Resources
Welcome to the Resources and Green Links page. There are a large number of links here, so to make navigation easier the links have been divided into five categories. Clicking on a category heading in the following list will take you to that section.
- Green Building Design and Rating Systems
- Resources
- Green Building Tools
- Building Codes and References
- Green Building Publications
Thanks to Puget Sound Action Team, Whatcom County, Bullitt Foundation and Russell Family Foundation for supporting The Sustainable Design Program in creating this Resource Page!
Green Building Design and Rating Systems (back to top)
United States Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry. The Council is working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.
United States Green Building Council – Cascadia Chapter
The Cascadia Region Green Building Council creates capacity for building sustainably in communities in the Oregon, Washington and British Columbia bioregion. It promotes the design, construction and operation of buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in Oregon in December 1999, Cascadia is one of three original chapters of the U.S. Green Building Council.
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System ® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Members of the U.S. Green Building Council representing all segments of the building industry developed LEED and continue to contribute to its evolution.
Built Green is an environmentally-friendly, non-profit, residential building program of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (Whatcom County coming soon!), developed in partnership with King County, Snohomish County, and other agencies in Washington State. This website provides consumers with easy-to-understand rating systems, which quantify environmentally friendly building practices for remodeling and new home construction, communities and multifamily development units.
The Low Impact Development Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of Low Impact Development technology. Low Impact Development is a new, comprehensive land planning and engineering design approach with a goal of maintaining and enhancing the pre-development hydrologic regime of urban and developing watersheds.
The National Low Impact Development Clearinghouse
This website has been developed through a Cooperative Assistance Agreement under the US EPA Office of Water 104b(3) Program in order to provide a web-based clearinghouse that allows researchers, practitioners, and program managers to collaborate and efficiently disseminate and share information with local governments, states, builders, developers, stakeholders, and environmental groups. The administrative and technical information available through this clearinghouse will be useful to permit writers, local government officials, watershed managers, and stakeholders.
Puget Sound Action Team Low Impact Development
This web page is dedicated to the innovative set of techniques known as low impact development. Low impact development, or LID, is a more environmentally friendly approach to developing land and managing stormwater runoff. Originally developed by Prince Georges County, Maryland and others, many jurisdictions across the country, including several in Puget Sound, are turning to LID techniques to help protect their waters and natural resources. See the link below for more information on local ordinances and regulations for LID.
City of Seattle Sustainable Building Program
The City's Sustainable Building Policy was unanimously endorsed by the City Council and signed by the Mayor in Februrary 2000.Since becoming the first city in the nation to formally adopt a citywide sustainable building policy, Seattle has achieved national recognition for its bold leadership.
Welcome to the Department of General Administration’s new sustainability web site. The site gives customers a quick link to the many products and services we offer that contribute to the long-term protection and enhancement of the state’s environment, economy and quality of life.
Washington Department of Ecology
Ecology is Washington's principal environmental management agency. We are working with you for a better Washington. Our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment, and promote the wise management of our air, land and water. Our goals are to prevent pollution, clean up pollution, and support sustainable communities and natural resources.
City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development
Our mission is to provide leadership and contribute practical solutions to ensure a prosperous community where people and nature thrive, now and in the future.
Department of Energy –Sustainability
We are delighted to offer you this menu of information and services on how your community can adopt sustainable development as a strategy for well-being. You'll be in good company. We're finding that more and more cities, villages, neighborhoods and regions are using sustainable development as a guiding principle not only for near-term projects, but also for planning their futures. That's because sustainable projects strengthen your local economy; Improve and protect the quality of the environment; and Enhance the quality of life and the well-being of all of the people in your community.
Resources (back to top)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance is a non-profit corporation supported by electric utilities, public benefits administrators, state governments, public interest groups and energy efficiency industry representatives. These entities work together to make affordable, energy-efficient products and services available in the marketplace.
The goal of BetterBricks is to help business professionals understand the power of energy efficiency to make a real difference in their buildings and in their business. It’s about how to make buildings work harder and smarter.
The Lighting Design Lab works to transform the Northwest lighting market by promoting quality design and energy efficient technologies." The Lab has operated throughout the Pacific Northwest since 1989. The Lab accomplishes our mission through education & training, consultations, technical assistance, and demonstrations.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the nation's premier laboratory for renewable energy research and development and a leading laboratory for energy efficiency R&D. Established in 1974, NREL began operating in 1977 as the Solar Energy Research Institute. It was designated a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in September 1991 and its name changed to NREL. NREL is the principal research laboratory for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy which provides the majority of its funding.
Rocky Mountain Institute is an entrepreneurial nonprofit organization that fosters the efficient and restorative use of resources to make the world secure, just, prosperous, and life-sustaining. We do this by inspiring business, civil society, and government to design integrative solutions that create true wealth.
Department of Energy- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
A gateway to hundreds of Web sites and thousands of online documents on energy efficiency and renewable energy. We have created this site to help home and business owners reduce their use of natural gas and electricity. The many benefits of conservation include environmental benefits and consumer protection from rising energy costs.
Website of the National Energy Efficiency Program, with links to products, planning for built-in energy savings and other support. ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.
The vision of the Green Resource Center (GRC) is to create a world where buildings sustain and enhance ecological, social and economic assets for future generations. The GRC's mission is to develop the market for green building by offering technical assistance and training while connecting consumers and professionals with all sectors of the green building industry.
