https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/Notes on buildings, indoor air, carbon, and sustainability. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2026-10-09-inspiration-is-everywhere-notes-from-crew-convention-2026-miami/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2026-10-09-inspiration-is-everywhere-notes-from-crew-convention-2026-miami/Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000I said last week that CREW is a place where you can find inspiration literally anywhere you look.. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2026-09-15-why-is-it-so-hard-to-make-everyone-comfortable/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2026-09-15-why-is-it-so-hard-to-make-everyone-comfortable/Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000Have you ever been in a meeting where one person is reaching for a sweater while someone else is asking to turn down the thermostat? If so, you've experienced one of the great challenges of building design: thermal comfort. At first glance, thermal comfort seems simple. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2026-08-22-where-the-sidewalk-fails-the-carbon-cost-of-replacing/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2026-08-22-where-the-sidewalk-fails-the-carbon-cost-of-replacing/Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Back in May, way back when summer was just kicking off, the City of Omaha painted green X's on the sidewalk in front of my house. And a bunch of my neighbors. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2026-04-08-cre-roles-i-wish-i-understood-sooner/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2026-04-08-cre-roles-i-wish-i-understood-sooner/Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000When I started my career as a consulting engineer in the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) world, I thought I had a solid handle on who my clients were.. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2026-03-06-state-of-the-air-iaq-update-hot-takes/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2026-03-06-state-of-the-air-iaq-update-hot-takes/Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000Hey All! It's been a minute since I posted an article, so why not do a comprehensive roundup of one of my favorite topics.. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-12-01-uv-systems-arent-all-the-same-heres-what-to/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-12-01-uv-systems-arent-all-the-same-heres-what-to/Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000UV-C systems have become a go-to strategy for improving indoor air quality, reducing maintenance costs, and supporting decarbonization by keeping coils cleaner and HVAC systems more efficient. They show up both in new construction and retrofit applications in buildings of all types (for good reason) https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-11-18-fugitive-emissions-a-blind-spot-in-our-carbon-strategy/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-11-18-fugitive-emissions-a-blind-spot-in-our-carbon-strategy/Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000Now that we've solved embodied carbon, and decarbonizing the grid, and all the other things (kidding.. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-09-07-resiliency-why-cre-stakeholders-should-prioritize-now/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-09-07-resiliency-why-cre-stakeholders-should-prioritize-now/Sun, 07 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000Our buildings and communities are facing more frequent and severe climate-related threats, from flooding and wildfires to extreme heat and storms. You don't have to look far to see the headlines, on the regular: "Rain rips through NYC, send US Open spectators scurrying" - NY Post "Climate crisis wil https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-08-11-your-garbage-disposal-isnt-a-magic-portal-and-where/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-08-11-your-garbage-disposal-isnt-a-magic-portal-and-where/Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000Over the weekend, I had one of those "aha" moments in conversation - realizing that most people don't realize that garbage disposals, despite being promoted "convenient and safe" (by the manufacturers) and even environmental heroes for magically disappearing food scraps, they can actually be a hidde https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-07-29-the-myth-of-persistent-leed-certification/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-07-29-the-myth-of-persistent-leed-certification/Tue, 29 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000If you've been involved in sustainability and green building for any length of time, you've probably encountered the idea that once a building achieves LEED certification, it’s permanently sustainable (spoiler: it isn't).. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-06-06-faq-what-home-air-purifier-should-i-get/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-06-06-faq-what-home-air-purifier-should-i-get/Fri, 06 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000Short Answer: If you just want a recommendation without all the details these are brands I've had first-hand experience with, in order of personal preference: Coway Airmega Levoit LAP-C161 Blueair 311i Max Rabbit Air MinusA2 TL;DR: Get the right size for your space. Prioritize high CADR and low cost https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-06-04-5-fast-facts-about-perform-and-why-your-esg/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-06-04-5-fast-facts-about-perform-and-why-your-esg/Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000I think we all know the big stats, but they're still worth repeating.. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-03-24-whats-in-your-water-nitrates-and-pfas-also-maybe/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2025-03-24-whats-in-your-water-nitrates-and-pfas-also-maybe/Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000So as often happens (to me) I was doing my taxes this weekend, one thing led to another, and suddenly I was ordering a water quality test kit. Does this stuff only happen to me? What queued up my interest, admittedly, was this Reverse Osmosis System Tax Credit from the state of Nebraska, which allow https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-12-28-navigating-the-esg-mandate-maze-a-global-guide-to/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-12-28-navigating-the-esg-mandate-maze-a-global-guide-to/Sat, 28 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000This newsletter edition has been split from its original format into two parts. The other can be found here: "Promises vs. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-12-03-promises-vs-progress-evaluating-climate-policies-nearly-a-decade/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-12-03-promises-vs-progress-evaluating-climate-policies-nearly-a-decade/Tue, 03 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000This newsletter edition has been split from its original format into two parts. The other can be found here: "Navigating the ESG Mandate Maze: A Global Guide to Emissions Disclosure". https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-11-25-bloomberg-green-festival/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-11-25-bloomberg-green-festival/Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000Nothing like recapping a conference 4 months after it ends (speaking of, according to this cadence, stay tuned for my 2024 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo recap.. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-11-10-bps-and-beps-blueprints-for-better-buildings/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-11-10-bps-and-beps-blueprints-for-better-buildings/Sun, 10 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000NOTE: Sometimes the terms Building Performance Standards (BPS) and Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) are both used. For clarity and to save myself typing an extra letter, I prefer to, and will, use BPS throughout this article. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-09-02-bird-collision-deterrence/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-09-02-bird-collision-deterrence/Mon, 02 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000Another title for this article could easily have been.. https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-08-14-hello-world/https://www.sarah-gudeman.com/solutionist-stories/2024-08-14-hello-world/Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000🌟 Welcome to 'Solutionist Stories with Sarah' "Problems are nothing but wake-up calls for creativity." —Geri Weitzman Welcome to the inaugural edition of 'Solutionist Stories with Sarah,' a newsletter where I will seek to explore the intersection of idealism and actuality.