New Center for Green Building Research Proposed

At a March 6, 2004 workshop in San Francisco the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) introduced their plan for a Center for Green Building Research. The proposed Center would be managed by EPRI, while LBNL would direct the research efforts. The organizers are seeking funding from federal and state agencies and private sponsors for an initial five-year research agenda with a budget of $5 million to $7 million.

The Center’s proposed inaugural study would compare 20 green buildings to a control group of 20 conventional buildings in terms of energy use, indoor environmental quality, occupant satisfaction and health, transportation impacts, and costs. The organizers hope that this research will provide solid data to help make the case for green building and to identify ways in which green building programs such as LEED