Going GREEN in Orange County, CA: The USGBC and LEED®

If you haven't already heard of the United States Green Building Council or their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification program, you will.

The USGBC has set the bar for regulating smart building design and has enabled builders to invest in the USGBC's LEED® program to gain respected recognition for a specific building. A lot of words like green, eco-friendly and sustainability are used to illustrate an idea, but one person's vision or intentions may vary significantly from another. There is no green police racing around the city to assure you that one product or another is what the manufacturer is claiming. Words like these are marketing a gimmick to one opportunist and a revolution to an informed citizen.

How does LEED® work?
Currently, there are 4 levels of LEED® certification. Each one more progressive than the last. A builder earns points from different categories such as landscaping, renewable energy and even how much awareness and education it will encourage in the community. The levels start with "Certified". Next is "Silver" and than "Gold". Lastly, if you're really looking to make a go of it, there's "Platinum". A builder must follow some of the USGBC guidelines in order to earn needed points. Tests are conducted on different aspects of the structure throughout the building process. You can visit the USGBC web-site to learn much more about the program.

Where can I see a LEED® certified building?

In Orange County, CA you can check out Olson Home's "The Depot Walk" in Orange. The Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach is expecting to complete the 1st Platinum LEED® building in Orange County this June. Please be sure to join this free group to stay in touch with upcoming events. I will be arranging a tour in the near future. CLICK HERE to view group.

Just look at how beautifully simplistic the Environmental Nature Center's new building is! The building uses the sun and earth's natural, clean energy with passive and active solar techniques as well as many other design features.