In the Spotlight Small Commercial Checklist Green Building in Alameda County has developed a checklist for small commercial projects looking to build green. Climate Change & Green Buildings - Updated March '09 StopWaste.Org and Build It Green recently completed a study on the climate change and resource benefits of building green homes. View the report here.

Green Building in Alameda County

Conventional building and remodeling practices use a lot of natural resources and create a lot of waste. In fact, debris from building construction and demolition accounts for more than 21% of the materials disposed in Alameda County landfills.

To reduce this waste, the Green Building in Alameda County Program provides residents, construction industry professionals and public agencies with a wide range of green building resources and services.

What is green building? In a nutshell, green building means taking steps to create buildings that are safe and healthy for people and that protect our environment. While specific methods and products may vary from project to project, the basic principles of green building apply to all types of new construction and renovation, from remodeling a kitchen to constructing a courthouse.

It can be helpful to think of green building as the convergence of three goals:

1. Conserve natural resources
2. Increase energy efficiency
3. Improve indoor air quality

What are the benefits of green building? In essence, building green means improving our design and construction practices so the buildings we renovate and build today will last longer, cost less to operate, and won’t harm the health of workers or residents. Building green is good for Alameda County residents, workers, enterprises and communities. It’s also good for the planet.

Ready to get started? On this website, we offer practical, easy-to-use publications, directories and other tools for green renovation and new construction.
 
Click on the one of the links at left to get started.