CA Attorney General Jerry Brown sued Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for not supporting Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs.  PACE programs authorize local governments to issue funds for home and business energy-saving improvements that create utility bill savings.  These utility savings are used to pay back the funds over 10 to 20 years via property tax assessments. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reasoned that PACE tax assessments have priority over mortgages, putting the mortgages at risk if the owner defaults and there is not enough equity to cover the PACE assessment and the mortgage.  PACE programs in nearly 22 U.S. states have received $150 million in stimulus dollars, allegedly creating $1 billion in new clean energy improvements and 20,600 new construction jobs.  In California, PACE programs in Placer, Yolo, San Diego and other counties have postponed implementing their PACE programs putting hundreds of energy retrofit contractors out of work.  Sonoma County voted to go ahead with their PACE program regardless of the pending litigation. 

Five studies examined productivity in green and non-green buildings and found the following: (1) poor indoor air quality was linked to allergy and asthma symptoms (20% of U.S. citizens have allergies and 6% have asthma); (2) poor ventilation resulting in higher levels of carbon dioxide can cause fatigue, headaches and slower reaction time; (3) temperatures between 60-72 F increased productivity and temps above 73-75 F decreased productivity with 71.6 F producing the highest productivity. (The optimal environment is one where the individual occupant can control the temperature); (4) day lighting increases in classrooms showed a 16-26% improvements in standardized testing; and (5) wellness programs improved future productivity. Further, a Harris poll found 33% of Americans are more inclined to work for a green company.

The U.S. green building market is projected to increase from $71.1 billion today to $173.5 billion by 2015. This represents a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.5% and may create 2.5 million U.S. jobs meaning a 30% increase in construction industry jobs.

Developers or Public Agencies can apply for Bank of America/USGBC grants for affordable green neighborhood development projects.  Grants include:
(1) $20,000 cash to pursue LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) certification; (2) a complimentary LEED-ND Reference Guide; (3) registration for an online LEED-ND webinar; (4) registration for two LEED-ND workshops; (5) a discounted USGBC membership; and (6) waived registration and exam fees for one employee to pursue the LEED-AP ND specialty credential.

Bryan Jackson and Mike Bayard will present a one-hour TeleBriefing on July 20, 2010, at 10 am PST to discuss numerous risks unique to green and sustainable construction and provide strategies for managing those risks.  To register, click here.

A group of businesses and organizations led by the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) are campaigning to create a 600-megawatt Solar Feed-in Tariff (FiT) program. The program would facilitate private investment to meet LA's renewable energy goals by enabling residents and business to install solar panels and sell the power generated back to the grid.  Solar energy becomes more cost-effective as other energy sources become more expensive.

The Welsh Government plans to put greener construction rules in place for 2013. Welsh builders will be required to use heat pumps, photovoltaics, solar water heaters and higher building standards to push utility bills as low as £7.50 a week for the average home.

Tips to achieve LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) and LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) include: (1) Set goals; (2) Create an integrated team; (3) Take advantage of established tools and resources; and (4) Measure and evaluate performance.

The new Ronald McDonald House in San Diego is going green and will pursue LEED certification.  The San Diego location has a fully functional 116kW solar array.

The DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will showcase its $64 million, 220,000-square-foot research - office building that only uses as much energy as it generates. The building will serve as a prototype for future large-scale net-zero energy buildings.

The Houston Rockets' Toyota Center earned LEED-EBO&M Silver certification from the USGBC. The Center is the first such venue in Texas to be certified and joins the Portland Rose Garden, Miami's American Airlines Arena, and Atlanta's Philips Arena as the only LEED certified NBA facilities.

Hines’ Chicago office at 300 North LaSalle earned LEED-CS Gold and ENERGY STAR certification. The 60-story, 1.5 million-square-foot office has a river water cooling system, a green roof, a comprehensive construction waste recycling, and use of low-VOC components.

Merlone Geier Partners and GLJ Partners announced a $110 million mixed use green and sustainable housing project in Marina Del Rey consisting of 244 luxury apartment homes, 9,000 square feet of retail space and two levels of parking.  24 of the units will be offered at below market rates.