Green Building


Green building refers to the use of environmentally preferable practices and materials in the design, location, construction, operation, and disposal of buildings. It applies to both renovation and retrofitting of existing buildings and construction of new buildings, whether residential or commercial, public or private. By continually improving how we locate, design, build, operate, and retrofit buildings, North American leaders can significantly improve the well-being of North America. Advanced energy-saving technologies applied in buildings can result in enormous reductions in demand for fossil fuels and emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Better design and building practices can also help address environmental challenges such as natural resource depletion; waste disposal; and air, water, and soil pollution. Green building can also help achieve gains in human health and prosperity. Despite this potential for transformation, green building represents only a small percentage of building in North America. By some estimates, green building currently accounts for about two percent of the new non-residential building market in the United States and 0.3 percent of the residential market. Excerpted from Green Building in North America: Opportunities and Challenges by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

Resources:

Build It Green
Build It Green is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient building practices in California. The organization works with mainstream stakeholders in the housing industry to accelerate the adoption of green building practices, and our short-term goal is to facilitate the greening of 10,000 housing units by the end of 2008. Build It Green provides strategic assistance to local governments for developing, promoting, and implementing their green building policies and programs.

Build It Green has developed an Implementation Toolkit to help local governments adopt green building policies. Build It Green’s staff works with local government staff and officials to help them take advantage of all the resources in the Toolkit. Services provided by Build It Green include:

  • Establishing and supporting Public Agency Councils in priority regions around the state
  • Conducting training for local government officials, policy makers, and staff
  • Benchmarking and tracking local government policies, programs, and incentives to tap into emerging best practices and avoid “reinventing the wheel”

Contact Build It Green at 510-845-0472 to learn more about the services we offer for local governments.

Build It Green has also recently revised its Multifamily Green Building Guidelines. The Multifamily Guidelines are the most comprehensive resource available for greening new or existing multifamily structures, including strategies for low-rise, mid-rise, high-rise and mixed-use structures. The revised edition includes new or expanded sections on retrofitting existing structures, mixed-used design, climate protection (They are also fully compatible with the 2009 Title 24 energy efficiency standards.), acoustics and case studies. If you have any questions please contact Sara Morency, Administrative Coordinator, at 510-845-0472, ext. 121, or email at:  Admin@BuildItGreen.org.

LEED Tools for Governments and Schools
This document from the U.S. Green Building Council includes links to a number of resrouces for local governments including the State and Local Government Toolkit, which showcases how cities and regions across the country have led the way in incorporating green building into local ordinances, incentives, and guidelines. This toolkit provides information, including summaries of successful programs, for jurisdictions interested in starting their own green building programs.

LEED Playbook for Green Buildings and Neighborhoods.
The Playbook provides local governments with guidance and resources to rapidly advance green buildings, neighborhoods and infrastructure.

San Mateo Countywide Sustainable Buildings Guide
A guide to encourage builders, architects, and owners to design and construct buildings that are friendly to the environment and community.

Emerging Technologies for Affordable, Energy Efficient and Green Housing(Adobe PDF)
A presentation highlighting state and local efforts to encourage green affordable housing.

Many other countries have developed their own standards of energy efficiency for buildings:


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