LOCAL SOLUTIONS

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Americans consume 25% of the world’s energy, and most of it is wasted through inefficiency. Energy consumption produces harmful by-products such as carbon dioxide, which is an important cause of global warming.
The envelope of a building generally offers great potential for improvement.
An effective thermal boundary, the combination of an uninterrupted air barrier and properly installed insulation, will keep indoors and outdoor environment separated. Thus reducing the need for energy.

WATER CONSERVATION
In the Southern California climate, water is just as important as energy when it comes to potential savings.
Fifty percent or more of the potable water delivered to a house goes towards irrigation or flushing toilets. Installing low flow/flush fixtures, or a grey water system, will pay for itself in a short period.
Xeriscaping, or at a minimum, selecting native plants, will also offer significant savings in water and maintenance.

AIR QUALITY
The importance of air sealing is often overlooked. To form an efficient thermal boundary, separating the conditioned and unconditioned space in your home, it is necessary.
Common sites of leakage are top and bottom plates, corners, windows, can lights, plumbing penetrations and ducts.
To control humidity levels, a good vapor barrier also helps to isolate a humid crawlspace where fungi, mold and pests thrive.

SITE MANAGEMENT
Site management affects air quality. Poor grading, absence of gutters, or sprinklers spraying the house, can all contribute to humidity getting into the walls or under the house.
Landscaping should be tailored to the environment. Its design significantly impacts storm water drainage and heat island effect, as well as water and energy consumption.

MATERIAL CHOICES
The products we choose when building are critical.
Many products contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which are harmful to our health. These compounds can be found in paints, adhesives, sealants, laminated floors, carpets, and vinyl products.
Particular attention should be paid when selecting such materials. Many alternatives are now available.
The provenance of building materials is important. If a product has to be shipped from Italy, it contains a lot of embodied energy because of its transportation footprint. Selecting local products both helps the environment and supports the community.

WASTE MANAGEMENT
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. This constitutes a guideline for green building materials.
We tend to consume at an un-sustainable rate, producing an enormous amount of waste in the process. Waste is very costly to treat and taxing for the environment.
LA Green Building understands the importance of waste management, and always tries to minimize pollution.

EDUCATION
We recognize the value of education and offer presentations on the benefits of green building, energy efficiency and how to achieve sustainability.

Materials harvested and manufactured locally have less embodied energy