2015: The Year We've Been Waiting For

Dear Colleagues,

Across Build It Green’s network of builders, contractors, and raters, we keep hearing the same story: Everybody’s busy.

As the U.S. economy turns a corner, the demand for greener homes and energy retrofits is growing fast. GreenPoint Rated had a record-breaking 2014, certifying more than 7,360 homes for a total of 31,000 since the program’s inception. Our network of HVAC and home performance contractors in the Energy Upgrade California® Home Upgrade program retrofitted 4,900 homes. In Southern California, we helped The Energy Network enroll more than 3,000 multifamily units in a rebate program to achieve deep energy retrofits, and we trained 544 real estate professionals to understand green home opportunities.

So yes, we’ve all been busy. And it’s a good kind of busy, because as we grow our businesses and prosper, we’re doing our part to save the planet. This has always been BIG’s vision: to mainstream green building practices and help building professionals do well by doing good.

That’s why 2015 is such an exciting year. The green building industry is poised for a leap, and so is Build It Green. We are committed to supporting you, our network of professionals, and to furthering innovation and impact across California. As an organization, BIG moves forward led by a committed Board of Directors filled with industry movers and shakers, and BIG’s experienced interim leaders, Bruce Mast and David Clerici. Our search for a superstar CEO continues, and we’ve set the bar high and the pace fast. I look forward to sharing our positive developments throughout 2015, this year of promise and opportunity.

Sincerely,

Cheryl O’Connor
President, Build It Green Board of Directors
Executive Director, HomeAid Northern California