“Greenstep” Video #7 Highlights Energy Modeling
Two-minute programs augment the Institute’s Walk the Walk campaign
On September 29, the AIA launched the seventh of 12 short video episodes for architects to share with clients who want to plan a new building or renovate an existing one using green building principles. “Energy Modeling” explains to clients that forecasting how a building—and its various components—uses energy can help shape the optimal design for their individual needs. (The first video is on water conservation; the second covers smart controls; the third, radiant heating and cooling; the fourth, vegetation and sun control; the fifth, the whole building approach; and the sixth, green tags.)

The New IRS Form 990 ...
Part II.
The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.—Albert Einstein
Last March, AIArchitect published an article introducing the IRS’s new Form 990, the federal income tax return form that nonprofit, 501(c) tax exempt organizations file each year, “The New IRS Form 990: What do AIA components need to know?”

This article is a follow-up piece to highlight the IRS’s revised Form 990 Instructions, released last August. The instructions are intended to provide additional guidance to organizations that file their tax returns using the Form 990. (The IRS describes the Instructions as still in “draft” form but does not anticipate further significant changes.) As the IRS explains: “The revised instructions provide additional examples to illustrate key points, reduce information gathering and reporting burden in certain key areas, and establish or revise definitions or standards in certain areas (e.g., key employee, officer).”

kiplinger connection
Wall Street Mess • The Economy • Energy
Wall Street Mess: Cash is king (invest if you’ve got it), credit tight.
The Economy: Retail and auto sales both face travails.
Energy: While Southeast gas shortages continue, E85 is available.