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Proposition 23

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Proposition 23
Initiative Statute
1454. (09-0104) - Final Random Sample Update - 06/22/10

Suspends Air Pollution Control Laws Requiring Major Polluters to Report and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions That Cause Global Warming Until Unemployment Drops Below Specified Level for Full Year.

Qualified: 06/22/10

Proponent: Thomas W. Hiltachk (916) 442-7757

Suspends State laws requiring reduced greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, until California's unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent or less for four consecutive quarters. Requires State to abandon implementation of comprehensive greenhouse-gas-reduction program that includes increased renewable energy and cleaner fuel requirements, and mandatory emission reporting and fee requirements for major polluters such as power plants and oil refineries, until suspension is lifted. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potential positive, short-term impacts on state and local government revenues from the suspension of regulatory activity, with uncertain longer-run impacts. Potential foregone state revenues from the auctioning of emission allowances by state government, by suspending the future implementation of cap-and-trade regulations. (09-0104.) (Full Text)

Jul 29, 2010 1:00 PM

Governor: Freezing AB32 'would be devastating'

Carla Marinucci — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says political candidates and forces in his own party who argue

for the suspension of the state's climate change law are "trying to pull the wool over people's eyes" and have "the intention of eliminating" the landmark climate change bill he signed in 2006.

"There is no suspension," the governor said in an interview with The Chronicle last week, adding that the state's economy is "like a ship - and when you approach the iceberg, you cannot just move the ship."

Likewise, the state cannot "from one year to the next, change policy and stop the creation of jobs," he said. "We have to be consistent and stay in place. You have to be flexible with your regulations, and you've got to move forward."

The remarks were Schwarzenegger's strongest to date on the efforts of Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, who has said she would suspend the law for one year if elected, and proponents of Proposition 23, a measure on the November ballot that would suspend AB32.

While he acknowledged that California's economy is "not yet where we want it to be," Schwarzenegger argued that freezing policies on climate change would be "wrong, and it would be devastating." He said the move would seriously undermine California's efforts to attract new investment and create thousands of new jobs in green technology.

Schwarzenegger said California has sent a message to green technology industries to "come here ... we will give you the tax incentives, we will give you the work power, we will find you the warehouses. We are here to help you: Come here and do business."

"That is a tremendous message," he added, and it is "having an effect on the most powerful companies in the world."

The governor predicted that opposing AB32 "will backfire on candidates because the majority of people in California are 100 percent in support of having a good environment, having the protections, creating jobs and stimulating the economy."

A Field Poll released this month found that 48 percent of California voters oppose Prop. 23, 36 percent support the measure and 16 percent are undecided.

E-mail Carla Marinucci at cmarinucci@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page A - 12 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Jul 27, 2010 1:00 PM

Support PACE Now! Email this letter today to your congressman today!

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:00:00 GMT

To find a list of key contacts visit this web page. ICLEI Key Contacts

(PRINT ON YOUR ORG’S LETTERHEAD – please send a copy of all letters to congress@pacenow.org)

July X, 2010

(your senator – please fill in) (your local congressman – please fill in)

The Honorable Christopher J. Dodd, Chairman The Honorable Barney Frank, Chairman

Sen. Richard C. Shelby, Ranking Member Spencer Bachus, Ranking Member

Senate Banking Committee House Committee on Financial Services

The Honorable Jeffrey Bingaman, Chairman The Honorable Henry Waxman, Chairman

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Ranking Member Rep. Joe Barton, Ranking Member

Energy & Natural Resources Energy & Commerce Committee

U. S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear members of Congress:

I am [We are] writing as a constituent of ___________ [city, state in XXth Congressional District] to ask you to support legislation that guarantees local government the right to establish clean energy programs, known as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE). PACE is a local government solution that helps home and building owners finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements and is supported by a century of legal and historical precedent for special assessment districts, including more than 37,000 districts that have been used to finance sewers, sidewalks, and other projects that serve a public purpose.

We strongly believe that recent actions by federal regulators infringe upon state’s rights to utilize assessment districts and that PACE is good for our nation’s housing industry and mortgage investors. The regulators disagree. We must protect our state’s rights and let the facts and data from our nation’s PACE pilot programs determine who is correct . We urge you to support legislation so our nation’s PACE pilot programs can proceed.

In just the past two years, twenty-two states have passed laws enabling local governments to develop PACE programs (CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, LA, ME, MD, MN, MO, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, TX, VT, VA, WI). State and local governments have embraced PACE because of its tremendous potential to cut energy bills, increase homeowner cash flow for mortgage payments, reduce mortgage default risk, create tens of thousands of local jobs and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by spurring investment in clean energy improvements. PACE has received strong bipartisan support nationwide – in red states and blue states – because creating jobs, saving energy and reducing utility bills for families and businesses is important to all Americans. Our nation’s PACE programs were set to launch a 24 month pilot period this summer, funded by $150 million in grants from the Department of Energy, incorporating safety and soundness consumer and lender protections that were developed by a White House led inter-agency working group consisting of HUD, NEC, OMB, CEQ and DOE.

Unfortunately, despite PACE’s great promise, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC, collectively the “Regulators”) issued recent statements blocking our nation’s PACE pilot programs. The Regulators action is a direct challenge to state’s rights to levy tax assessments for a public purpose and wrongly asserts that the consumer and lender protections were not sufficient. The DOE funded PACE programs have been specifically designed to help the mortgage market yet the Regulators statements simply rehashed old concerns that were cured (See PACE response to the Regulators concerns). Because of FHFA’s oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and OCC’s influence over our nation’s banks, the statements forced existing PACE programs to halt and froze the ability to launch PACE programs already under development nationwide.

Congress, which chartered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and which established FHFA & OCC, must quickly intervene to pass legislation that guarantees the right of state and local government to form special assessment districts to promote clean energy programs and restore the promise of PACE.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Organization]

cc: Ben Bernanke, Chairman, US Federal Reserve; Ed DeMarco, Acting Director, FHFA; Tim Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, US Treasury Department; Sheila C. Bair, Chairman, FDIC; John C. Dugan, Comptroller of the Currency, OCC

PACE Finance Summary Sheet

Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Financing for Property Owners

What is PACE?

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a local government program that allows property owners to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements using low‐interest bonds that generally have no recourse to the municipality. Interested residential and commercial property owners opt‐in to receive long term financing (up to 20 years) for these improvements, which is repaid through an assessment on their property taxes. This arrangement spreads the cost of clean energy improvements – such as energy efficient boilers, upgraded insulation, new windows, solar installations, etc – over the expected life of the measure and allows for the repayment obligation to automatically transfer to the next property owner if the property is sold.

Why is PACE so innovative?

High upfront cost is the single largest barrier to increased adoption of energy efficiency and small‐scale renewable energy. The second barrier is the uncertainty as to whether property buyers will pay more for efficiency improved properties. PACE removes the upfront cost barrier and removes the uncertainty barrier as the new buyer inherits the annual tax surcharges.

Historical precedent

PACE is a type of land‐secured financing district, which has a 100+ year history in the U.S. to pay for improvements in the public interest. Over 37,000 land secured districts already exist and are a familiar tool of municipal finance. They are used to finance projects which serve a public purpose, including street paving, parks, open space, water and sewer systems, street lighting, and seismic strengthening, among others. Link: Paul Hastings legal opinion.