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
The IESNA is the recognized technical authority on illumination. For over ninety years its objective has been to communicate information on all aspects of good lighting practice to its members, to the lighting community, and to consumers through a variety of programs, publications, and services. The strength of the IESNA is its diversified membership: engineers, architects, designers, educators, students, contractors, distributors, utility personnel, manufacturers, and scientists, all contributing to the mission of the Society: to advance knowledge and disseminate information for the improvement of the lighted environment to the benefit of society.
The resource for environmentally responsible building development is a free, Web-based resource to help companies of all sizes and sectors understand and address building design, construction, and operation in a way that aligns environmental responsibility with business success. Our mission is to provide hands-on tools, action steps, and other resources companies can use to understand the underlying issues, and to promote positive, cost-effective practices that improve buildings' environmental performance while simultaneously reducing costs and negative health impacts. All GreenerBuildings resources are free and accessible without restriction.
The nonprofit, nonpartisan GreenBiz.com works to harness the power of technology to bring environmental information, resources, and tools to the mainstream business community. Its principal mission is: "To provide clear, concise, accurate, and balanced information, resources, and learning opportunities to help companies of all sizes and sectors integrate environmental responsibility into their operations in a manner that combines ecological sustainability with profitable business practices."
We are an independent company committed to providing accurate, unbiased, and timely information designed to help building-industry professionals and policy makers improve the environmental performance, and reduce the adverse impacts, of buildings. We offer both print and electronic resources to help you design and build construction projects from a whole-systems perspective and take an integrated design approach that minimizes ecological impact and maximizes economic performance.
Discussion Group
The Big Green Discussion Group is an online forum focusing on implementing sustainable design and construction principles on large-scale projects.
Building Database
The Big Green Database is an online database of building projects that feature "green" or "sustainable" elements including energy efficiency, innovative stormwater management and construction waste management.
Green Building Tools (back to top)
Washington Department of Ecology's Sustainable Building Toolbox
Welcome to the Washington State Department of Ecology's Sustainable Building Toolbox web page. This site was designed to allow the user easy access to in-state and out-of-state educational information and resources on sustainable design and construction. The site provides direct links to organizations, databases, resources, and other information to promote sustainable building practices in Washington State.
Low Impact Development Design Tools
This site provides watershed managers with a new set of tools and techniques that can be used to meet regulatory and receiving water protection program goals for urban retrofits, re-development projects, and new development sites.
Implement, the City of Seattle's sustainable building tool. It is a practical how-to-tool that assists in implementing the sustainable building policy.
It is an internet-based tool that helps you manage energy during the design of a new building. With Target Finder you can set an aggressive energy performance target for a building design and compare your estimated energy consumption to the established target. Target Finder provides an energy performance rating for whole-building energy use.
- Determine an annual energy target for your building design
- Compare energy use from simulations with your target
- Monitor your design's energy performance as building plans progress
- Evaluate the cost effectiveness of energy efficiency measures
- Minimize potential greenhouse gas emissions associated with your building design
LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) in Sustainable Architecture
LISA (LCA in Sustainable Architecture) is a streamlined LCA decision support tool for construction. It was developed in response to requests by architects and industry professionals for a simplified LCA tool to assist in green design.
Building Codes and References (back to top)
International Code Council (ICC)
The ICC provides the highest quality codes, standards, products, and services for all concerned with the safety and performance of the built environment. The ICC was established in 1994 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive and coordinated national model construction codes.
The Development Guidelines and Improvement Standards Manual is prepared by the Department of Public Works to provide a source of information about guidelines and improvement standards for the construction of public works facilities. This manual consolidates existing administrative policies, development guidelines, and engineering standards into one book in order to provide a clear, concise, and uniform set of procedures.
Whatcom County Building Services Division provides assistance in implementing various state and county life safety codes. These include county, state, and federal laws and policies as they relate to the health, life safety and welfare of the Whatcom County community.
Also at: www.co.whatcom.wa.us/
The State Building Code Council was created to provide independent analysis and objective advice to the legislature and the Governor's Office on state building code issues. The Council establishes the minimum building, mechanical, fire, plumbing and energy code requirements necessary to promote the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state of Washington, by reviewing, developing and adopting the state building code.
The Information Bridge provides the open source to full-text and bibliographic records of Department of Energy (DOE) research and development reports in physics, chemistry, materials, biology, environmental sciences, energy technologies, engineering, computer and information science, renewable energy, and other topics. The Information Bridge consists of full-text documents produced and made available by the Department of Energy National Laboratories and grantees from 1995 forward. Additional legacy documents are also included as they become available in electronic format.
Building Industry Association of Whatcom County
The Building Industry Association of Whatcom County is a private, non-profit trade organization of builders, remodelers and other businesses related to the home building and construction industry. Founded in Bellingham in 1978, BIAWC serves the interests of the industry in governmental affairs, professional development, social and networking opportunities and community service. Our Master Remodelors™ Council focuses on programs of particular interest to those who specialize in remodeling.
Green Building Publications (back to top)
Environmental Design and Construction
Environmental Design + Construction is the only magazine exclusively covering the rapidly growing green building industry. Through concise, insightful and solution-driven editorial, this bi-monthly magazine reports on the innovative products, strategies and technologies that are driving the industry's success. Covering such topics as resource and energy efficiency, alternative and renewable energy sources, indoor air quality, and life cycle assessment, EDC motivates and educates commercial and residential building teams, including architects, interior designers, facility managers, engineers, contractors, and building owners.
A magazine free to building professionals improving environmental performance of the building envelope through education and design.
