Build It Green Releases RSS Feed

Job Announcement: Marketing Manager

noemail@builditgreen.org — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT

Who are we? 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 tools and technical expertise 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. For more information, visit www.builditgreen.org. Why Join Our Team? Build It Green is a rapidly growing, multifaceted organization that provides an industrious and exciting work culture comprised of experts in the field of green energy and green building practices. Build It Green’s offices offer sweeping skyline views with loads of natural light and are conveniently located in downtown Oakland near the City Center with easy access to great eateries, BART, major AC Transit bus...

Request for Proposals for Combustion Safety Field Mentoring for Multifamily Buildings

noemail@builditgreen.org — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Multifamily CAZ Compliance Workbook (sample)

Multifamily HERCC FAQ Combustion Safety Protocols for Multifamily

CAS Field Mentoring Request for Proposal

Request for Proposals for Combustion Safety Field Mentoring for Multifamily Buildings

noemail@builditgreen.org — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Build It Green has posted an RFP for field mentoring for combustion safety testing in existing multifamily buildings in Los Angeles.

Multifamily CAZ Compliance Workbook (sample)

Multifamily HERCC FAQ Combustion Safety Protocols for Multifamily

CAS Field Mentoring Request for Proposal

Request for Proposals for Combustion Safety Field Mentoring for Multifamily Buildings

noemail@builditgreen.org — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Build It Green has posted an RFP for field mentoring for combustion safety testing in existing multifamily buildings in Los Angeles.

CAS Field Mentoring Request for Proposal

Supporting documents for review

Multifamily CAZ Compliance Workbook (sample)

Multifamily HERCC FAQ Combustion Safety Protocols for Multifamily

Request for Proposals for Combustion Safety Field Mentoring for Multifamily Buildings

noemail@builditgreen.org — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Build It Green has posted an RFP for field mentoring for combustion safety testing in existing multifamily buildings in Los Angeles.

Multifamily CAZ Compliance Workbook (sample)

Multifamily HERCC FAQ Combustion Safety Protocols for Multifamily

CAS Field Mentoring Request for Proposal

Build It Green Deepens Impact in Southern California with New Board Members

noemail@builditgreen.org — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Board Reflects Growing Demand for Green Building Services throughout the State

OAKLAND, CA – Jan 12, 2012 – Three green building and energy efficiency leaders have joined the Build It Green board of directors, in order to better serve the demand for residential green building services statewide. The new members are Anne Lee of the Energy Coalition, Carol Roberts of Energy Inspectors, and Joshua Brock of San Diego Gas & Electric. Ms Lee, Ms. Roberts and Mr. Brock live and work in Southern California communities, a region where Build It Green has seen increased demand for its programs in recent years.

Anne Lee is Director of Projects of The Energy Coalition, a non-profit corporation that has been developing sustainable energy partnerships with local governments, their communities and their energy utilities for almost thirty years.

Carol Roberts currently works as the Green Programs Director at Energy Inspectors. Through her work, Carol has been able to help project teams for many builders and developers reach certification through LEED for Homes, GreenPoint Rated, Green Communities, NAHB Green, Builder’s Challenge and Energy Star certification programs.

Joshua Brock works for San Diego Gas & Electric as a Program Advisor in the Local Government Partnerships Program where he works with public agencies across SDG&E’s service territory to implement energy efficiency programs.

“Build It Green is bringing on three talented members of the sustainable community who have an in-depth understanding of the Southern California market for green building services,” says Executive Director Catherine Merschel. “Growing our presence in the region will help us achieve our mission of promoting healthy, energy- and resource-efficient homes across California. We are delighted to welcome our new board members and look forward to their contributions!”

Former board member, Chandra Krout, has joined the Build It Green staff as Director of Programs and Contract Administration. Ms. Krout has more than ten years of public sector and consulting experience, with a special emphasis in sustainability and climate change.

See full board member bios.