Benefits to Existing Lenders

Lower Default Risk – Owner’s cash flow position is improved as PACE programs are designed to have annual energy savings exceed the annual PACE assessment payments. Owner is now in a better position to make mortgage payments.

Better Loan‐to‐Value Ratio – Since PACE improvements have a positive net present value, they increase the lender’s collateral which improves the loan‐to‐value ratio.

Best Practice Framework Adopted ‐ The White House PACE Best Practice Frameworkand the Department of Energy Guidelinesare now being incorporated into PACE programs nationwide to help ensure that PACE programs benefit existing lenders.

PACE Senior lien status is immaterial (less than $200 per home) & more than offset by value enhancement – PACE assessments are treated as senior liens which is critical for the success of the programs but the seniority amount is immaterial due to the per property size limits of PACE finance and other best practice measures (Link to NY Times Article& PACE Lien Immateriality).

What are the benefits to participating property owners?

No Upfront Cost – Removes the upfront cost barrier of energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements. Most programs only charge a small fee to property owners.

Improved Cash Flow – Owner’s cash flow position is improved as PACE programs are designed to have annual energy savings exceed the annual PACE assessment payments.

Less Investment Risk ‐ Removes the uncertainty of recovering the cost of improvements if the property is sold, because the financing runs with the property via the tax assessment.

Benefits to Municipalities

Local Job Growth – PACE has the ability to stimulate local job creation through the installation of efficiency and energy improvements. It is estimated that for every $1mm spent on clean energy improvements, 10 jobs are created. For every 100,000 homes that are retrofitted, with an average expenditure of $10,000, more than 10,000 jobs would be created.

No Credit or General Obligation Risk – PACE bonds are typically not general obligation or appropriation bonds, so the municipality’s credit is not placed on the line. The obligation resides exclusively with the property owner.

Opt‐in Assessments – The assessments are only placed on those properties where the owner voluntarily “opts‐in” to the financing program.

Meet Carbon Reduction Goals – Counties, Cities, Towns and Villages can use this tool to move quickly toward achieving their carbon reduction and energy independence goals.

(Click here for responses to regulator claims& www.pacenow.org)

Jul 22, 2010 11:00 AM

New Certified Homes Command 18% Price Premium in 2009-2010. More Than One in Five Homes Achieve a Sustainability Standard

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:00:00 GMT

From: Earth Advantage Institute

(Click on link above for more charts and data)

For Immediate Release

New Certified Homes Command 18% Price Premium in 2009-2010
More Than One in Five Homes Achieve a Sustainability Standard

PORTLAND, Ore., June 16, 2010 - While fewer new homes were built in the past year in the Portland metropolitan area than in the previous year, the market share of third party certified homes increased. Twenty three percent (23%) of all newly constructed homes in the Portland metropolitan area sold between May 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010 received a third party certification. This finding is based upon data reported by the Portland area RMLS to Earth Advantage Institute.

The term "certified home" refers to homes that received an Earth Advantage, Energy Star, or LEED for Homes designation, or a combined Earth Advantage/Energy Star designation. Certification and sales information is reported by participating real estate brokers to RMLS. The Portland metropolitan area region includes Multnomah, Clackamas, Columbia, Washington and Yamhill Counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington.

This finding continues a three year trend in which the market share of certified homes in the Portland region has increased. Please see Table One below for detail.

Homes with a third party certification sold for more than their non-certified counterparts, both in the new home and existing home markets. New homes in the six county Portland region sold for 18% more, while existing homes with a certification sold for 23% more.

"As energy efficiency and healthier homes gain more attention, builders and homeowners increasingly place value on home certification," said Sean Penrith, executive director, Earth Advantage Institute. "It is very encouraging to see the market share of certified homes continue to rise over the past three years despite the difficulties in residential markets."

RMLS reports sales data by county. Table Three below provides more detailed information on the range of price premiums observed in different parts of the Portland metropolitan area. Clark County, WA was the one area in the metropolitan region where newly constructed certified homes did not sell for more. However, certified existing homes in Clark County continued the trend. As a group, existing homes with a sustainable certification in Clark County sold for an average of $278,400 versus $234,100 for homes without such a certification, or 16% more.

The Portland area RMLS first began collecting information about home certification in the spring of 2007. It is the first RMLS in the country to do so.

About Earth Advantage Institute
Earth Advantage Institute works with homeowners, homebuyers, builders, and developers to bring the most energy efficient, sustainable, and healthy homes to the market. The organization is an independent, nonprofit resource group that certifies homes and communities based on conformance to ENERGY STAR®, Earth Advantage®, or LEED® for Homes standards. Earth Advantage Institute also offers education classes and has a showroom at its national center in Portland, Oregon. Earth Advantage Institute has certified more than 11,000 new homes. Earth Advantage Institute would like to thank the Portland Regional Multiple Listing Service for its assistance in compiling this information. For more information, contact Tom Breunig, Director of Marketing tbreunig@earthadvantage.org (503) 968-7160 x 36.

Jul 21, 2010 12:00 PM

Sonoma County Energy Independence Program

Liz Yager — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP)

Subject: Request for Support

Dear SCEIP Partners and Supporters:

The Sonoma County Energy Independence Program and other similar Property Assessed Clean Energy Programs (PACE) across the country have been called into question by recent regulatory action as to whether the program uses loans or assessments as the prime tool for financing. On Tuesday, July 13^th, 2010, The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors strongly re-affirmed the County’s commitment to the innovative Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP), and directed staff to keep the program open for business while Congress grapples with recent regulatory hurdles.

On July 15^th, a Bill was introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson called the "PACE Assessment Protection Act". The Sonoma County Energy Independence Program and PACE programs across the country need your continued support. Please visit the ICLEI website for a list of Key Contacts. The PACE Now website has letters available to copy/paste into emails. Please help get your Member of Congress, and others you have influence with, to support and/or co-sponsor the PACE legislation.

We thank you for your efforts in water and energy efficiency, the reduction of green house gas emissions, and the creation of local jobs! Please share this email freely within your organizations and networks and check our website often for the latest news.

Liz Yager

Program Manager

Sonoma County Energy Independence Program

707-521-6200

www.sonomacountyenergy.org

Jul 18, 2010 11:00 AM

The Green Post - July 2010

Newsletter Editor — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 02:00:00 GMT

The Green Post
July 2010

In this Issue

From the ED's Desk: Welcoming a New Director for our Government Relations Program

Build It Green Members: Please Vote!

