The need for energy efficient and sustainable buildings has finally started gaining mainstream recognition in the United States in the last 5 years, not only from the design and construction industries, but also from homeowners, the financial sector, and government agencies including President Obama’s Administration.
More recently, the momentum of call to action has also been energized by the hi-tech industry. A case in point: a mix of 200 venture capitalists, inventors, researchers and passionate people with strong ties to the Silicon Valley hi-tech industry attended the Green Building Summit convened by Greentech Media, Inc. and SRI International on June 11, 2009 in Menlo Park, California.
The conference speaker line-up was jam packed with thought-provoking change agents and leaders. The day started with an overview of the green building market presented by Dan Geiger, a social entrepreneur and the Executive Director of U.S. Green Building Council Northern California Chapter, who was then followed by keynote speaker Mr. James Sweeney, Director of the Precourt Institute for Energy Efficiency at Stanford University, who discussed energy policy and energy efficiency.
It was refreshing to learn that hi-tech industry leaders and venture capitalists have reinvented themselves to take the lead in supporting green and clean technology. Marc Porat (Chairman of Serious Materials, CalStar Products, and ZETA Communities), Josh Becker (General Partner and Co-Founder of New Cycle Capital), and many others shared their perspectives on climate change, solutions to energy efficiency, and green job development.
It was really exciting for me, as an architect, to hear about some cutting edge green product innovations that have been under development in the last few years. Founders and CEOs presented on sustainable building solutions that range from enabling good building energy management to offering products that have minimized carbon emission and energy usage footprints:
- Serious Materials, a newcomer and a serious impact maker based in Sunnyvale, CA, has developed and manufactured the first green drywall product, and recently re-opened the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago.
- Integrity Block, based in Los Altos, CA, has developed the first green replacement for conventional concrete blocks called the Integrity Block which is made from by-products of quarry operations and engineered from a proprietary soil composite.
- Clean technology start-up company e2e Materials based in Ithaca, NY, has developed petroleum-free, formaldehyde free, biodegradable 4 x 8 composite boards made from bioresin and plant fiber.
- Chromasun Inc., based in Australia, is commercializing next generation silicon CPV technology from the Australian National University and currently developing solar powered air conditioning units based on concentrated solar power technology.
The San Francisco Bay Area has become one of the leading hubs of green building and clean technology. The Green Building Summit has made me realize that the design and construction industry cannot go at it alone in creating green and sustainable buildings. Rather, it has to be a collision of great minds and multi-industry partnerships that will enable the community to come together to improve building designs with high-standard products to reduce our energy usage and combat climate change.
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