Where do I buy green building materials?
Click here for a guide to Massachusetts green building retail suppliers (PDF)
How do I know that the products and materials that were specified for my project are truly sustainable?
Third party certifications and reviews are typically the most reliable way to judge a product manufacturer's claim about the greenness of a product. Online resources like Building Green's GreenSpec directory offer unbiased reviews and case studies, and there are many third party certification organizations that substantiate manufacturer's claims regarding recycled content, harmful emissions, origin of raw materials, etc, through the application of rigorous testing or review criteria. Also, new software tools like BEES and Pharos are being developed as ‘lenses' through which one can gauge a product's greenness.
Click here to download the NEXUS guide to third-party product certifications (PDF)
How can I finance or defray the cost of my green building or energy conservation project?
Download our guides to:
Energy Credit & Energy Efficiency mortgages for home buyers, remodelers & refinancers (PDF)
Residential rebate & incentive programs (Excel spreadsheet)
Commercial/ institutional rebate & incentive programs (Excel spreadsheet)
Community & non-profit group rebate & incentive programs (Excel spreadsheet)
Where can I find green service providers (contractors, engineers, designers, consultants, etc.)?
Click here to browse the NEXUS/ GRT Green Service Provider Directory.
What steps can I take to green my office space?
There are several measures you can take, from simple, no-cost changes to organizatiional practices, to more sophisticated measures like replacing your equipment with Energy Star models.
Click here to download the NEXUS/ GRT guide to greening your office space (PDF).
What is "green zoning" and how can I promote it among municipal officials in my own community?
Green zoning refers to local zoning ordinances governing building and development that seek to preserve open space/ green space, reduce demand on natural resources, promote energy efficiency and make cities generally more livable. It can encompass a broad range of strategies including restrictions on scale, clustered housing or minimum building density requirements, affordable housing mandates, low-impact development (LID) or more effective stormwater management, requiring LEED certification for new construction, fines for idling cars, rebates on energy efficient light bulbs and offering more transit options and bicycle lanes, among others. The cities of Austin, Texas, through its Sustainable Communities Initiative and Keene, New Hampshire, through its Climate Resilient Communities program, were pioneers in adopting green zoning ordinances.
For more information on the Austin and Keene programs, and green zoning issues and approaches in general, please refer to the NEXUS green zoning introductory guide (PDF):