Webinar: PACE & Community Wide Retrofits

GreenPoint Rated Communities Honored at Gold Nugget Awards

New Training Dates

Energy Upgrade California Information Sessions

Missed a Guild Meeting? View Presentations Online

The Build It Green Community: Member News, Job Openings

Build It Green

About Us

Green Building Benefits

Tools & Resources

Trainings & Events

Councils & Guilds

Upcoming Events

Build It Green

East Bay Green Building Professionals Guild - Passive House: Old Common-Sense Ideas + New Understanding + Real Science = Aggressively Energy-Saving Homes
July 7, 2010
Berkeley, CA

North Bay Green Building Professionals Guild - Philosophy of Sustainability: The Natural Step
July 14, 2010
San Rafael, CA

San Francisco Green Building Professionals Guild - Training the Trades
July 21, 2010
San Francisco, CA

Webinar: PACE & Community-wide Retrofits
July 28, 2010

Certified Green Building Professional Training
August 3 - 4, 2010
Sacramento, CA

Green Home Retrofitting and Remodeling
August 5 - 6, 2010
Sacramento, CA

Green Home Retrofitting and Remodeling
August 24 - 25, 2010
Santa Rosa, CA

GreenPoint Rated Existing Home Training
August 26 - 27, 2010
Sacramento, CA

Other Events

Passive House Showcase & Green Building Mixer
Sponsored by Passive House California
July 8, 2010
Point Reyes Station, CA

Multi-Family Energy Efficiency Training
July 14, 2010
West Sacramento, CA

Bay-Friendly Landscape Conference
September 17, 2010
San Francisco, CA

Please see Build It Green's Online Events Calendar for more green building related events

From the Executive Director's Desk
Welcoming a New Director for our Government Relations Program
Bob Chase, Chief Building Official for the County of Sacramento, will be joining Build It Green as Director of our Government Relations program this summer. Executive Director, Catherine Merschel, welcomes Mr. Chase.

Calling All Build It Green Members - Please Vote!
Our Board of Directors is seeking member approval to change the process for adding new board members. Only Build It Green members are eligible to vote on this by-laws amendment. The link to vote (initially sent on 6/24) will be resent to members on 7/8, 7/14, and 7/22. You may also choose to vote by hard copy. Deadline to vote is July 23. Learn more.

GreenPoint Rated and Legislative Updates

Webinar: PACE & Community Wide Retrofits
Join Build It Green on July 28 from 11am to 12:30pm for an encore presentation of our popular webinar discussing Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) districts and emerging community-wide retrofit programs. FREE for Build It Green Corporate Members, only $10 for non-members; eligible for 1.5 CEUs. Register now.

Gold Nugget Awards Honor GreenPoint Rated Projects in First Ever "GreenPoint Rated Community of the Year" Category

Congratulations to last month's winners of the first ever GreenPoint Rated Gold Nugget Awards at PCBC. The winners were Arden Estates in San Francisco, a 150 point luxury home development, and EBALDC's Jack London Gateway Senior Housing in Oakland, the highest scoring multifamily development to date. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Tools and Resources

Additional Training Dates and Locations Announced
We've added three new trainings to our summer/fall lineup: Certified Green Building Professional training in Sacramento on August 3 & 4, and in Downey on September 21 & 22; Green Home Retrofitting and Remodeling in Sacramento on August 5 & 6.

Get Ready for Energy Upgrade California
Our first information session for Energy Upgrade California, a statewide energy efficiency and green retrofit program set to launch in fall 2010, drew over 80 people on June 30 in Alameda County. We will be holding more sessions over the next several months introducing this important new program, including the utility rebates and PACE financing options that will stimulate demand for business. Look for e-mails announcing future sessions or check our online events calendar for updates.

View Presentation Slides from Previous Green Building Professional Guild Meetings
Miss a Guild meeting recently, but wish you could have learned more about that month's topic? Some of our Guild presenters provide their presentations for posting on our website. Check back every month for new postings on topics like Greywater or PG&E's Whole House Program.

Notes From the Build It Green Community

AIA East Bay's Bay Area Regional Design Awards Recognize Build It Green Member
Congratulations to Build It Green Member Paul Welschmeyer Architects on their AIA East Bay 2010 Exceptional Residential Award for the Blue Pickle Loft in Jack London Square. Check out all of this year's winners.

Job Opening
Build It Green Partner and Founding Sponsor, Stopwaste, is looking to fill an open position in their Bay Friendly Landscaping & Gardening program. Read the full job description.

Get Involved

Build It Green Sponsors - Spotlight on Green Building in Alameda County

The Green Building in Alameda County program works with building professionals and local governments in Alameda County to increase the supply and capacity for green building. Build It Green relies on the support of sponsors like Green Building in Alameda County, a program of Stopw aste.org who has been a close partner since Build It Green's founding in 2004.

Become a Build It Green Member

Your Membership helps support Build It Green's programs and initiatives to promote healthy, energy and resource efficient building practices in California. Sign up for Build It Green Membership and start taking advantage of benefits, including discounts on our trainings and Guilds, today!

Volunteer

Build It Green offers work exchange programs for our Certified Green Building Professional Training or free admission to a regional Guild meeting. Contact Volunteer@BuildItGreen.org for more information.

Donate

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Jul 6, 2010 7:00 PM

July 1 Webinar: Roadmap to BPI Accreditation for CA Home Improvement Contractors

Professional Training Project Manager BIG — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:20:15 GMT

Having trouble viewing this email? View it online at http://www.builditgreen.org/en/cev/184

Greetings!

Please spread the word about this valuable webinar.

Getting GOLD STAR Ready:

Roadmap to Accreditation with

The Building Performance Institute

for California Home Improvement Contractors

Thursday, July 1, 2010

10:00-11:00 a.m. Pacific

Background: HOME STAR, also known as 'Cash for Caulkers', is a proposed nationwide incentive program for home performance retrofit and weatherization projects, intended to encourage homeowners to invest in improving the energy efficiency of their homes, while also creating sustainable jobs in local communities. The federal legislation has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and was proposed in the U.S. Senate with bi-partisan support.

Building Performance Institute (BPI) Accredited Contracting Companies will play a major role in this $6 billion program. Only BPI accredited companies - or a comparable accreditation approved by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy - can implement energy efficiency improvement measures under the Gold Star portion of the program.

Who should attend: Owners, senior management, accountant/bookkeeper staff, and other key employees with companies focused on Home Performance, residential and small commercial remodeling, replacement and contracting services.

Registration: Please register for the webinar at http://www.utilityexchange.org/webinar/20100701.html

Once registered, you will receive an e-mail with information on how to access webinar proceedings.

For more information:

http://www.utilityexchange.org/webinar/20100701.html

(If link above doesn't work, please copy entire link into your web browser's URL)

Jun 29, 2010 10:20 PM

FREE Workshop! Incentives & Rebates (Energy Upgrade CA)

Professional Training Project Manager BIG — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:32:32 GMT

Having trouble viewing this email? View the full flyer by copying and pasting the following link into your

browser: www.builditgreen.org/attachments/files/979/version5.pdf

This FREE workshop will provide an overview of the program, including the rebates and financing options that will stimulate demand for your business. It will also enlighten you on how to get trained and credentialed so you can begin work as soon as the program launches in Alameda County.

WORKSHOP AGENDA:

· Introduction

· Program Overview

· Financing and Incentives

· Utility Rebates and Requirements

· Contractor Training and Credentials

Representatives from the following

organizations will be presenting:

· Renewable Funding, Inc.

(PACE Financing)

· PG&E (Utility Rebates)

· Build It Green (Program Overview; Contractor Training and Credentials)

Or Call 510-845-0472 x603

Can't make it to this evening event in the East Bay? Sign up for the daytime webinar and participate

from your home or office.

