Build It Green

Last week I spent a couple of days at a Build It Green training, deepening my understanding of what it really means to call a building green. As many of you know, the biggest producer of greenhouse gases is not cars, but buildings. The good news is that there are many green buildings in San Francisco and Marin. Much of the new construction, especially in the city, is LEED Certified at various levels.

GreenDiary

While living walls and roof's and sleek post post modern design are pretty cool, and attract a lot of the green building press, there are also very effective, though less glamorous, ways to make a home greener. There are many small adjustments that can be made to existing buildings, at relatively low expense, to make them more comfortable, cheaper to operate, healthier to live in and better for the planet. Of course these improvements also add value to your home.

In the next few posts I'll elaborate on the 5 main components of a green home: Energy Efficiency, Indoor Air Quality, Water Conservation, Resource Conservation and Community Design.