Tag Archives: leed

Green Building Program in Los Angeles

The Green Building Program was approved by the Los Angeles City Council in 2008.

Requirement

  • Meet the intent of the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Certified level. (Formal certification by the USGBC is not required.)
  • Project team must include a LEED® Accredited Professional (LEED® AP). Information about local consultants can be obtained at: www.usgbc.org.
  • Both by-right and discretionary projects must receive clearance prior to the issuance of a building permit.

Subject Projects

  • A new non-residential building or structure of 50,000 gross square feet or more of floor area; or
  • A new mixed use or residential building of 50,000 gross square feet or more of floor area in excess of six stories; or
  • The alteration or rehabilitation of 50,000 gross square feet or more of floor area in an existing non-residential building for which construction costs exceed a valuation of 50 percent of the replacement cost of the existing building; or
  • The alteration of at least 50 dwelling units in an existing mixed-use or residential building seven stories or more, which has at least 50,000 gross square feet of floor area, for which construction costs exceed a valuation of 50 percent of the replacement cost of the existing building.

LEED® is comprised of various Rating Systems designed by the USGBC that establish green development standards. The existing Rating Systems include: New Construction (NC), Existing Buildings (EB), Commercial Interiors (CI), Core and Shell (CS) and Homes (H).

Southern California-based Shangri-La Industries and Thompson National Properties are forming a $100 million fund to make buildings more environmentally friendly and energy efficient – a big chunk of money for the growing green building industry. The companies’ $100 million Green Building Fund will be aimed at “value-add commercial and industrial assets that can be retrofitted, repositioned or redeveloped as energy efficient and environmentally sustainable,” according to the companies’ news release.

gas-emissions-by-source- californiaCALIFORNIA GREEN INNOVATION INDEX (2009):  The Index provides insight on a California culture that includes three decades of ambitious state environmental and energy policies, putting California on a path to energy independence and one of the lowest per capita carbon footprints in the nation, all the while growing one of the most vigorous economies in the world.

Contessa frozen food plant – new “green” standard

contessa.JPGContessa Premium Foods offered a VIP sneak peek of its Green Cuisine Plant, the world’s first and largest environmentally responsible, LEED-certified frozen food manufacturing plant. The City of Commerce will rename the street where the plant is “Contessa Drive.”This is the first time the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification to a frozen-food manufacturing facility. The LEED rating system is the national standard for design, construction, and operation of green buildings. It recognizes five areas of environmental and human health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and selection of materials. Located in Los Angeles CA, the new plant is a 4 million-cubic-foot facility, costing more than $35 million, that will produce up to 150 million pounds of product the first year alone. The facility, its processes, and the product manufactured there will be known as Green Cuisine.