Build It Green Offers $450 Training Scholarships for Alameda County Contractors

noemail@builditgreen.org — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:00:00 GMT

For immediate release: April 11, 2011 (Oakland, CA) - Build It Green announced today that they will be awarding $450 scholarships for GreenPoint Rated Elements and GreenPoint Rated Core trainings for contractors working in Alameda County. The trainings will help contractors get certified so they can qualify to participate in Energy Upgrade California's Green Upgrade Option. These trainings will be offered only once this year, on May 16-17th and June 14th- 15th respectively. Energy Upgrade California is a one-stop-shop for home improvement projects that lower energy use, conserve water and natural resources, and make homes healthier and more comfortable. Homeowners have the option to add the Green Upgrade Option with measures that will further reduce the home's environmental impact. In Alameda County, homeowners will receive a rebate of up to $1000 for getting their home GreenPoint Rated. A media campaign educating homeowners about Energy Upgrade California...

Build It Green Recognizes California's Green Building Leaders

noemail@builditgreen.org — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:00:00 GMT

For immediate release: December 15, 2010 Stephen Bull of KB Homes and Catherine Merschel of Build It Green. Catherine Merschel and Shayna Hirshfield Shayna Hirshfield of the City of San Jose Panama Bartholomy accepting his award for Green Building Visionary. Korin Crawford of Build It Green, Rich Chien of the SF Department of the Environment, Cynthia Eastman Simon Wine & Beer Sponsors Kris Knutson, Stephen Bull, Chris Becker, Carol Roberts, Eddie Schaack and Rebecca Novis (Berkeley, CA) -Build It Green recognized California's green building leaders in its 2nd Annual Green Building Awards Ceremony last week. Held at the David Brower Center in Berkeley on December 9th, the awards recognized a...

GreenPoint Rated Financing Sources

noemail@builditgreen.org — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 02:00:00 GMT

SMUD

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is offering loans from $5,000 up to $30,000 for energy upgrades.
Learn more.

PG&E

The Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) is offering rebates from $1,000 to $4,000 for energy efficiency improvements. A new rebate called the Green Upgrade Package is coming soon for Alameda County homes getting the GreenPoint Rated label. Rebate amounts are still to be determined.
Learn more.
Builders participating in PG&E's California Advanced Homes rebate program for new homes (which requires 15% above T24) can get an extra 10% bonus for a GreenPoint Rated home.
Lean more.
PG&E's California Multi‐Family New Homes (CMFNH), administered by the Heschong Mahone Group, promotes and facilitates energy‐efficient design in multi‐family housing through design assistance, cash incentives, program coordination, and educational opportunities. To qualify for the program, projects must achieve at least 15% above California’s Title 24 minimum requirements.
Learn more.

Green Building's Most Critical Election

noemail@builditgreen.org — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:00:00 GMT

by Donald Simon Wendel Rosen Black & Dean This November's California state election presents the most critical moment so far for the green building movement and climate policy, and the implications could be global. Voters will decide whether California will retreat from its landmark Climate Change law, AB 32. Signed into law in 2006 by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, AB 32 commits the state to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Placed on the ballot by two Texas oil companies and out of state coal interests, Proposition 23 would suspend AB 32 indefinitely. Regardless of Prop 23, Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has pledged she will do the same on her first day in office if she is elected governor.1 (Read more about the campaign to stop Prop 23) Whitman and the sponsors of Prop 23 claim that AB 32 will harm California's economy, notwithstanding the fact that AB 32 has made California the hub...

From the Executive Director's Desk: Thanking Donald Simon

noemail@builditgreen.org — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Build It Green wouldn't be where it is today without the driving force of Donald Simon. This month, I'd like to pay a small tribute to his service as Build It Green's first board president, and tell you a bit about his next ambitions as he cedes the presidency for the first time in six years. Donald, who specializes in construction law, green building and environmental sustainability at the Oakland law firm Wendel Rosen Black and Dean, initially became involved with Build It Green because he saw an opportunity to benefit the environment through market transformation. An environmental activist who went to law school to sue the bad guys, Donald says he has found that the best way to bring about lasting change is to change how people do things. The building industry is the most consumptive industry out there, he says. If we can change the construction industry, we can change any industry. Donald helped co-found the Northern California chapter of the US Green Building Council to...

