Eco-building projects awarded research grants

Thirteen green building research projects in North America are to receive grants totaling $2 million from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The aim of the research grants, which are handed out on an annual basis, is to further sustainable and environmentally friendly building practices.

Over 200 research proposals were originally submitted to the Council, each vying for a share of the funding. Out of 38 finalists, 13 projects were award grants between $95,000 and $250,000.

The projects chosen are geographically distributed to cover the whole of the U.S. A quarter of the funds were given to research into green school buildings.

One project, funded $250,000, is researching the impact of daylight and artificial light on the alertness and well-being of high school students.

Another is putting together a green roof energy calculator to work out the most energy efficient roofing for different types of buildings.

Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO of the USGBC, said the grants are helping to meet an ‘enormous need’ for green building research.

He added that data from the research will be used to inform USGBC’s future strategy.