How can design, construction, and building operations achieve high-performance green building solutions? Residential and commercial buildings account for nearly 40% of total U.S. energy consumption and 38% of U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Building owners, business leaders who lease their space, commercial RE managers and lenders: you will learn how to cut operating costs and your carbon footprint, while growing building value and tapping new incentives and funding/financing vehicles.
Topics covered:
1) How to achieve a greener, healthier, and less costly building without “breaking the bank”!
2) How high performance buildings help reduce GHG emissions and energy use. What’s working?
3) What are the top best practices in energy efficiency retrofits, day lighting, envelope design, water conservation, recovery, and rainwater harvesting?
4) Case Studies – Net Zero Energy and LEED in Marin
5) Healthy buildings - air quality and wellness.
6) Funding Energy Efficiency and Renewables: a comparison of PPA’s, PACE programs, tax incentives, renewable energy credits, and traditional RE loans.
7) How are local and state building regulations and programs helping to promote green buildings?
8) What the County and City of San Rafael is doing to reduce its energy use and increase its renewable energy use?
About Green Briefs This series of bi-monthly briefings, organized by the Green Committee of the SR Chamber, is designed for small-medium sized businesses (under 200 employees, but relevant for large organizations also). Its purpose is to inform, promote and activate organizations with high performance sustainability strategies. The practices, tools and resources will address the top areas where businesses can save money, enhance their reputation, gain new customers, improve their suppliers’ sustainability performance, and manifest their environmental and social values, while building the value of their businesses. The focus of the 2015 five-part series is on practical applications with a bottom line impact. Each briefing will include experts in the field, examples of companies who are having success today, and sources on how organizations can implement the recommendations and take advantage of the savings and revenue-building results.