California Green Solutions is building a robust catalog of professional training courses and certification programs offered by private companies and colleges.  You will find this robust catalog covers business law, construction, human resources...as well as engineering and green building...and more. 

Visit the Green and Sustainable Job Training Catalog at:  CaliforniaGreenSolutions.com

How Healthy Are National Green Building Programs?, The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) compared green building and indoor air quality guidelines.

The study recommends the following improvements be made to several programs to reduce contaminants:

• Avoid the use of mold susceptible materials in areas likely to get wet (bathrooms). Use dense glass gypsum board instead of paper-backed gypsum board.
• Require sub-slab depressurization systems [radon mitigation system ] in new homes to help reduce soil odors.
• Set the hot water heater to 120 degrees F. This is primarily a safety issue although setting the temperature to 120-140°F vs. 160-180°F saves 10% energy as well.

Except for the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) all programs require compliance with the ventilation standard ASHRAE 62.2. NCHH recommends NAHB add this requirement to their guidelines.

Build It Green is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy and efficient building practices in California.  Headquartered in Northern California, Build It Green has expanded into Southern California.

Not only does Build it Green provide extensive training and educational forums, their green home rating system, GreenPoint Rated provides a new 3^rd party verification program for homeowners searching for an alternative to LEED.  

The Certified Green Building Professional Training course takes you through a step-by-step analysis of all systems, materials, and technologies involved with building or renovating a home.  All of the discussion focused on buildings that embrace energy-efficiency and health.

ASID which is the American Society of Interior Designers, has their own set of green guidelines for remodeling, called REGREEN.

The American Society of Interior Designers’ Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council have partnered on the development of best practice guidelines and targeted educational resources for sustainable residential improvement projects.

The REGREEN program will increase understanding of sustainable renovation project practices and benefits among homeowners, residents, design professionals, product suppliers and service providers to build both demand and industry capacity.

Whether you're a renovation professional or a savvy do-it-yourselfer, let REGREEN help green your next project. REGREEN is easy to use and chock-full of information, but if you find you have any questions, please e-mail regreenprogram@usgbc.org.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCIA)

Life cycle assessment (LCIA)  is an internationally standardized (ISO 14044) environmental accounting tool designed to accurately measure the benefits and tradeoffs of each choice.

Developed by leading scientists from 22 countries to provide a scientific bases for environmental claims and green design, Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) sets the new standard for environmental metrics.

Environmental Performance Declarations by SCS

Declarations are based on life cycle assessment (LCIA),  and the Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) "Decalaration" results are not boiled down to a summary score as in some systems. Each indicator is charted on the declaration so that areas for improvement stand out.

Results are not boiled down to a summary score as in some systems. Each indicator is charted on the declaration so that areas for improvement stand out.

Environmental Performance Declarations provide designers, architects, facility managers and product manufacturers with a new precise method of determining the environmental performance of building designs, office equipment and systems, building operations, and transportation including air travel and work commutes.

SCS Declarations are available for building design and construction, electric power systems, building materials, building products, and workforce and building operations.

Environmental Performance Building Declarations

Building Declarations provide designers and architects a new precise method of determining the environmental performance of building designs.

Declarations are based on life cycle assessment (LCIA), an internationally standardized (ISO 14044) environmental accounting tool which quantifies environmental performance based on measurable biophysical impacts.  According to SCS, "LEED-Rated buildings make improvements in some areas, but leave others unexamined. While the building on the right has a higher LEED rating, its total environmental impacts are much greater that those of the lower-rated building on the left. Only a life cycle perspective shows total impacts."

Examples of SCS Environmental Performance Declaration of LEED Rated buildings.

CONTACT:
Scientific Certification Systems
2200 Powell Street, Suite 725
Emeryville, California 94608
Phone: 510-452-8000
http://www.scscertified.com

Forest Conservation Program

SCS developed its Forest Conservation Program in 1991 and has since emerged as a leading certifier of forest management operations and wood product manufacturers. In 1996, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited SCS as a certification body, enabling it to evaluate forests according to the FSC Principles and Criteria for Forest Stewardship. Through a well-developed network of regional representatives and contractors, SCS offers timely and cost-effective certification services around the world.