If you would like to continue recieving updates regarding the Energy Upgrade California or other Green

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Jun 24, 2010 1:32 PM

Your Recertification Requirement Updates

Professional Training Project Manager BIG — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Promoting healthy, energy- and resource-efficient building practices!
If you are having trouble reading this email view the Web Version

Home | Calendar | GreenPoint Rated | Newsroom | Update Your Profile

In This Issue:

Recertification Updates

Your Tools to Recertify

Calendar Events

Recertification Announcements

Many of you have successfully met the demand to recertify on time and several others of you are in the process of completing your paperwork. It's a pleasure engaging with you in person at recent Guild meetings & tradeshows as I've introduced you to our new systems.

If you have not had a chance to hear about these changes or have been awaiting this update, this email is meant to serve as a dashboard to learn about our new tools & requirements.

Click on the links below to learn about, apply for, or inquire about recertification -or- locate Continuing Education Unit (CEU) approved courses to complete your recertification.

Raters and Advisors now have access to completing recertification using the options below.

Updates Snapshot:

Recertify for two or more certifications at once, submit one application, one fee, one set of CEUs
Grace periods are no longer automatically awarded
All certifications are on a 24 month cycle
Lapsed certification holders of less than one year must petition for a temporary extension, for a fee
Online forms available to submit applications, GPR test-out exams, proof of attendance, CEU recording, CEU Approval Requests, Petitions & more

Your Tools To Recertify

Recertification Information - For ALL Build It Green Credentials

Ahoy! Main Landing page, get just about anywhere from here [More Info]

GPR New and/or Existing Home Advisors & Raters

Recertify - Apply submitted Rating projects / an online Exam & Application [More Info]

Certified Green Building Professionals (CGBP)

Recertify - Count and Submit your CEUs on your Application Now [More Info]

Recertification - Fees - Make a Payment

Payment Access Ares [More Info]

Recertification - Expiry Dates & Multiple Certifications

Confused about multiple certs and expiration dates? Go here [More Info]

Recertification - Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

What is a CEU worth? [More Info]

Recertification - Temporary Extensions

Apply for a Temporary Extension, for a fee [More Info]

View Danielle's Recertification & Directory Presentation Slides

Missed my presentations? Download some help now....

Submit an Application Now

Thank You,

Danielle Pittman

Professional Training

Project Manager - Recertification/ PT IT

recertification@builditgreen.org

Upcoing Professional Training Events

Green Home Retrofitting & Remodeling begins Thursday, Jun 17, 2010 8:00 AM

Green Home Retrofitting & Remodeling begins Thursday, June 24, 2010 8:00 AM

WEBINAR PACE & Community-wide Retrofits Wednesday, June 30, 2010 11:00 AM

Home Energy & Green Retrofits Workshop Wednesday, June 30, 2010 5:30 PM

Green Home Retrofitting&Remodeling begins Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 8:00 AM

GreenPoint Rated Existing Home beginsThursday, Aug 26, 2010 8:00 AM

Jun 10, 2010 4:00 PM

The Green Post - June 2010

Website Assistant BIG — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:04:56 GMT

The Green Post
June 2010

In this Issue

Webinar: PACE & Community Wide Retrofits

Home Energy and Green Retrofits Workshop

Build It Green Joins Green Building Codes Educational Collaborative

New Recertification Requirements and other Helpful Resources for CGBPs and GreenPoint Raters and Advisors

Bay-Friendly Landscaping Conference

The Build It Green Community: See us at PCBC, Like us on Facebook, plus New Benefits for Members

Marin Builders Association Honors Build It Green with Sustainability Award

Adding Up the Climate Benefits of C&D Recycling

Build It Green

About Us

Green Building Benefits

Tools & Resources

Trainings & Events

Councils & Guilds

Upcoming Events

Build It Green

Certified Green Building Professional Training

June 7 - 8, 2010

San Jose, CA

CGBP & GreenPoint Rated: Advisor/Rater Trainings

June 7 -12, 2010

San Jose, CA

North Bay Green Building Professionals Guild: Greywater - Current State of the Art for Planning, Codes and Installation
June 9, 2010
San Rafael, CA

GreenPoint Rated: Advisor & Rater Training

June 9 - 12, 2010

San Jose, CA

San Francisco Green Building Professionals Guild: High Performance Windows and Doors
June 16, 2010
San Francisco, CA

Green Home Retrofitting and Remodeling

June 17 - 18, 2010

Oakland, CA

Certified Green Building Professional Training
June 22 - 23, 2010
Downey, CA

Green Affordable Housing Coalition Meeting: Green Affordable Advocacy - Opportunities, Challenges and How to Get Involved
June 24, 2010
Oakland, CA

Green Home Retrofitting and Remodeling
June 24 - 25, 2010
Downey, CA

Webinar: PACE & Community-wide Retrofits
June 30, 2010

Home Energy & Green Retrofits: Informational Workshop
June 30, 2010
Hayward, CA

Other Events

PCBC
June 9 - 11, 2010
San Francisco, CA

California Multi-Family New Homes Webinar
June 22, 2010

Please see Build It Green's Online Events Calendar for more green building related events

GreenPoint Rated and Legislative Updates

Webinar: PACE & Community Wide Retrofits
Join Build It Green on June 30 from 11am to 12:30pm for a special webinar discussing Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) districts and emerging community-wide retrofit programs. FREE for Build It Green Corporate Members, only $10 for non-members; eligible for 1.5 CEUs. Register now.

Home Energy and Green Retrofits Workshop
Prepare for the emerging home performance industry. This FREE workshop will provide an overview of the program, including the rebates and financing options that will stimulate demand for your business. It will also show you how to get trained and credentialed so you can begin work as soon as the program launches. More details.

Build It Green Joins Collaborative to Assist with CALGreen Changes
The Green Building Codes Educational Collaborative is developing educational resources that will assist local officials and building professionals in understanding CALGreen, particularly in the context of existing codes based on LEED and GreenPoint Rated, and national code development such as ASHRAE 189.1. We will develop tools for local government officials to evaluate policy options, and provide educational materials, learning opportunities, and potential strategies for compliance for the design and construction industry. To receive periodic updates, please sign up here.

Tools and Resources

New Recertification Requirements for CGBPs and GreenPoint Raters and Advisors
Recertification requirements and processes have changed for everyone, including new fees ($50 for CGBPs; $75 for Raters). Starting June 1, GreenPoint Raters can now tie ratings (completed or in progress) to their recertification online, or test out if they haven't accumulated sufficient ratings. And all CGBPs and Raters can now track external approved CEUs, review BIG attendance and exam records, apply for recertification and pay online. Find out how!

Struggling With Our New Online System, or the New Recertification Process?
Build It Green's Program Associate for Recertification, Danielle Pittman, will be at this month's Green Building Professionals Guild meetings to help you out. Come to the remaining Guild meetings this month (June 9 in San Rafael; June 16 in San Francisco) to hear about it straight from Danielle and ask her all your questions.