Home Star Coalition

noemail@builditgreen.org — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Join us by becoming one of over 2,800 businesses and organizations nationwide supporting HOME STAR.

More Retrofits
More Jobs
More Savings for families

To join the HOME STAR Coalition click here.

For articles about HOME STAR and the progress of other Energy Legislation click here.

From the Executive Director's Desk: Welcoming our new Board President

noemail@builditgreen.org — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:00:00 GMT

I am very pleased to announce that Michael McCutcheon, owner of McCutcheon Construction, Inc., is now presiding over Build It Green's Board of Directors. As a local builder and long-time supporter and participant in the Bay Area's green building movement, Michael has aided Build It Green's development since the very beginning. Michael served on the steering committee that would eventually form Bay Area Build It Green, a non-profit organization providing trainings and networking opportunities for builders interested in more sustainable building habits. It was during this time that Michael and some colleagues formed the first Green Remodelers Guild (now called the Green Building Professionals Guild), which still meets monthly at Truitt & White in Berkeley. The Guilds were (and still are) a networking and continuing educational opportunity for recent graduates of Bay Area Build It Green's Certified Green Building Professionals Training. When Bay Area Build It Green merged...

Study Examines Customer Participation in Home Energy Retrofit Programs

noemail@builditgreen.org — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:00:00 GMT

Build It Green has released findings of a recent study conducted in collaboration with Action Research, Inc. and funded in part by the EPA, that takes a look at the behavioral barriers and incentives underlying homeowners' decisions to take part in home energy retrofit programs.

The study, which makes use of Community Based Social Marketing techniques, including literature review, focus groups and telephone surveys, hones in on one specific behavior - in this case the decision to make contact with a home energy retrofit program and investigate making energy upgrades to one's home - and examines the barriers and motivators affecting that behavior.

Recommandations for effective program design are based on information gathered during focus groups and phone surveys about why homeowners would or would not particpate in home energy retrofit programs. Recommendations include reducing the cost and complexity of retrofit programs and rebate processes, providing easy-to-understand and readily available program information, and involving retrofit contractors in the decision making stages in order to establish trust and credibility.

You can download the entire study here: Full Report

Or read the truncated version presented in a PowerPoint by Build It Green during a webinar on July 23: Presentation

From the Executive Director's Desk: Pleased to Welcome Bob Chase to Build It Green

noemail@builditgreen.org — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:00:00 GMT

I am so pleased to tell you all that Bob Chase - Architect, LEED AP, Certified Green Building Professional and GreenPoint Rater - will be joining Build It Green as Director of our Government Relations program this summer. After practicing architecture for 35 years in the private sector in Boston, Los Angeles and Sacramento, Bob most recently served as the Chief Building Official for the County of Sacramento. As the first licensed architect to hold this position for the City of Sacramento, Bob developed and championed a green building program for both the city and county. His many public speaking engagements on behalf of the program garnered him a nomination to the State Building Standards Commission Green Building Code Advisory Committee by the California Air Resources Board. Bob was also an instrumental member of a state-wide team preparing and submitting proposals to the California Energy Commission (CEC) and Department of Energy for energy efficiency and green building...

