There’s not much new construction in the Northside, but there’s plenty of renovating, happening on nearly every street it seems. If you’re updating your period home or in the market for a brand-new one, you’ll most likely want to be sure that your choices are friendly to the environment. Or maybe you’re in the building profession, and would like to know where to get those green products your clients are asking for. But where to start?
   

Build It Green can help connect you and your contractor or architect with the information and expertise you need to build or buy green. Its mission is “to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient buildings in California.” Through outreach and education, it encourages the industry to adopt and implement green building practices. It does this in part by serving as an umbrella for various “councils” – groups consisting of suppliers; manufacturers; developers, architects, and contractors; other building professionals; and government groups that are affected directly by the building industry, and that can be instrumental in impacting the adoption of industry-wide green building practices. Councils function as networking and information and resource exchange forums to help members become effective green practitioners.    
   

For example, Build it Green’s Real Estate Council of lenders, appraisers, and real estate professionals collaborates on sales and financial products that will encourage consumers to consider green options. Benefits to members in the council are many – from staying abreast of green marketing trends and the economics of cutting edge practices and technologies to leveraging collective resources and creating a consistent green building message throughout Northern California.
   

Similarly, the Public Agency Council provides a forum of information exchange on green building practices and technologies for its members affiliated with state public agencies or utilities; the Suppliers Council helps manufacturers, retailers, and distributors brainstorm marketing strategies for green products to accelerate demand for their availability; and the Builders Council is a forum for members to develop and implement green guidelines and programs.
   

Build it Green also provides information on where to find green products and suppliers, as well as financing and other incentives for building green, such as rebates, tax credits, and grants. In its GreenPoint-Rated program, Build it Green-certified raters analyze new homes for energy efficiency, indoor air quality, water and other resource conservation. Homes become certified if they meet certain criteria within these areas, thus enabling consumers to compare their choices among these categories. Further, home building professionals who build green homes can use the Build it Green seal of approval.
   

The following Build it Green events take place in  June:

• June 1 – East Bay Green Home Tour: a self-guided tour of some of California’s greenest homes, both single and multifamily, and built or remodeled using green products and practices.
• June 9-14 – Certified Green Building Professional (CGBP) GreenPoint Rater Training: This program for building professionals focuses on resource conservation, indoor environment quality, and green building marketing techniques, and provides information and resources as well as networking opportunities. In The GreenPoint Rater Training, participants will learn details about the verification protocols and the policies and processes of the GreenRated program.
   

Build It Green’s Web site offers extensive information, and is a great place to get started on your green quest: www.builditgreen.com.

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