Additional Green Building Resources
Build It Green
The main marketplace transformation and information clearinghouse organization for residential green building in California. The site offers an array of green building information. The organization hosts regular council meetings for a number of industry sectors, offers educational seminars for professionals and homeowners, manages a professional certification program, and conducts new home ratings.
Green Affordable Housing Coalition
This site offers a portal to a vast array of green building information and typically directs the visitor to the exact site of that information rather than a home page.
US Green Building Council (USGBC) – Redwood Empire Chapter and National contacts
USGBC is the largest green building industry stakeholder organization and non-profit in the US. Its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system has been nationally recognized as the green building rating system of choice among designers and builders of commercial and municipal buildings,
California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) (GB page)
This state agency houses the statewide clearinghouse for green building information as it relates to state, county, city and school buildings.
California Energy Commission (CEC)
The CEC oversees most of the research and information development regarding energy use in California. The information center is an easy to navigate site with great information, guides, videos, etc.
Sonoma County Waste Management Agency (GB page)
Offers links to local green building resources, materials and case studies
Sonoma State University Environmental Technology Center
The Center hosts university courses, professional seminars, and tours for the general public, as well as offering the Certified Green Building Professional certificate program.
Green Building in Alameda County
This agency has been at the heart of promoting green building since 2000 and their site offers a host of green building resources.
Bay Friendly Landscaping
This site offers the homeowner and lasndscape professionals great resources for regionally appropriate landscapes.
Energy Star Program
This federal EPA and DOE program offers information and ratings on energy efficient buildings, homes, and appliances.
Building Science Corporation
One of the premiere architecture and building science consulting firms in the US, that specializes in preventing and resolving moisture and indoor air quality problems related to building design, construction and operation. The site offers lots of valuable and up to date information for visitors who are technically minded.
IBACOS
One of the premiere architecture, engineering and building science consulting firms in the US. They specialize in training on best practices in design, construction, and homeownership. Their site offers good case studies and fact sheets.
Environmental Building News - Building Green
This publisher has for 15 years been at the forefront of providing accurate, unbiased, and timely information designed on green buildings, materials and processes. They offer both print and electronic resources and are the publishers of Environmental Building News and the GreenSpec Directory.
DOE’s Building America Program
Building America is a private/public partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy that conducts research to find energy-efficient solutions for new and existing housing that can be implemented on a production basis. provides the feedback required to develop critical "next generation" building systems. The long-term goal of the program is to develop the most cost-effective “next generation” building systems that can produce as much energy as they use—a zero energy home. The site offers great downloadable resources such as publications, guidelines, fact sheets, case studies, etc.
Toolbase Services
The housing industry's resource for technical information on building products, materials, new technologies, business management, and housing systems. The site offers an easy way to search for any advanced information, research and evaluations on better building technologies and practices.
Energy and Environmental Building Association
This organization educates building professionals on the best building practices. The site offers great articles, fact sheets, building specifications and builder case studies.
Affordable Comfort Conference & Trainings
This organization conducts annual national and quarterly regional conferences on an expanding range of training and education initiatives, that inspire excellence in home construction, remodeling, repair and operation, by promoting a systems approach. This is a “must attend” conference for any building professional. The site offers technical articles and presentations from past conference sessions.
West Coast Green Conference
This regional green building conference offers a 3-day materials and services trade show, two days of training classes for professionals, and one day of training classes for homeowners.
Resources for Building Professionals
Green building is becoming more and more popular, with homebuyers, homeowners, remodelers, business owners and office tenants looking for healthier, more resource efficient homes, and offices. If you are a developer, contractor, architect, engineer, specialty contractor, or real estate professional who wants to meet the growing demand for green buildings, now is the time to learn more about green building and the many resources available to help promote green building services.
Build It Green Certified Green Building Professional Training
This two-day, 16 hour training is open to all California building professionals involved in the design and construction of residential buildings, as well as professionals that support and develop the market for green building. Certification is available for the following professionals: Architects/Designers, Carpenters, Consultants, Contractors, Developers, Electricians, Engineers, Interior Designers, Landscapers, Plumbing Contractors, Public Agencies, Non-Profits, Real Estate Professionals, Specialty Trades, Solar Contractors and Suppliers.
Sonoma State University Green Building Certificate Program
This Certificate Program is designed with the working professional in mind. It is a yearlong program focused on developing the understanding necessary to enable sustainable building decision making within a corporate, institutional, non-profit, municipal or individual setting. Graduates of this program will be able to work with the owners, project managers, architects, engineers, builders and subcontractors for a project to facilitate Green Building decision making, and to set out, monitor and fulfill attainable objectives. The program consists of six core curriculum sections that delve, with great depth, into a variety of relevant topics in both classroom and field trip settings. All program sections are open for enrollment to students not pursuing the full certificate program.
How to Achieve Success in Green Building
This two page flyer will lay out four simple steps to start building green, along with tips for marketing your green building services in Petaluma.
|
