Following on the success of our first green building event, a tour of sustainable community development in Davis, we are pleased to announce our second event in the series.  Join us for an in-depth discussion about green building energy and carbon calculators and learn how they are helping homeowners across the state.

The State's Cool California program provides resources for all Californians so they can take actions to reduce their environmental impacts.  One important resource is a carbon footprint calculator for buildings.  These tools estimate carbon emissions from activities in and around the building, including direct energy use, transport trips associated with building users, and production and delivery emissions of food and consumer goods bought by building occupants.  Cool California has carbon calculators for various building types, including residential, small business commercial, local governments, and schools.

Additional calculator tools provide detailed estimates of a building's energy usage based on construction, equipment type and their usage profiles.  A building energy assessment is the first step in evaluating energy efficiency upgrades, as it helps prioritize which energy upgrades will provide the largest returns.  State green building research will be discussed at the event that is geared towards providing more information to building owners to maximize energy efficiency improvements.  The event will be held in the Cal/EPA's headquarters building in Sacramento, one of the first high-rise green buildings to achieve a LEED Platinum rating.  A optional tour of the building will begin before the Cool California discussion.