Find Architects and Builders who are experienced at building Green
Whether you are building new or renovating, the best way to incorporate the latest in energy efficiency, healthy green materials and carbon reducing features is to utilize professionals that know what they are doing. These experts will suggest ideas and have access to resources that could take you a long time to research and understand. Several recommendations to explore:

• Harrell Remodeling the Peninsula's premier home remodeling firm, with three top architects, experienced designers and nearly forty certified Green Building Professionals. Available for full remodels as well as small home repairs and energy efficiency improvements. A member of Build It Green.
• Quezada Architecture Quezada Architecture designed the SF Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and Center for Architecture + Design center, the first AIA chapter to be certified a LEED sustainable design by the U.S. Green Building Council.
• M.Landman A bay area Green Building Consultant with extensive expertise in LEED certification projects and green building guidelines. There is a very comprehensive list of sites and links on this web site that we recommend!
• James Witt Licensed General Contractor, building sustainable homes in Palo Alto and Atherton (including this one pictured on the left and one that won an Atherton Green Building Award in 2007)
  

Go by Green Building Guidelines for new construction
These Green Building Guidelines are the state of the art for new construction. Los Angeles recently made them mandatory, as San Mateo County is in the process of doing. For more information on the guidelines, see BuildItGreen, which hosts many different types of green building resouces. While some green design elements may cost more up front, they can save you considerable expenses, both heating and cooling, over the longer term. Other design aspects won't cost very much at all but can add tremendous efficiency to your home. We also recommend you look at the Green Home Guide, a web site that addresses all elements of residential green building from “Green Home 101” to complete Green Home Rating Programs. The website is sponsored by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) but also addresses non-USGBC green rating programs and other elements of sustainable design.

Consider Solar Power & Heating
Current state rebates make solar power an attractive proposition for homeowners today. The incentives have turned an expensive option into a true investment in a your future power, with an appreciating return. The purchase of a solar PV system turns what was a pure expense item into an equity line item that adds value to your home (much like turning rent expense into equity by buying your home outright and paying down your mortgage). Amazingly, when you finance your system at today's low rates, you can be paying less per month than you are paying to PG&E right now (and start owning your own clean energy generator). At the very least, when you begin to investigate solar, you learn a lot about your actual power consumption and you really begin to think about how much you are using and why. Please refer to our Home Energy Ideas page for more information about solar.

Explore other resources and innovations
Join us for a tour of the Atherton Greener Home on Sunday, May 9th (1:30 pm to 3:00 pm) to see and learn about some easy innovations that bring a lot of efficiency to your home remodel or new construction. The types of innovations you'll see there include: energy-saving walls, floors and roofs; energy efficient heating and cooling; shower heat reclamation plumbing, water reclamation designs, an eco-friendly wine cellar and more. Check out other cool innovations that are increasingly available in the marketplace, such as the Resource Monitor, a home utility monitoring system designed by AgileWaves, a Palo Alto company, that allows the homeowner to know how much power, gas and water is being used in the home.

Explore our local Green Building Exchange Center
This new Green Building Exchange center located in Redwood City has a wealth of information about environmentally-friendly materials that create a healthy environment both inside and outside your home. The center has many green professionals located right there or associated with it and it hosts informative events and meetings. Check it out online or just stop by!