As the trend toward Building Green gains momentum, California – with its eye on harmful carbon dioxide emissions as well as recurring drought conditions and other environmental woes – remains ahead of the curve in encouraging businesses and individuals to reduce overall energy usage, which is a common measurement of green building. The state’s Green Building Regulations that go into effect on July 1 require a gradual 15% reduction in overall energy use, the equivalent of achieving the LEED® silver rating for new construction for the entire state. Construction and landscaping alternatives that are as varied as Energy Star-certified home appliances, elevators that move only when passengers are present, and artificial grass for water-saving landscaping are all part of the building green movement in California. Before California adopted its Green Building Regulations, the standard for green and sustainable buildings in California and nationwide was and still is set by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit organization. The California Sustainability Alliance says the state’s Green Building Regulations are the most aggressive energy and environmental goals in the nation. “The good news,” the Alliance says, “is that many different types of resources and support are now available to help us achieve these ambitious goals.” Developers have gradually taken advantage of those “resources and support” to erect more green projects The first systematic study of the green building market in California – by the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate at the University of San Diego as reported by the online edition of the San Diego Tribune – found that a growing number of developers are putting up buildings meeting stringent environmental standards, and that tenants have been willing to pay top dollar to rent space in them. A study for the American Solar Energy Society determined that under an “aggressive deployment forecast scenario” more t …

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