Find Professionals Faster on our New and Improved Certified Green Professional Directory

Have you checked out the new Certified Green Professional Directory? Many of our accredited professionals have already taken advantage of our newly revised online Directory to advertise their business skills. Search the directory now and see what professionals in your area are doing!

Register Now for Bay-Friendly Landscaping Conference
The 2010 Bay-Friendly Conference on September 17 will feature interactive sessions, professional networking, and a marketplace of cutting-edge technologies and products. Bay-Friendly is a program of Stopwaste.org, one of Build It Green's founding supporters. Register now.

Notes From the Build It Green Community

Visit Build It Green at PCBC, June 9 - 11
Are you going to PCBC next week? Stop by and say hi! We'll be at booth #2308 in the Green Standards Pavilion.

Build It Green is Now on Facebook

And we would love to see you there! Check out our page, "Like" us, and connect with other friends and members of Build It Green. Then suggest us to your friends!

We've Added Two New Benefits for Build It Green Members

1. 30% discount on full conference passes to West Coast Green 2010. Registration opens later this summer.

2. FREE Electronic Copies of our Green Building Guidelines. Login to your membership account and visit the member benefits page to download copies of our New Home Construction, Home Remodeling, and Multifamily Guidelines for FREE.

Marin Builders Association Honors Build It Green at Marin Home Show
The Marin Builders Association awarded us the 2010 Leadership in Sustainability Award in their "Organization" category this May. The MBA has been instrumental in helping Marin County pass some of the more progressive green building ordinances in the country, and we highly value our partnership with this influential organization.

Adding Up the Climate Benefits of C&D Recycling
Stopwaste.org takes aim at the environmental benefits of construction and demolition (C&D) recycling. Because the connection between C&D recycling and greenhouse gas reductions is not as straightforward as it is with energy efficiency, it is often overlooked as a significant opportunity to combat global warming. Using data generated by the GreenPoint Rated climate calculator, Stopwaste shows us just how large the impact can be. Read the full article.

Get Involved

Build It Green Sponsors - Spotlight on Whirlpool

Whirlpool, the world's largest provider of home appliances, has participated in and provided sustainable solutions since 1970. They produce and sell more Energy Star Appliances than anyone in the world and have been honored by the US DOE for their sustainable practices 3 x more than any competitor. Build It Green relies on the support of sponsors like Whirlpool. Read more about Whirlpool's sustainability efforts on their website.

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Jun 3, 2010 7:04 PM

Tainted Chinese Drywall Concerns Went Unreported for Two Years

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Remnants of Chinese drywall sit in an infested home in the Venetian Golf and River Club in North Venice, Fla., on Friday, May 20, 2010. (Chip Litherland / Sarasota Herald Tribune)

A leading East Coast homebuilder learned four years ago that the Chinese-manufactured drywall it had installed in several Florida homes was emitting foul odors, according to documents obtained by ProPublica and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

The company, WCI Communities, was so concerned that it started planning to tear out the material and rebuild the houses. But it never disclosed the problem to the bulk of its customers or to government authorities.

The drywall problem didn't attract much attention until late 2008 -- two years after WCI first spotted the problem -- when dozens of Florida homeowners complained to state and local officials about bad odors, serious respiratory problems and mysterious failures of new appliances. The foul air, homeowners ultimately discovered, had destroyed their air-conditioners, corroded wiring, and disabled dishwashers, computers and televisions.

By then, tainted Chinese drywall had been installed in thousands of homes. As of today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission -- the lead federal agency in the drywall investigation -- has received complaints from more than 3,300 homeowners in 37 states, with many coming from Florida, Louisiana and Virginia.

Documents and sworn depositions from ongoing lawsuits reveal that senior officials at WCI were worried as early as 2006 about the potential health effects of the odor. The documents show that these concerns were shared by the Chinese company that made the drywall and exported it to the United States. "It will be a big problem not only in Miami but all over the USA market, maybe cover thousand (sic) of houses," a Chinese employee of the manufacturer wrote in a November 2006 e-mail to his bosses in Germany.

This e-mail is part of a series of exchanges that involved companies at many levels of the building process: the developer, Bonita Springs-based WCI; the drywall distributor, Miami-based Banner Supply; the Chinese manufacturer, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd.; its Germany-based corporate parent, Knauf; and the Florida importer, La Suprema of Miami.

For reasons that are not clear in the documents, none of these companies sought to assess whether the problem was more widespread than the handful of complaints that had surfaced in Florida. None informed their customers or regulators.

The drywall manufacturer, Knauf, struck a private settlement with Banner in January 2007, agreeing to replace the remainder of the suspect shipment with American-made drywall. Knauf conducted its own tests and determined that the material, though smelly, was not hazardous.

WCI, which recently emerged from bankruptcy, didn't respond to questions about its handling of the drywall problem. A WCI spokeswoman said only that the bankruptcy filing wasn't related to the drywall problem.

When ProPublica and the Herald-Tribune contacted Jack Landers, head of Banner Supply, Landers said he would "not talk about it now" and hung up the phone. A call to another top Banner executive went unreturned.

The publicly listed phone number for La Suprema is no longer in service. Neither is the owner's cell phone number that is listed in court documents.

Knauf has said that the cause of the problem was gypsum with a high sulfur content extracted from mines in the Shandong region of China, though it has offered no proof of that. Gypsum is the primary ingredient in drywall. Donald Hayden, a lawyer for Knauf and its Chinese subsidiary, said the company didn't think the odors alone were enough to trigger a more widespread investigation or alert its other customers around the country.

"Our concern was with regard to the health of the homeowners," he said.

Ervin Gonzalez, the attorney for plaintiffs suing Banner and other companies in a Miami lawsuit, said Thursday that a trial in June will at its core be "a public safety case." Gonzalez alleged that Banner had all the knowledge it needed to raise the alarm in 2006.

"We have a distributor that could have been a hero by letting everyone know it's a problem," Gonzalez said. "Instead, when they found out it was potentially dangerous, they didn't tell their customers or consumers about it. That's just wrong."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently issued guidelinesadvising builders and homeowners to remove Chinese drywall, which means that the affected homes will effectively be gutted. The agency said the electrical systems in the homes should also be removed, because they may pose a fire safety risk. The foul air, homeowners have learned, contains sulfur gas that can corrode wiring and damage electronic equipment. The health effects of the air are still being studied.

Dory Josephson shows the industrial respirator she is forced to wear as a result of the Chinese drywall in her home in the Venetian Golf and River Club in North Venice, Fla., on Friday, May 20, 2010. (Chip Litherland / Sarasota Herald Tribune)

As WCI, Knauf and Banner were trading e-mails about the drywall problem in 2006, Dory Josephson and her husband were settling into their new WCI home in the Venetian Golf & River Club, south of Sarasota. About a year after they moved in, their air conditioner failed. By fall 2008, Dory Josephson's breathing was strained, her eyes were burning, and she was having severe headaches. Within a two-month period, each of their smoke detectors mysteriously went off and then stopped working.

When the Josephsons and their neighbors first asked WCI what could be causing their problems, company employees told them they had no idea, even though WCI officials already knew there was a problem with drywall in another of its Florida developments.

Last year, Josephson starting wearing an industrial respirator inside her house.

