San Jose - A new initiative has been launched by Joint Venture Silicon Valley to help make buildings become greener. The group, which consists of various community and business leaders, will advocate for improving building and permitting practices that can help improve sustainability in three key areas.
Joint Venture board member Linda LaZotte says the Sustainable Buildings Initiative will work for answers. It will look to help developers and homeowners with problems like retrofitting, water management and energy issues and cost-cutting measures. Joint Venture will make use of computer models in the development and permitting process.
Next month, Joint Venture members will begin plotting a course to implement the initiative. The three branches of the plan -- water, energy and building technology -- will begin to turn good ideas into common practices. LaZotte said local cities have sustainability standards but they want to help builders go beyond just meeting minimum requirements.
