Blog

The built environment is facing its most significant change in construction standards in over a decade as LEED v5 takes over and decarbonization mandates rapidly shift. At Green Badger, we work with 80% of the world’s largest green construction firms and are witnessing firsthand how forward-leaning companies are successfully adapting. Today’s general contractors (GCs) and […]

California’s Title 24, Part 6 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Energy Code) are widely understood for what they are: a compliance framework, not a design methodology. They were never intended to shape architectural intent or engineering strategy in the same way that, say, real-world passive design principles or operational load optimization do. That reality hasn’t changed. […]

Have you ever looked out your window in the morning and seen a thick, gray haze over the mountains? In the Inland Empire, we call that smog. While our home is a beautiful place with big hills and lots of sunshine, there’s a bit of a problem with our air. But don’t worry! There is […]

Let’s start with a brief history lesson. Over a decade ago, local and state governments recognized that energy use in buildings contributes the majority of emissions in most jurisdictions. So it made sense that as these jurisdictions sought to reduce their emissions footprint, they would need to engage with building owners. And so, the building […]

USGBC-CA Editor’s Note:  Welcome to 2026 and to our blog! We are eager to hear your insights and thought leadership that will inspire our collective audience, our community. And please read and engage with our authors! So let’s kick it off with this contribution from BREEAM, and email julie@usgbc-ca.org if you have a proposed post! The real […]

Across the globe, data centers are rising at an unprecedented rate, and with them, a powerful opportunity to rethink how we build, operate, and renew the digital infrastructure that drives our world. The scale of this build-out is staggering: the global data-center construction market is expected to nearly double from $240.97 billion in 2024 to […]

Smart, clean construction technology is transforming the industry—and CORE incentives can help you lead the way. The construction industry is entering a new era, one defined by innovation, sustainability, and smarter technology. As infrastructure demands grow and environmental regulations tighten, the need for cleaner, more efficient equipment is no longer a distant goal; it’s a […]

*If you are attending the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo next week, see below for Monday tour. Our Buildings Are Using Too Much Water In 2015, a 60-year-old cast iron water main burst in Lafayette, CA causing significant flooding and left residents without water. In 2018, a water main ruptured in Hayward, CA creating a […]

A New Law and a New Window for Action Signed into law on July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduces the most consequential federal policy shifts we’ve seen in years for commercial solar and battery storage projects. While the long-term goal is to stabilize and strengthen clean energy deployment across the […]

The California 2025 Title 24, Part 6 update marks a significant pivot toward decarbonization, electrification, and whole-lifecycle energy thinking. Examples of this transition include replacing the established energy metric of Time Dependent Value “TDV” with Long-Term System Cost “LSC,” tightening electrification requirements, embedding photo-voltaic “PV” combined with battery energy storage systems “BESS,” and enforcing smarter controls. With […]

This home, ZEROHOUZ, recently received a design award from AIA Los Angeles, for its’ “quiet radicalism” in Climate Positive design. Catch architect and homeowner Avideh Haghighi speak about it at the upcoming Net Zero Conference in Los Angeles, on Oct. 1st at 11:45 am, titled “Breaking Through Barriers: Cost-Effective Strategies for Electrifying Existing Homes & […]

Home is where health begins, the place we spend most of our lives. It’s where we seek refuge after long days, nurture our families and find comfort in the spaces that hold our most meaningful memories. Our homes are sanctuaries where healing, connection and well-being take root. Yet too often, the places we live are […]