Most people in our industry have heard of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Washington D.C. based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is "committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings".

Continuing Education is always a good thing. It seems like the older we get, the more we think acquiring additional education on subjects we feel we have an expertise in provides marginal returns on the time invested. However, I have found that even if a continuing education effort doesn’t provide groundbreaking information on the latest trends in subject matter, a beneficial experience can still be had.

There is no shortage of requirements dictating our day to day tasks as consulting engineers. Adding to the specific conditions of individual jobs and client needs are an ever-changing congregation of codes and standards that have significant impact on how we design mechanical and electrical systems for buildings. And even just the topic of ‘energy codes’ is quite vast, but this post sets out to lay the groundwork for where we’re at now and where the industry is headed.