U.S. Green Building Council: The USGBC is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built and operated. The USGBC is best known for the development of the LEED® green building rating system, and Greenbuild, a green building conference that promotes the green building industry, including environmentally responsible materials, sustainable architecture techniques and public policy. The USGBC has more than 17,000 member organizations from every sector of the building industry and works to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. To achieve this it has developed a variety of programs and services, and works closely with key industry and research organizations and federal, state and local government agencies.

LEED: The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria. LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

RESNET: The Residential Energy Services Network’s (RESNET®) mission is to ensure the success of the building energy performance certification industry, set the standards of quality, and increase the opportunity for ownership of high performance buildings. RESNET’s standards are officially recognized by the U.S. mortgage industry for capitalizing a building’s energy performance in the mortgage loan, certification of “White Tags” for private financial investors, and by the federal government for verification of building energy performance for such programs as federal tax incentives, the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America Program. RESNET Ratings provide a relative energy use index called the HERS® Index – a HERS Index of 100 represents the energy use of the “American Standard Building” and an Index of 0 (zero) indicates that the Proposed Building uses no net purchased energy (a Zero Energy Building). A set of rater recommendations for cost-effective improvements that can be achieved by the Rated Building is also produced.

Build It Green: Build It Green is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient building practices in California. They work with mainstream stakeholders in the housing industry to accelerate the adoption of green building practices, and their short-term goal is to facilitate the greening of 10,000 housing units by the end of 2008. They offer trusted green building training, tools, technical expertise, and partnership opportunities for key stakeholders including public agencies, builders, developers, architects, contractors, affordable housing advocates, real estate professionals, suppliers, and homeowners. They also promote the GreenPoint Rated System which is the most widely utilized residential “green” certification process in California and is recognized by the USGBC as a powerful tool in residential remodeling and new construction.

ENERGY STAR: ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars — all while saving $16 billion on their utility bills. Energy efficient choices can save families about a third on their energy bill with similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort. Because a strategic approach to energy management can produce twice the savings — for the bottom line and the environment — as typical approaches, EPA’s ENERGY STAR partnership offers a proven energy management strategy that helps in measuring current energy performance, setting goals, tracking savings, and rewarding improvements. EPA provides an innovative energy performance rating system which businesses have already used for more than 62,000 buildings across the country. EPA also recognizes top performing buildings with the ENERGY STAR.

CHEERS ® California Home Energy Efficiency Rating Services is a California statewide 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting energy efficiency. Founded in 1990, CHEERS® was approved in 1999 by the California Energy Commission as the first home energy rating provider under the Home Energy Rating System Regulations. It has an independent Board of Directors representing utilities, environmental and energy conservation and consulting groups. CHEERS® trains and certifies home energy Raters for the building industry. Working with builders as homes are being built, CHEERS® Raters—nearly 500 statewide—conduct independent third party tests, verifications and certifications for homebuilders. This process ensures that homes being built meet or exceed the energy efficiency standards established by the state. Last year, CHEERS® Raters completed more than 20,000 ratings and verifications.

The BCA approach provides measurable performance results and the highest return on the Owner’s investment. We believe that achievement of commissioning success is recognized through sustained building performance.