Innovative products for your next project
Happy Earth Day! In this edition, we share insights and tips to help you capitalize on customer demand for earth-friendly building, including an exclusive interview with a Project Drawdown expert. But first: here's how AI is making construction jobs more appealing to women.
>> Reduce. Reuse. Restore. Follow regenerative construction advocate Michael Burchert (@michaelburchert.bsky.social) for the latest insights on practices that restore and improve the environment we build in.
>> This is cool. Construction materials technology entrepreneur Ryan Gilliam explains how his company’s engineered cement lowers environmental impact without busting the budget or sacrificing safety and reliability.
>> Listen up! Ben Cohen, principal at Davis Construction, joins the Digital Builder podcast to share actionable ideas for sustainable construction, environmental standards and participating in the circular economy.
>> Who’s on deck? Learn how to design and execute a succession plan in this BNP Media webinar for plumbing and HVAC contractors. (April 29)
>> Just for fun: 📹: “Stuff my operator has hit on the job in the last 9 months”
Contractors are part of the solution
The structures we build are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and power use. That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news: Contractors can and do have a positive impact on climate change. In observance of Earth Day, we talked to Zoltan Nagy, PhD, a senior research fellow with non-profit org Project Drawdown, dedicated to promoting and identifying ways to reduce greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, to understand more about how contractors can be a part of the solution.
Why is it important to make buildings better for the planet?
Buildings account for roughly 30% of CO2 emissions in the US and around 75% of electricity consumption. Thus, the way we design, construct, operate and deconstruct buildings has a direct impact on our greenhouse gas emissions. Construction companies turn the designs of architects and engineers into reality. [They] have to execute the construction process… to ensure that the specified energy and emission savings are indeed achieved in the operation of a building.
What are two practices contractors can adopt right now?
Limiting idling and site sustainability plans. Chapter 10 of the International Green Construction Code provides guidance for the construction process and related operations. For example, there are limits on the idling of construction vehicles—no more than five minutes idling in any 60-minute period—and a requirement to prepare a plan for site sustainability and hand it over to the owner.
Can more planet-friendly practices help keep costs down?
Electrification and increased efficiency are both becoming cheaper, planet-friendly practices. Li-ion battery prices have become very cheap in the last few years and electric vehicles are overtaking gas combustion cars and trucks in many markets. Similarly, electrification of construction machinery, also made possible by Li-ion batteries, can reduce construction costs due to less maintenance, lower fuel costs and increased efficiency.
What else should contractors know?
ProjectDrawdown features interviews with construction pros and other trades people discussing how they're reducing the harmful impacts of building and the built environment, including Travis Charles Banks, project manager and principal of New Orleans' Gravel Road Builders & Construction Services, on implementing sustainable building practices and green infrastructure. Another one is Steve Place, horticulturist at Georgia Tech, on constructing spaces that instill hope and help the environment. And Jan Hagerman, manager with the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore, on the benefits of the circular economy.
Edited for brevity and clarity.
Innovative products for your next project
If you want to make your projects greener, check out these items from Green Builder’s 2025 Sustainable Products of the Year list.
Modern Mill’s ACRE wood substitute is fabricated from rice hulls and without VOC, formaldehyde, phenol or forever chemicals. Easy to repair and reuse, it’s suitable for indoor and outdoor applications. The product earns LEED points and is Clean Air GOLD Certified by the California Department of Public Health.
The M|R Walls x Polygood Collection is an innovative collaboration between The Good Plastic Company and designer Mario Romano. Each panel is made from 100 percent recycled and recyclable materials—including refrigerators, industrial waste and electronics—and keeps about 110 pounds of plastic waste out of the waste stream.
Therma-Tru’s Veris Collection of sliding, hinged, folding and pivot doors features thermal break elements that reduce heat and cold transfer between indoor and outdoor environments. That means less condensation, better interior temperature regulation and improved energy efficiency.
The ECOCELL batt and blanket insulation system from Nu-Wool is a non-irritating cellulose-based product made with high recycled content and is 100% recyclable itself. The batts can be subbed for traditional fiberglass or mineral wool ones, and the blankets are ideal for crawlspaces, unfinished basement walls and other unframed spaces. Both products are Class A fire-rated.
Why it matters: Commercial clients are looking to energy efficiency and environmentally responsible building practices to limit operational spend and meet their sustainability goals. Staying on top of the latest offerings helps you deliver. (Green Builder Media)
Why buy when you can rent?
Looking for new or specialty equipment but feeling like this isn’t the best time to invest? Chances are you can rent it. Manufacturers add new items to the for-rent inventory regularly, including these:
Loftness 10 Series Battle Ax Mulching Heads
Toro Dingo TX 1000 TURBO utility loader
New Holland Construction Landscape Rake
Genie Scissor Lifts
Why it matters: Tariffs and inflation make the cost of equipment higher. Rentals allow you to get specialized, seasonal or advanced equipment without the investment. Having the right tool for the right job drives efficiency and productivity, and keeps capital expenditures and maintenance costs down, too. (Rental Magazine)
>> Today’s Trend: New homes with ADUs
>> Cost Concerns: L.A.-area contractor feels the strain
>> Survey Says: More homeowners hot for geothermal
>> Tariff Troubles: Whiplash delays multifamily projects
Double down on resiliency
“We are entering a new era of resilient buildings that can stand up to climate change, extreme weather, and health threats through building technology,” writes Mike Lorenz, senior director of technology for Armstrong World Industries. “We are also equipped to create spaces that elevate indoor environmental quality and the well-being of occupants.” Strategies include prefab and modular building, sensors and smart building technology, pressurization and insulation.
Why it matters: Despite some moves by the new administration, Lorenz says climate realities make it clear that resiliency and harm reduction are crucial. “Building performance standards and the push for resilient buildings are not losing momentum,” he says. “The reason is simple: Resilient buildings are a good investment.” (Facilities Management Advisor)
- Get fired up! Master the fundamentals of welding in the American Welding Society’s introductory online course.
- Don’t be mad! Learn a better way to respond when a customer or vendor ghosts you.
- Give it back. Improve sustainability by taking BRE’s Circular Economy in Construction Foundations online class.
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The Level is written by Margot Lester and edited by Bianca Prieto.
