the country.
http://www.carbonmap.co.uk/

UK Green Building Council
The UK Green Building Council's mission is to dramatically improve the sustainability of the built environment by radically transforming the way it is planned, designed, constructed, maintained and operated. The site includes news and reports.
http://www.ukgbc.org/site/home

UK Solar Energy Society
A forum for all those interested in the advancement of the utilisation of the sun's energy, with useful facts.
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/other/uk-ises/home.html

UNEP.Net Environment Network
A United Nations site providing authoritative environmental information from a broad range of information and data providers, committed to making their information freely available to the whole spectrum of users of environmental information.
http://www.unep.org/

Urban Mines
Urban Mines is a UK not-for-profit environmental organisation concerned with the development and application of soundly-based and practical approaches to the waste stream.
http://www.urbanmines.org.uk/

US Green Building Council
Aims to be the centre for debate and action on environmental issues facing the construction industry's multiple interests. Includes details of their publications.
http://www.usgbc.org/

Wildfile
Wildfile is an independent site that provides links to information on UK wildlife and other environmental themes. They have an emphasis on voluntary and individual sites.
http://www.wildfile.co.uk/

Windpower
Provided by the Danish Wind Industry Association, this site includes more than 100 pages and calculators on wind resources, wind turbine technology, economics, and environmental aspects of wind energy.
http://www.windpower.org/

Zedstandards
Contains a set of downloadable draft documents describing a sustainable building code, suitable for mixed use developments in most climatic conditions approximating those in the UK. The standards are based on the development and occupation of the BedZED mixed use development in South London.
http://www.zedstandards.com/

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