Better Buildings Guide
Shopping Options
We offer our information in 2 ways, the printed book which includes an overview of green issues and instructions on how to use the guide, and the digital data that supports the book with expanded information and often times more current information. The Book is published every 12-18 months, 2010 is the current publication. The digital Data is published every 6 months, its date is included in the selection title, for example, BBG#1_2010 indicates it was published in 2010 at the time of the printed book. The next publication of digital data will be 2011.
For homeowners -- Use this guide while shopping at your local home improvement store:
- To help understand why you may want a green option for paint, flooring, cabinets, or countertops.
- To check the greenness of the product you have already selected.
For facility managers -- Use this guide to help select and specify green building products:
- To update aging facilities to meet green codes.
- To provide good indoor air quality.
- To reduce energy and water use.
For designers -- Use this guide to help understand fundamental green attributes of:
- Common building products such as indoor finishes, insulation and drywall.
- Energy systems such as photovoltaic modules and geothermal.
For builders -- Use this guide to help shop for green products such as:
- Paint, drywall, and insulation.
- The most water-saving plumbing fixtures.
For retailers -- Use this guide to train staff and gain consumer confidence by:
- Knowing product standards and metrics.
- Being able to identify product certifications.