USGBC to Host a Green Building Tour in San Jose

March 16, 11:49 PMSan Jose Green Living ExaminerTadas Narauskas

Previous

CommentSubscribe

ShareThis

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and The Sierra Club's Cool Cities team will host a green building tour in San Jose.  The idea is simple: showcase green builders and businesses that are walking the talk and inspire others to follow suit.

This "Green Building for Cool Cities" collaboration between the two sustainability giants is aimed at highlighting the local economic and environmental benefits of energy-efficient, sustainable buildings. "Because buildings contribute nearly 40% of global warming emissions and consume over 70% of electricity use in the United States, increasing energy efficiency of our homes and businesses is an urgent clean energy solution to global warming and rebuilding our economy," said Glen Brand, Sierra Club's Cool Cities Program director.

San Jose has become a leader in addressing both environmental and economic challenges through its bold 10-point Green Vision Plan. San Jose's mayor Chuck Reed is undeniably of the most progressive mayors in the country when it comes encouraging sustainable building. To most city residents it comes as no surprise that San Jose was chosen to showcase one of their green buildings. 

The tour will take place at the Integrated Design Associates Inc headquarters, the first commercial office building in the U.S. designed to meet a net-zero energy/ net-zero carbon emissions goal. 

According to the IDeAs website, their facility is a remodel of one of Main Street America's most common buildings, a 1960's-era tilt-up concrete structure. This former Bank of America banking center has been transformed into a high-performance building by applying simple, affordable strategies, including: 

• Using daylight to light all workspaces. 
• Using a high efficiency radiant heating and cooling system with a ground source heat pump to keep temperatures comfortable in all seasons. 
• Applying advanced insulation and glazing concepts to reduce heating and cooling loads. 
• Reducing computer and appliance loads through careful equipment selection and wiring.

Tour details:

Start Date/Time: Friday March 19, 2010, 12:30 PM
Duration: Approximately 1 hour
Location: IDeAS, 1084 Foxworthy Avenue, San Jose, CA 95118

For more information on USGBC and Sierra Club's "Green Buildings for Cool Cities" project, see www.coolcities.us and www.usgbc.org.  To learn more about green homes and green builders in San Jose, visit the community run blog at http://SanJoseGreenHome.com.