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Feb 4, 2010 3:00 PM PST

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From the Executive Director's Desk: A Sneak Peak into 2010

2010 is going to be an interesting year for Build It Green and the green building industry in general.

The context in which we work is in constant flux. Climate change and the state of the economy are becoming more important drivers of public policy, and the national move to incentivize energy retrofit work in the existing home market has put energy efficiency front and center.

As I’m sure you know, building operations account for 40% of U.S. energy use. And according to the US Green Building Council, that figure is 48% when the energy required to make building materials and construct buildings are included. Clearly, energy efficiency in homes is a critical pathway for reducing climate change and improving the economy. Build It Green has always focused on energy conservation as part of our mission to transform how homes are designed and built in California, and we are thrilled that it has become such a priority. Our challenge now will be to project this emphasis onto the other tenets of the green building philosophy as well.

It is important to Build It Green to respond to the marketplace and political climate, while still holding on to our values that say greening the whole home is the most effective way to mitigate climate change. In a few more weeks we will be ready to unveil our 2010 – 2012 strategic plan. It’s been quite a challenge to integrate these equally important needs into such a dynamic environment, but who said important work wasn’t a challenge?

Here are some highlights of what’s to come in 2010:

Community-wide home retrofit program development. In 2010, Build It Green will be participating in the development of community wide retrofit programs for Alameda, Sonoma and Los Angeles counties. As a key member of the multi-disciplinary team working on these programs, we will be stimulating consumer demand for energy efficient homes on a large scale.
More GreenPoint Rated affordable housing projects. Underserved communities are often disproportionately affected by the negative environmental and health effects of conventional building strategies. Low-income residents benefit greatly from the lowered utility bills, healthier indoor air quality, and walkable neighborhoods that green building emphasizes. In 2010, facilitating more green affordable housing projects will be a priority.
Strengthen the green building community around us. We can’t fulfill our mission without the support of our affiliates. Everyone in the building industry has a part to play, and we take our role as a hub within that community seriously. In 2010 we aim to put more energy into connecting people with each other. Be on the lookout for forums, job boards, and other advocacy platforms as we continue to improve our website and other web-based networking tools.
Expanded professional training offerings. We are responding to the needs of the marketplace by extending the types of trainings we offer. This year, we will be adding trainings for real estate professionals, trainings for sales professionals, green building business trainings, and webinars to our repertoire.
A stronger presence in Southern California. In the past six years, we’ve had great success in the San Francisco Bay Area (where our offices are located) and in Northern California in general. Our programs are well-established here and most of our local jurisdictions are using GreenPoint Rated in their green building legislation. While our trainings and our local government work have been well received in Southern California cities, our goal in 2010 is to cement our presence in this part of the state and bring more of our programs south on a permanent basis.

As the year unfolds, I will continue to update you on our progress. I hope you’ll be watching for what comes next, and continuing your own hard work toward our common goal of greener, better homes and a stronger local economy.

To a year of great things to come!