"Green real estate development has more than a single face. For one project, the most visible “green” feature might be energy performance; for another, restoration of prairie ecosystems; for yet another, the fostering of community cohesion and reduced dependent on the automobile. More significantly, though, green development is about the integration of all these features and many more. It is about solution multipliers, whereby one feature provides multiple benefits in reducing a project’s impact on the environment."
From “Green Development,” Rocky Mountain Institute
New Zero Net Energy and Green Building Resources
A goal of zero net energy residential and commercial buidlings by 2030 was included in the final recommendations of the The Governor's Task Force on Global Warming. Zero net energy buildings are the current approach to save energy, use renewable energy, reduce carbon emissions and lower operating costs. Learn about it on the new Zero Net Energy: Policy and Projects web site of UW-Extension. There you will find policies, projects and research in the US and beyond that are moving zero net energy (ZNE) into goals and the marketplace.
Government Green Building Inventory
This is a searchable GIS database that details more than 300 green building policies and programs local governments have adopted across the US. It covers municipal, commercial, industrial, multifamily and residential buildings primarily using the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System, a third party certification program through the US Green Building Council www.usgbc.org. Learn what policy vehicles, incentives and approaches governments use and access the policy documents directly through Government Green
Green Building Executive Summary
In this article, “Green Building, an Executive Summary” Sandy Wiggins, the keynote speaker at the 2005 Sustainability and Energy Efficiency Leadership Conference, provides a well researched and thought provoking definition of sustainability and makes an intelligent and sensitive case for designing, developing and constructing green buildings.
Mr. Wiggins insightful commentary and his use of diagrams work together to demonstrate the decision making process in both a conventional and an integrated design process.[ Download/View File ]