What is the “Green Development” Movement?

Recognizes the impact building projects have on the environment and encourages the use of resources more efficiently through:

• Design
• Material selection
• Waste reduction
• Water conservation and reuse
• Energy efficiency
• Promoted as a way to enhance a building’s comfort, performance, profitability, and the productivity of its occupant’s

What Is Green Building?
Green buildings are sited, designed, constructed, and operated to enhance the well-being of their occupants and support a healthy community and natural environment.
In practical terms, green building is a whole-systems-approach to building that includes:
•     Designing for livable communities
•     Using sun and site to the building’s advantage for natural heating, cooling, and daylighting
•     Landscaping with native, drought-resistant plants and water-efficient practices
•     Building quality, durable structures
•     Reducing and recycling construction and demolition waste
•     Insulating well and ventilating appropriately
•     Incorporating durable, salvaged, recycled, and sustainably harvested materials
•     Using healthy products and building practices
•     Using energy-efficient and water-saving appliances, fixtures and technologies
When implemented holistically, these strategies serve to preserve our environment for future generations by conserving natural resources and protecting air and water quality. They provide benefits for us today by increasing comfort and well-being and helping to maintain healthy air quality. Finally, green building strategies are good for everyone’s pocketbook by reducing maintenance and replacement requirements, reducing utility bills and lowering the cost of home ownership, and increasing property and resale values.
Source: USGBC, 2008

Per Build It Green, there are five principles and examples of Green Building:
I. Livable Communities - Better neighborhoods and quality of life • Broader site considerations (as applicable) such as infill or mixed use developments • Keep size in check--conserve resources by increasing density on buildable land • Design for diverse households; ADA-compliant

II. Energy Efficiency - Improved comfort and lower energy bills • Passive solar heating, overhangs on south windows, deciduous trees on west and south • Upgraded insulation, SIPs, advanced air infiltration reduction practices (air sealing), Low-E double-pane windows • Compact fluorescent lighting, low energy-using major appliances • High-efficiency furnace or zoned, hydronic radiant heat; Tankless water heater • Solar water heating, photovoltaic system (solar panels), wind turbines

III. Indoor Air Quality - Safe, pleasant and healthy homes • Low or no-VOC paint, wood finishes, & adhesives; avoid products with added formaldehyde • Mechanical ventilation system, heat recovery ventilation unit, sealed-combustion furnace and water heater • Range hood and bath fans vent to outside, bath fans controlled with a timer or humidistat • No wood-burning fireplace, or retrofit wood-burning fireplace with EPA certified wood stoves/inserts

IV. Resource Conservation -Wise resource use for future generations • Reuse/recycling of C&D (construction & demolition) waste • High-volume recycled flyash in concrete (min. 25%) • Reclaimed lumber, flooring, millwork, and other reused or salvaged materials • FSC-Certified wood, engineered lumber, Advanced Framing techniques • Recycled-content decking, ceramic tiles, glass tiles or counters, carpet, etc. • Rapidly renewable flooring: cork, linoleum, bamboo, natural fiber carpet

V. Water Conservation • Ultra-low flush or dual-flush toilets, fixtures with below standard flow rates (showers<2.5gpm, faucets<2.2gpm) • Grey water system, rainwater harvesting system, low-water landscaping, native landscaping, high efficiency irrigation system, smart irrigation control, no irrigation

What Is LEED®?

LEED® U.S. Green Building Council For Homes
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is a non-profit coalition of leaders from across the building industry dedicated to promoting environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. USGBC developed LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to establish a common standard of measurement and promote integrated, whole-building design practices. LEED® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable commercial buildings.

The rating system awards points for performance in green design categories including: sustainable sites; water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmental quality; and innovation and design processes. The USGBC (www.usgbc.org) awards certification at four levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum, based on compliance with a set of prerequisites and number of credits earned.

Who is Build It Green?
Build It Green is a professional non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy and resource-efficient buildings in California.

Supported by a solid foundation of outreach and education, Build It Green connects consumers and building professionals with the tools and technical expertise they need to build quality green buildings. Build It Green fosters collaboration with key stakeholder groups to accelerate the adoption of green building practices, policies, and programs through its network of councils (www.builditgreen.org).