"We worked over 37 years and we put our entire savings into this home," said Josephson, who is among the thousands of homeowners turning to the courts for help.

***

The e-mails and other documents obtained by ProPublica and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune show that WCI began investigating complaints about foul odors in homes it had built on Florida's southeast coast as early as July 2006. By October, WCI had determined that the drywall was to blame and began demanding answers from Banner, the company that sold it the drywall.

A Banner employee who signed his e-mails "Ed" sent Banner executive Donald Coblentz a frantic e-mail on Friday, Oct. 27, saying that Knauf, the drywall manufacturer, needed to be notified that "we have a problem with a very bad smell comming (sic) from there (sic) board." A test at one home showed Knauf wallboard "had 20 times stronger smell then (sic) all the other board," Ed said.

That e-mail also went to Salomon Abadi, chief executive of La Suprema, the company that had brokered Banner's purchase of the Knauf board.

Four hours later, Abadi wrote back asking for "more details" to share with Knauf. By Monday, the correspondence indicates that Knauf was planning to send inspectors to South Florida to assess the situation.

On Oct. 30, Banner received a letter from one of its customers, installer Beta Drywall, saying that Beta would no longer accept Chinese-manufactured drywall "based on recent direct instructions from the majority of our builders and general contractors."

Gus Coffinas, a Banner executive, wrote a note at the bottom of the letter before passing it on to his colleagues. Beta's concerns were "typical of what's going on now," he said. "Everybody now is getting picky about the board manufacturer of the product. It makes sales more challenging."

Coffinas added: "PS, all our competitors are having a field day with this."

On Nov. 2, Banner's Coblentz sent an e-mail to USG Corp., a major U.S. drywall manufacturer partly owned by Knauf, saying he had a "big problem." USG's supply houses in the U.S. distributed large quantities of Knauf's Chinese-made product.

Coblentz said that WCI and another Florida builder, GL Homes, were "forcing me to take board that is stocked in houses out and replace it with domestic."

"These companies are threatening to take all the drywall down in all the houses that are partially completed and ALL the houses that are hung & completed and replaced," Coblentz wrote. "They are talking about removing people from their homes and putting them up in hotels and redoing all these houses."

He pleaded for someone from Knauf to contact him right away. "Every day is getting nastier," he said.

On Nov. 3 another drywall installer, Distinctive Drywall Designs, sent WCI a certified letter asking if WCI still wanted the drywall removed from its homes, as it had indicated previously.

Scott Thoms, Distinctive's president, said he had notified both Knauf and Banner about WCI's complaints. Thoms asked that WCI send "all evidence supporting your findings so that we may take immediate corrective actions to rectify the problem."

"Please advise if drywall removal is the course of action you still wish to pursue," Thoms wrote.

About this time, Knauf Tianjin, the Chinese division of Knauf that manufactured the drywall, assigned an inspector, Mark Norris, to investigate the problems in South Florida.

Norris told Abadi, the chief executive at La Suprema, to directly contact USG, the American drywall company that's partly owned by Knauf. On Nov. 6, Abadi -- a native Spanish speaker -- sent his USG contact a long e-mail in broken English begging for information and help.

Abadi said WCI had conducted environmental tests, but refused to share them. Abadi said he was having "a very dificult [sic] times with the builders." They are "forcing us to take back the board and they want to demoliosh [sic] the drywall that is hung, take the people out of the houses."

"I need your help," Abadi wrote. "This is getting out of control."

Abadi said he needed WCI's report and an expert in Miami to explain the situation. He said he would "pay all the expenses if is (sic) necessary but we need to control this problem in the next 24 to 48 hours max."

E-mail correspondence shows that by that time Knauf officials in Germany had joined the discussion. Drywall samples had just been shipped there for testing, and the head of Knauf's research division, Hans-Ulrich Hummel, was arranging to fly to Florida. Hummel said he had detected a "sweet smell" from a drywall sample sent to him.

According to Abadi's sworn deposition in the recent litigation, Hummel arrived in Florida sometime between October and December 2006 to examine the drywall in several Broward County homes. Abadi said he was led to believe that Hummel was "one of the greatest scientists in the world, in the drywall business."

Abadi said he, Hummel and a Banner employee walked into a house, smelled it, and walked back out. Then Hummel left, saying he would talk to Knauf's owner and send more technicians. Soon Norris, the Knauf inspector from China, arrived and he and Abadi visited more homes. Asked in his deposition for details about the testing, Abadi said he recalled people walking into the homes "with these immense Ziplocs, putting the watchamacallit, the drywall, in to carry out the tests."

On Nov. 11, Lan Wang, the Knauf employee in China, warned Norris that the problem could spread beyond Florida into other parts of the company's U.S. market.

Two days later, Norris faxed a letter to Abadi, telling him to stop selling or installing Knauf drywall. Norris also forwarded the letter to Banner.

According to a Banner official's sworn testimony nearly four years later, Banner didn't alert any of its other customers -- which included builders and suppliers across Florida -- that the drywall was problematic.

Scott Giering, a Banner executive, testified that although the company stopped selling Knauf board, it continued selling other brands of Chinese drywall and took no steps to determine whether they too had problems. Some of those boards turned out to be just as bad as the Knauf product.

By the end of November 2006, Knauf had retained an attorney -- Douglas Sanders at Baker & McKenzie's Chicago office -- who continues to represent the company. On Nov. 29, Sanders e-mailed Coblentz at Banner Supply. Attached was a letter from Norris, the Knauf inspector, to Abadi.

Norris told Abadi that Knauf "appreciates your bringing to our attention the concerns of your customers over the smell" of the company's drywall. He also told him that Knauf had hired an Arkansas company to test the air in the homes and was "pleased to report" that there were "no health risks." He included a copy of the report.

In the letter Norris downplayed the odor problem, saying that a sample he sniffed simply "smells like the plasterboard made from natural gypsum in China and much of the plasterboard Knauf Tianjin manufacturers every day."

Abadi never heard from Knauf again.

"After that, I didn't know anything more from them," Abadi said in his testimony.

The flurry of e-mails among Banner, WCI and the other companies stopped at the end of 2006. In January 2007 Banner and Knauf signed their confidential agreement.

Hayden, the Knauf attorney, said in an interview that the agreement involved replacing 200,000 square meters of Knauf's Chinese-made board with American drywall. He said it also included strict confidentiality provisions and was written to keep the companies from suing each other.

A Miami-Dade circuit court judge is scheduled to hear arguments for unsealing that agreement on Wednesday, Hayden said.

***

The courts are now trying to determine who is responsible for paying to repair the contaminated homes. In Louisiana, the federal judge who is overseeing the combined drywall lawsuits recently ruled in two test cases that Knauf should pay to remediate one house and that another Chinese drywall manufacturer should pay to remediate seven houses. Knauf hasn't yet decided whether to pay the judgment or force the plaintiffs to collect the money in China, said Hayden, the company's lawyer. American verdicts are rarely honored in China.

In a sworn deposition for the upcoming Miami drywall trial, Banner executive Scott Giering said his company didn't know there was a problem with the drywall until it got complaints from WCI. But Giering refused to acknowledge that the contaminated drywall and the conditions it creates are problems.

