Entrepreneurs famous for their technology start-up companies are moving into the green materials arena and money is following them.  "What is happening now feels similar to what happened in the early days of the Internet," said Trevor Stout, chief executive officer and founder of Los Altos-based Integrity Block, a manufacturer of concrete blocks. "A lot of tech entrepreneurs are starting companies that offer products that are more sustainable."

Regulations demanding actual data on energy use are leapfrogging LEED, according to Building Green. “It’s not how efficient the building is but how much energy it really uses that matters.” That’s the gist of many comments in a thread on Building Green’s blog about how to measure the actual energy performance of LEED buildings. Energy consumption surveys from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) confirm that, despite more efficient building systems, average energy use per square foot in U.S. buildings has held steady since 1920. 

Two green building bills were sponsored in New Jersey as the state’s fall legislative session opened, according to Green Buildings NYC. The first bill would require affordable housing to implement green design features, though the bill as proposed does not mandate any particular formal certification or enforcement. The second bill would provide low-interest loans available to developers who construct or renovate a building that qualifies as a “high-performance green building,” which is defined as a building having at least 15,000 square feet that is designed and constructed in order to achieve at least a LEED silver rating.

Dubai, UAE, is already implementing mandatory requirements for all new buildings to comply with the LEED rating system. Abu Dhabi, UAE, is in the process of setting up green building codes in response to the demands imposed on new commercial, governmental, or residential buildings to be  energy efficient and resistant to fire, flood, disasters and terrorist attacks.

Building a green home does not have to mean spending more, sacrificing beautiful design or giving up desirable amenities. EcoEdge Consulting, a San Jose-based green building consultant, recently completed a green scorecard for the northern California Energy Star home of Michel Langlois. The home received 175 points on Build It Green's GreenPoint Rated checklist for single family homes, putting it in the top 1 percent of nearly 650 homes rated.  Also, the house was Energy Star-rated, receiving 5+ Stars on the rating scale.

Japan will introduce a subsidy for residential solar power systems in an effort to boost its domestic solar business and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Owners of residential solar systems will be eligible for government subsidies equivalent US$1,887, or about 10% of the cost of an average system. Japan has set a goal of increasing solar power generation tenfold by 2020 and forty-fold by 2030.