Adding Up the Climate Benefits of C&D Recycling

noemail@builditgreen.org — Sat, 29 May 2010 03:00:00 GMT

by Meri Soll Program Manager Stopwaste.org By now, building industry professionals have gotten the message that energy efficiency and renewable energy are the tickets to decreasing a building's carbon footprint. But while energy often seems to take center stage, many experts believe that construction and demolition (C&D) recycling deserves a bigger share of the spotlight. In recent years, StopWaste.Org, a waste-reduction agency that serves the county and 14 cities of Alameda County and two sanitary districts, has been looking closely at the connections between greenhouse gas emissions and building construction. As part of that effort, StopWaste.Org and Build It Green jointly developed the GreenPoint Rated Climate Calculator. The calculator serves as an adjunct to the GreenPoint Rated program, Build It Green's point-based rating system for green homes. When a house undergoes the GreenPoint Rating process, the third-party rater uses the...

California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program chooses Build It Green as Training Provider

noemail@builditgreen.org — Tue, 04 May 2010 01:00:00 GMT

New regulations and stimulus financing are putting home energy audits and retrofits across the nation on the fast track. In California, the Clean Energy Workforce Training Program (CEWTP), the largest state-sponsored green jobs training program in the nation, is funding local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) and community colleges to lead regional workforce training partnerships around the state. Build It Green has been selected as one of the training providers for this program. Our Professional Training department is currently working with several local WIBs and community colleges throughout the state to offer Certified Green Building Professional (CGBP), Green Home Retrofitting & Remodeling, GreenPoint Rated: Advisor & Rater and GreenPoint Rated: Existing Home Advisor & Rater trainings. Our first CEWTP training in February of this year was such a success, we offered a second training two weeks later to accommodate the high demand. The pilot trainings were held at the Marin...

From the Executive Director's Desk: The California Green Building Standards Code and Build It Green

noemail@builditgreen.org — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:00:00 GMT

Since the passage of the California Green Building Standards Code in January, we’ve received a lot of questions. Many of you are wondering what the Code means, how it will affect your city or business, and how Build It Green and GreenPoint Rated are responding to the legislative changes. To help answer some of these questions, I am providing a brief summary of the code and our position on it. California Green Building Standards Code Summary: The Code, approved on January 12 of this year, applies to all new commercial and residential buildings in California with some exceptions for state agency regulated buildings such as hospitals. It includes a list of mandatory green building measures that must be applied to every new building starting January 1, 2011. The Code’s water efficiency measures won’t become mandatory until July 2011. Beyond the mandatory measures, the Code also includes two ‘tiers’ that local governments may choose to adopt. Each tier...

California Energy Commission to Implement Landmark Energy Retrofit Bill

noemail@builditgreen.org — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:00:00 GMT

by Elise Hunter Government Relations Manager Build It Green California continues to lead the way in defining the new ‘green economy’ with a bill that will result in comprehensive retrofits to existing residential and nonresidential buildings across the state. Assembly Bill 758 (AB 758) requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop a statewide program to achieve greater energy savings in existing building stock. Existing buildings represent a vast untapped potential for energy savings and greenhouse gas reduction, since 72% of California’s buildings were constructed prior to any state energy codes. The Democratic Assembly estimates that the AB 758 program will equate to removing 3 million cars from the road. Passed in October of last year, this pioneering bill was authored by Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and championed by prominent environmental groups. At a CEC business meeting on February 24, energy specialist Bill Pennington...

Greener Paint Choices: Better for the Environment, Your Health, and Your Pocketbook

noemail@builditgreen.org — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:00:00 GMT

by Mark A. Zielinski Senior Director of Marketing Kelly-Moore Paint Company, Inc. What is “green” paint? By definition, “green” paints must be healthier for the environment and safer for us to use. Even now, government regulations define the environmentally-friendly ingredients that are compliant in paints, but there are advancements coming that will demonstrate real values to every homeowner. There are several types of paints available that are considered “green” by the industry. Here are a few: Recycled Paints Recycled paints preserve the environment by collecting and remanufacturing left-over paints and keeping them away from land-fills and our water supply. Made with a minimum of 50% post-consumer materials, new ingredients are often added to assure consistent performance, coverage and color consistency. Discriminating recycling programs provide paints now in decorative sheens and standard ready-mixed colors for interior and exterior projects....