Building Energy Resource Hub 180 N. LaSalle St. #2210 Chicago, IL 60601 info@buildinghub.energy
The Building Energy Resource Hub is a project of Illinois Green Alliance.
EIN: 75-3098915
Greetings -
Spring has arrived, and with it, a season of fresh resources! We’re excited to share the latest tools we’ve been working on to support your decarbonization journey—including a new online discussion forum, expanded technical assistance, a Decarb Planning Guide, real-world case studies, and stretch code guidance for both commercial and residential buildings. Looking to sharpen your skills? Join us for our upcoming education sessions, where we’ll explore emerging HVAC technologies and offer tips and tricks on energy benchmarking.
Got ideas for future programs or topics you’d like to see? We’d love to hear from you—drop us a line!
Katie, Kindy, Matt & Rimjhim
The Hub Team
Navigating Code Compliance and Grant Requirements for Nonprofit Retrofits
There’s a well-known adage in the green building community—that “the most sustainable building is the one that already exists.” It’s a sentiment that drives the work of Maria Bergh, Founder and Architect at We Build Agency and lead architect on the nonprofit Plant Chicago’s adaptive reuse of a 100-year-old-plus Chicago Firehouse into their new, sustainable headquarters and indoor urban farm. Maria recently sat down with us to discuss her experiences retrofitting older buildings in Chicago for nonprofit and small business clients, and provide lessons for other design and construction professionals.
The Building Energy Resource Hub has launched a new online planning tool to help guide building professionals through their decarbonization journey. This step-by-step resource walks users through key principles: knowing your building, setting goals, and implementing strategies. Designed for flexibility, it includes best practices, educational materials, and technical resources to support every stage of the process. Start using the guide today to plan how to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and future-proof your building!
We’re excited to introduce the Decarb Discussion Forum, an online community platform designed to support building professionals navigating the complexities of decarbonization. Moderated by staff with professional advice from volunteer industry experts, the forum provides a space to ask detailed, project-specific questions and receive reliable, peer-informed guidance. Whether you're looking for help interpreting policy, exploring technology options, or overcoming implementation hurdles, this is your space to connect, collaborate, and problem-solve with others in the field.
Understanding code updates is essential to staying on track with building performance and decarbonization goals. We’re excited to share new resources that outline the key differences between the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the 2024 IECC, and Illinois' Stretch Codes for both residential and commercial buildings. These guides highlight the most significant code changes and includes practical implementation tips to support project teams navigating compliance.
Call the Hub Help Desk today!
The Hub Help Desk is ready for your questions and inquiries. The Help Desk provides free, comprehensive support for building professionals, including commercial and multi-family building owners, contractors, and municipal representatives. Call us at 855-520-7693 or email help@buildinghub.energy today! You can also fill out a Help Desk Form and our team will get back to you promptly.
Innovative Gas Technologies and the Role of Utilities in a Clean Energy Future
April 2 @ 12:00 PM
As the energy sector moves toward a low-carbon future, both electric and gas utilities will play a critical role in ensuring safe, reliable, and affordable energy solutions. This virtual session will explore the latest advancements in gas efficiency, taking a deeper look at emerging and existing technologies that lower emissions and energy bills. Experts will discuss the potential of decarbonized fuels and innovative systems in achieving efficiency goals. Join us to learn how you can leverage these innovative technologies to lower energy costs in your next project—and which Peoples Gas incentives could help save you money up front.
Energy Benchmarking Tips and Tricks
April 23 @ 12:00 PM
This webinar will provide you with tips and tricks on how to use the free building benchmarking tool, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and help you understand how to create accurate building profiles, how to best gather and enter monthly energy, water, and/or waste data, and how to interpret your performance over time in the tool. All levels of knowledge and experience with benchmarking and energy management are welcome!
Passive House Certification, Energy Codes & Resilience
Hosted by SEDAC
April 15 @ 12:00 PM
This training will take a deeper look at Phius certification as one of the newest compliance paths available in Illinois. Our partners will discuss the five key concepts of the Passive House building standard and how these concepts result in high-performance buildings. The training will cover how the increased performance of this building standard uses the science behind the requirements of the code to substantially increase energy efficiency and overall resilience of a structure.
Phius 101: Foundation of Passive Building and Phius Standards
Hosted by Illinois Green Alliance and Phius
April 17 @ 12:00 PM
Join Illinois Green Alliance and Phius to learn how you can build comfortable, healthy, cost-efficient buildings for a more resilient world at Phius 101 for Architects and Engineers! In Illinois, Phius certification is an alternative compliance path to the base energy code, stretch energy code, and the Chicago Energy Transformation Code, and included in the point structure for the Illinois Qualified Allocation Plan and Chicago Sustainable Development Policy.
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Mailing address:
180 N. LaSalle St. #2210
Chicago, IL 60601
The Building Energy Resource Hub is a project of Illinois Green Alliance.
EIN: 75-3098915