energy efficiency

LOS ANGELES (July 8, 2026) — USGBC California (USGBC-CA) named the 15 companies selected for Cohort 8 of the Net Zero Accelerator® (NZA), its growth-stage commercialization program for innovative technology in the built environment. The program officially kicked off June 24th and runs through early December 2026. These companies are ready to put practical, cost-effective […]

Link to Earth911 (June 10, 2026) | Every year, California’s commercial and apartment buildings burn through 109 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, guzzle 240 billion gallons of water, and release 23 million metric tons of carbon — and until now, almost none of that was easy for the public to see in one place. That changed […]

Link to Everybody in the Pool Podcast (May 21, 2026) | This week on Everybody in the Pool, Molly Wood sits down with Ben Stapleton, the CEO at the U.S. Green Building Council of California, to talk about what it actually takes to make our buildings work for the climate instead of against it. …We talk […]

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. […]

The guidance follows the launch of the California Building Performance Hub digital platform LOS ANGELES (February 24, 2026) USGBC California (USGBC-CA) announces the launch of a building performance standard (BPS) model policy to help cities and counties across California reduce pollution from buildings, improve energy efficiency, and reach their climate goals. BPS are policies that […]

Mobile Sustainability Education Empowers Residents with Hands-On Resources & Materials, Education & Innovations for Energy Efficiency, Electrification, and Water Conservation LOS ANGELES, CA (February 12, 2026) The U.S. Green Building Council California (USGBC-CA), in partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), announces the BuildSMART Trailer Tour for the City of Los […]

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 […]

Link to Glendale News-Press (Dec. 21, 2025) | Glendale’s local government and that of other cities across California are taking steps toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency. The Glendale Environmental Coalition, a grassroots group, hosted a webinar and Q&A on Monday, Dec. 8, to discuss the city’s recently adopted air conditioner to heat […]

Link to Associated Press (June 24, 2025) | When Judy Sautner recently walked into Power Appliance, a store in a southeastern suburb of Cleveland, she had one goal in mind: replace her daughter’s broken dryer with something that worked and didn’t break the bank. …Jay Buchanan, the store’s owner, said many customers are like Sautner, […]

Link to Forbes.com (May 13, 2025) | If you’ve shopped for appliances in the last two decades, you’ve probably seen the yellow Energy Star product stickers showing your estimated electrical costs for using it. Maybe they helped you select one clothes washer over the other or narrowed your selection to three refrigerators from six. …This […]