"One person's problem is another person's opportunity," Giering said.

In one exchange, Coral Gables attorney Ervin Gonzalez asked Giering, "If you had drywall in your house and you had to replace it all, that would be a problem for you, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not sure what you would define (as a) 'problem,'" Giering said

When Gonzalez compared the smell to rotten eggs, Giering responded, "Some people happen to like rotten egg smells."

When Gonzalez asked, "Smells like flatulence, doesn't it?" Giering replied, "Some people happen to like that."

"Do you?" Gonzalez asked.

"Depends on how nasty it is," Giering responded.

Jim Silverblatt, who owns a home that was built with tainted Chinese drywall, poses for a portrait in the Venetian Golf and River Club in North Venice, Fla., on Friday, May 20, 2010. (Chip Litherland / Sarasota Herald Tribune)

Last week, the Josephsons and other WCI homeowners in the Venetian development gathered at the home of Susan Lamar to share their travails.

Lamar, an oral surgeon, had just drained her 175-gallon aquarium -- there was so much sulfur gas in her house that the coral wouldn't bloom. The $20,000 reef tank now sits empty in her living room, which smells faintly of chemicals.

The Josephsons have begun remediating their home on their own. After paying more than $600,000 for the house in 2006, they've already spent at least $100,000 to tear out their wiring and drywall and replace it with an American brand.

Jim Silverblatt, another neighbor, said WCI told him in early 2009 that his house would be remediated as part of the reorganization plan the company had submitted through the bankruptcy court. But so far that hasn't happened.

"They said they would take care of me," he said. "Then that summer I find out I'm just another unsecured creditor, that it's over, they're not lifting a finger."

A Deerfield Beach-based real estate analyst said WCI's failure to publicly disclose the drywall problem in 2006 -- and the fact that the company continued selling homes at full market price without warning buyers that they could contain defective drywall -- may hurt WCI's reputation as it tries to reinvent itself after emerging from bankruptcy.

"It's obviously immoral and unethical," said the analyst, Jack McCabe. "Whether it's illegal, that's a question for the lawyers."

Read the original article from ProPublica

Write to Joaquin Sapien at joaquin.sapien@propublica.org.

Follow ProPublica on Facebook andTwitter, and get ProPublica headlines delivered by e-mail every day.

Jun 3, 2010 11:00 AM

The Green Post - May 2010

Newsletter Editor — Wed, 05 May 2010 00:15:52 GMT

The Green Post
May 2010

In this Issue

Last Chance to Take Required Webinar for GreenPoint Raters/Advisors

Call Congress about Home Star Today

We Need Your Donations

Update Your Directory Listing Today

Build It Green Training Curriculum Chosen as Standard to Meet New Green Jobs Training Goal s

Join Build It Green in Santa Monica at AltBuild 2010

Home Energy Magazine Shows us the "House of Pressure"

CALGreen and Its Impact on Third Party Certification Programs

Performance Requirements for Wood-Framed Wall Systems

Build It Green

About Us

Green Building Benefits

Tools & Resources

Trainings & Events

Councils & Guilds

Upcoming Events

Build It Green

East Bay Green Building Professionals Guild: Greywater - Current State of the Art for Planning, Codes and Installation
May 5, 2010
Berkeley, CA

Certified Green Building Professional Training

May 6 - 7, 2010

Oakland, CA

Webinar: GreenPoint Rated Updates
May 7, 2010

Certified Green Building Professional Training

May 10 - 11, 2010

Richmond, CA

CGBP & GreenPoint Rated: Advisor/Rater Trainings

May 10 - 15, 2010

Richmond, CA

North Bay Green Building Professionals Guild: PG&E Residential Retrofit & New Construction Programs
May 12, 2010
San Rafael, CA

GreenPoint Rated: Advisor & Rater Training

May 12 - 15 , 2010

Richmond, CA

Certified Green Building Professional Training

May 13 - 14, 2010

San Rafael, CA

San Francisco Green Building Professionals Guild: Urban Landscaping in San Francisco
May 19, 2010
San Francisco, CA

Certified Green Building Professional Training
May 19 - 20, 2010
Pleasant Hill, CA

Other Events

AltBuild: Alternative Building Materials & Design Expo

May 7 - 8, 2010

Santa Monica, CA

Please see Build It Green's Online Events Calendar for more green building related events

GreenPoint Rated and Legislative Updates

Urgent: Last Chance to Take Required Webinar for GreenPoint Raters/Advisors
If you are a GreenPoint Rater or Advisor and have not yet taken the online training to review changes to the rating system, you must register by Friday, May 7, or your certification will expire. To submit a project under Single Family 4.0 or Multifamily 1.8/2.0, you must have completed this webinar. For more information, and to register now, please see the Build It Green website.

Action Needed: Call Congress about Home Star Today!
This Thursday, May 6, the House of Representatives will vote on Home Star, a proposed federal policy that will create a $6 billion investment toward a nationwide home energy retrofit initiative, including direct rebates to homeowners. Call your representative and pledge your support today! Read the full article.

Donate to Build It Green

Why Donate to Build It Green? Because We Need You!

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization we rely on your support to continue our programs. These programs have saved an estimated 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide. With your help we will position the building industry for a robust future of green collar jobs while curbing climate change. So please donate to Build It Green today. Learn more about supporting Build It Green.

Tools and Resources

Build It Green's Certified Green Professionals Directory Now More Searchable - Update Your Listing Today!

Are you a graduate of a Build It Green training? Advertise your business and highlight your skills in our newly revised Directory of Build It Green certified professionals. As the most visited area of our website, the Directory offers excellent networking and self-promotion opportunities. Learn more.

Build It Green Training Curriculum Chosen as Standard to Meet New Green Jobs Training Goals
If you are an unemployed or underemployed construction professional, and are seeking training in green building practices, whole house retrofitting or remodeling, or green home performance, you may be eligible for retraining under this program. Read the full article.

Join Build It Green in Santa Monica at AltBuild 2010
Build It Green is a sponsor of this year's AltBuild, Southern California's premiere alternative building materials and design expo. We will be exhibiting and presenting at the show, and would love to see all our Southern California supporters at our booth. This FREE expo will be at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on May 7 & 8. Tenaya Asan and David Blanke of Build It Green will present "Green Retrofitting & Remodeling" on Friday, May 7 at 2pm.

Home Energy Magazine Shows us the "House of Pressure"
This month's free article from Home Energy Magazine Online takes a look at the "House of Pressure," a little see-through house that is an ideal teaching tool because most tests performed on an actual home can also be performed on the model. To read all of this month's Home Energy Magazine articles, take advantage of the discounted subscription rates offered to Build It Green Members.

Notes From the Build It Green Community

CALGreen and Its Impact on Third Party Certification Programs
How will the state's new green building code be implemented, and how will it affect existing third-party verification systems? Aleka Skouras Eisentraut of the law firm Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean, one of Build It Green's founding sponsors, examines some of the unanswered questions posed by the new building code. Read the full article.

