GSA lists 30 fed. buildings for deep energy retrofits

Using performance based contracts, the GSA wants energy service companies to provide the maximum energy performance savings possible for 30 federal buildings. In Dec. 2011, President Obama directed federal agencies to enter into at least $2 billion in performance-based contracts to achieve substantial energy savings and create jobs.

Cities with the most Energy Star buildings in the U.S.

The EPA released the annual list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star-certified buildings for 2011. The list of 25 cities is headed by Los Angeles (659), Washington, D.C. (404), Atlanta (359), Chicago (294), San Francisco (270), New York (261), Houston (231), Dallas (178), Riverside, Calif. (164), and Boston (161). By the end of 2011, the nearly 16,500 Energy Star-certified buildings across the U.S. have helped save nearly $2.3 billion in annual utility bills and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to emissions from the annual energy use of more than 1.5 million homes.

$26M in financing for SDSU green housing project

Wells Fargo provided $26 million in financing for Village Lindo Paseo, a 287-unit student housing complex at San Diego State University. The facility will generate all on-site electricity through solar panels and fuel cells.

ULI's "Best of the Best" award winners

The ULI Orange County/Inland Empire “Best of the Best” winners are (1) for Community Development Projects -- Vista Dunes Courtyard Homes in La Quinta; (2) for Organizational Leadership -- Western Riverside Council of Governments Regional Energy and Environmental Programs; and (3) for Vision is Seizing our Destiny in Riverside. Congratulations! For more, click here.

UC Riverside -- $2M grant for clean energy

The University of California at Riverside is getting a clean energy face lift thanks to a $2-million grant. Under the two-year project, the school is getting solar arrays, advanced battery storage, vehicle charging stations, an electric trolley, and a grid management system that charges vehicles with solar energy. Two megawatts of solar and 2MW hours of lithium battery storage systems are being installed at three locations on and near campus. The solar energy will charge vehicles on campus and throughout Riverside. The University's Center for Environmental Research and Technology at Bourns College of Engineering, which does research on clean technologies, won the award.

SFI: will USGBC recognize forest certification?

Sustainable Forestry Initiative President Kathy Abusow sent a letter to the USGBC with ten reasons why LEED should recognize forest certification standards including the following: (1) say "Yes" to healthy working forests; (2) say "No" to discrimination against domestic forests; (3) follow the lead provided by USGBC sister organizations in Australia, Italy and Spain; (4) support North America's forest communities and workers; (5) base LEED on science, not slogans; (6) recognize forest communities and their contributions; (7) reward sound harvesting practices; (8) consider the wider impact of its actions; (9) heed the calls of 100 elected officials; and (10) let competition prevail.

Builders go paperless to meet consumer demand

AxisPointe announced the release of customizable, electronic templates for Homeowner Maintenance and Performance Standards for builders and contractors to use to meet consumers' demands for instant, electronic documentation of their homes, and to comply with the CALGreen building code. Under the code, all new homes in California are required to have a comprehensive homeowner maintenance guide, which must include operation and maintenance instructions for major systems and components. Builders complying with the various energy and green building programs must also provide documentation on building operations and be able to verify the origin of various green building products in their homes.

Green Code Pro offers online CALGreen course

Green Code Pro launched an online course covering the Residential Mandatory sections of the California Green Building Standards Code. The course is targeted to architects, contractors, engineers, landscape architects, and other industry professionals. The course materials are updated for the 2012 modifications to the 2010 CALGreen code. The course offers: (1) an overview; (2) video lectures on each section in Code Chapter 4; (3) rationale behind each code section and the associated sustainability benefits; (4) quizzes; (5) a Certificate; and (6) continuing education credits.

LA County offers rebates on GreenPoint Rated homes

With 10,000 California homes now bearing the GreenPoint Rated label, Energy Upgrade California is offering rebates to help more homeowners go green. Through the end of 2012, homeowners can receive up to $2,000 from L.A. County to cover the cost of getting a GreenPoint Rated label for their home. To date, California's GreenPoint Rated homes have saved over 112 million gallons of water and avoided nearly 9,000 tons of greenhouse gases.