Performance Requirements for Wood-Framed Wall Systems

This month's profiled sponsor, DuPont™ Tyvek®, believes that the underlying tenet of green building and energy efficiency is a well-built house that will last a long time. "Wrap tight, ventilate right," says Marc Silveira of Tyvek. It's always a good idea to review the basics, and in this practical article , Mark LaLiberte, President of Building Knowledge Inc, reminds us that a building's overall durability should always be first priority.

Get Involved

Build It Green Sponsors - Spotlight on DuPont™ Tyvek®
As a Build It Green founding sponsor, DuPont™ Tyvek® has supported our mission for nearly a decade. When Marc Silveira, the Bay Area’s local Senior Certified Tyvek Specialist, remembers the early days of wondering how to mobilize the building industry to go green he says: “It’s just amazing how fast Build It Green grew. They’ve done such a great job of creating the knowledge base and letting the consumer know how important it is to build green.” At the time, green building was not yet a well-recognized issue, even in the Bay Area, but Tyvek felt it was important to go green. “It’s been interesting to be part of it from the beginning,” says Marc. DuPont™ Tyvek® Weatherization Systems are used in millions of homes to combat water, moisture, and air infiltration, creating houses that last longer and are more energy efficient.

Build It Green relies on the support of sponsors like Tyvek, who was named top company of the decade in 2005 on Business Week’s list of company’s doing the most to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Become a Build It Green Member

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May 4, 2010 5:15 PM

CALGreen and Its Impact on Third Party Certification Programs

Aleka Skouras Eisentraut — Mon, 03 May 2010 23:00:00 GMT

by Aleka Skouras Eisentraut, Attorney

Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP

On Jan.12, 2010, the California Building Standards Commission unanimously adopted the first-in-the-nation green-building code. CALGreen, as it is known, applies to all building permits pulled on or after Jan. 1, 2011. As a condition to issuance of a building permit, CALGreen requires residential and commercial developers to implement a wide range of sustainability measures in planning and design, energy efficiency, water efficiency and conservation, materials conservation, resource efficiency, and environmental air quality.

The stated purpose of CALGreen is to “improve public health, safety and general welfare by enhancing the design and construction of buildings.” According to the governor’s news release, CALGreen will help California meet its goals of “curbing global warming and achieving 33 percent renewable energy by 2020,” the standard mandated by AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

But CALGreen also creates a set of sticky and uncomfortable tensions. It leaves largely undefined how it is to be implemented by local governments, and it does not answer the question of how it will affect existing third-party verification systems, specifically the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification program and Build It Green’s GreenPoint Rated program. Even as the legislation was being debated, observers pondered if it would supplant or fatally weaken the popular and arguably superior third party programs.

The first part of CALGreen addresses “mandatory” measures; the second part addresses “voluntary” measures. All new construction in California must comply with the mandatory measures. Upon receipt of a certificate of occupancy, a building owner will be able to “label” his or her building as CALGreen compliant, without, in the words of the state “using additional costly third-party certification programs.” Those buildings that comply with the voluntary measures will be qualified as CALGreen “Tier 1” or “Tier 2,” depending on the extent of their compliance. The Building Standards Commission intends to revisit and update CALGreen every three years and now-voluntary measures may become mandatory.

Some of the specific CALGreen mandatory measures include a 20 percent reduction in indoor water use, a 50 percent reduction in the amount of construction waste sent to landfills, the installation of separate water meters for non-residential indoor and outdoor water use, the use of low-emitting construction and finishing materials, a one-time commissioning of non-residential buildings over 10,000 square feet, and compliance with energy efficiency standards promulgated by the California Energy Commission. All of which will increase costs to pull a building permit, and will result in each new construction project in the state being well on its way to achieving LEED and/or GreenPoint Rated certification should it so desire.

Compliance with CALGreen will be determined by way of field inspections by local and state building departments. Official news releases from the state maintain that the transition to CALGreen will be seamless on the inspection front because of the existing inspection infrastructure. However, the entire building documentation and inspection process has changed dramatically under CalGreen, and many of the inspections contemplated by CALGreen do not exist currently and will require education and training of the inspector community. If this training is not funded by the federal government (perhaps under the rubric of “green jobs”), then the expense of that training will fall on our local governments at a time when many are laying off staffers and in some cases doing all they can simply to remain solvent.

Despite the state’s position that CALGreen is not intended to substitute for existing green building programs, state literature on CALGreen describes the purpose of the voluntary Tier 1 and Tier 2 provisions as encouraging “local communities to take further action to adapt their buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency and conserve natural resources,” presumably by providing municipalities and counties with ready-made “greener” building ordinances that will supplant the incorporation of the LEED and GreenPoint Rated standards into local green building ordinances. CALGreen also includes appendices to be used by municipalities as templates for resolutions adopting either Tier 1 or Tier 2 requirements as mandatory.

In this regard, the state is late to the game. While some municipalities and counties may choose to adopt the CALGreen tiered requirements as their green-building ordinances, many California cities and a handful of counties already have moved. According to the state attorney general’s office, 34 California cities, and three counties, including San Francisco, San Jose, Palo Alto, Hayward, Los Angeles, Marin County and San Mateo County, had adopted green-building ordinances as of September 2009. Of those, 24 cities and two counties have requirements in their ordinances linking new construction and/or retrofits to standards outlined in LEED and GreenPoint Rated.

Although CALGreen includes a section addressing some regulatory conflicts, it does not discuss conflicts between CALGreen and existing green building requirements. It is unclear whether any green-building ordinance that is more stringent than CALGreen will be grandfathered in or if the affected city or county will need to “amend” the way in which CALGreen is implemented in its jurisdiction. CALGreen does provide an amendment process that requires each city and county wishing to adopt building codes that are more stringent than CALGreen to “make express findings for each amendment ... based upon climatic, topographical, or geological conditions.” The findings must be submitted to the Building Standards Commission, except in the case of energy-related amendments which must be submitted to the California Energy Commission. While it is currently standard for state agencies adopting more stringent plumbing, electrical and building codes to go through an approval process, it is uncertain how the Building Standards Commission will interpret the CALGreen language requiring findings based on local climatic, topographical or geological conditions.

At this time, CALGreen does not address retrofits of existing buildings (which it will need to do in the future in order to comply with State Energy Program funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), nor does it require ongoing measures such as building benchmarking, continued commissioning, controls on human operation and maintenance of the building, vendor contracting requirements, and reporting of ongoing performance data as some third party certification programs do. However, it will be necessary for the state and third party certification groups to work together to resolve these tensions, especially in light of Section 410 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which requires any state receiving State Energy Program funding to commit to:

Adopt residential and commercial energy efficient building codes for both new construction and renovations; and
Develop and implement a plan, including training and enforcement, to achieve 90% compliance with the new codes by 2017.

Currently, all 50 states have submitted letters to the Department of Energy confirming their commitment to comply with the State Energy Program.

As noted by Build It Green previously, “there is still much work needed to refine and implement the code [CALGreen] including measure definition, education to affected parties and clear strategies to reconcile and understand how the code relates to the growing number of municipal green building ordinances based on established third-party verified green building programs.”

Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean, LLP is a Build It Green Platinum Sponsor. In July 2003, Wendel Rosen became the first law firm in the country to gain third-party certification as a "Green Business." Read more about Wendel's green efforts.

May 3, 2010 4:00 PM