Over the past 12 years, SCS has certified more than 23.8 million acres of natural forests and plantations in North, Central, and South America, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand through its Forest Management Certification division. Certified operations have ranged from small 100-hectare parcels to 2.5-million hectare forests. SCS also offers a group certification format, such as certified resource managers, to lower certification costs for small landowners. For each certification audit, an interdisciplinary evaluation team of experts in forest science and management is assembled.

Since the mid-1990s, SCS has also offered FSC certification to wood product manufacturers. Our Chain-of-Custody Certification division has audited and certified over 500 manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who make or carry certified wood products. SCS has issued chain-of-custody certificates in over 29 countries spanning 5 continents.

In addition to FSC certification, SCS offers an independent, non-aligned certification program for clients seeking an alternative to existing, potentially polarizing certification schemes. SCS also offers wood product manufacturers the option of pursuing single attribute claims (e.g., recycled, recovered, salvaged wood, etc.) certification.

As of February 4, 2008, SCS is a CCX-approved verifier for >forestry offset projects.

Chain-of-Custody Certification

Before a product may carry an FSC or SCS label, all stages of the production, distribution, and sale of the product must be independently evaluated. Wood must be tracked from the certified forest to the finished product.

Through our Chain-of-Custody Certification Division, SCS certifies wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, who handle wood coming from forests certified according to FSC standards. For FSC Chain-of-Custody certification SCS also provides group and multi-site certification. To become certified, these entities must meet six principles of chain-of-custody, such as maintaining adequate inventory control systems that allow for separation and identification of certified product.

SCS requires the tracking of certified products throughout the production process to ensure the validity of the certified claim. If a wood product carries the FSC or SCS logo, a customer can have confidence that it was made from wood harvested from an FSC-certified forest.

LINK to Forest Conservation Program CERTIFIED CLIENTS

For a searchable database of all forests and products certified according to the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council, visit the Forest Certification Resource Center.


CONTACT:
Scientific Certification Systems
2200 Powell Street, Suite 725
Emeryville, California 94608
Phone: 510-452-8000
http://www.scscertified.com/forestry/index.html

Green building and green workspace strategies include conscious design principles that reduce the load on the environment -- and people's health.  The use of non-polluting materials and manufacturing processes of basic building and manufacturing processes is the foundation of a green building.  How the building itself is constructed is the second step toward lowered lifetime impact through lower energy costs, better ventilation, lower offgassing, etc.  And the furnishings that make the building functional add the final step in the green building process by selecting furnishings that reduce virgin materials use, are high performance and long lasting, and provide ergonomic service to the people using them.

Whether you are building a new facility or retrofitting a building, finding good quality, green building materials is part of the upgrading process...and part of certification programs such as Energy Star, California standards, Federal Environmentally Preferable Purchasing or USGBC's LEED program.

Measuring Environmental Claims with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)

Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) is one of the leading product and process certification audit providers.  They monitor, measure and certify a wide range of environmental products for industries including

• Food & Agriculture
• Eco Products (Building)
• Forestry
• Fisheries
• Floral

Online SCS Certified Products Database of Eco Building Products

The online product directory of green building products includes  broad categories, sub-categories and product types from more than  one hundred manufacturers  and classified by certification programs and conformance to the  leading  regulatory and  measurement programs. Currently certified products include office furniture systems, components, and seating, building materials, carpet and rug, hard surface flooring, paints, finishes, wood products, and cleaning products, among others.

Categories of eco products include:

• Adhesives/Sealants
• Building and Construction Products
• Flooring
• Furniture
• Home and Garden
• Paint Products
• Paints and Coatings
• Plastics
• Processes
• Reclamation Program
• Rock
• Textiles and Fiber
• Treatment

Certification Programs covered include:

• Biodegradable
• Environmentally Preferable Product
• FloorScore
• Indoor avantage
• indoor Advantage Gold
• No Added Formaldehyde
• No Added Urea Formaldehyde
• Pollution Prevention
• Reclamation Program
• Recycled or Reclaimed Content
• Salvaged Wood
• SCS Sustainable Choice

Conformance list includes:

• CA Section 01350
• CHPS EQ 2.2 (CA Section 01350)
• LEED EQ 4.2 + CHPS EQ 2.2
• LEED EQ 4.3 + CHPS EQ 2.2
• LEED EQ 4.5 (ANSI/BIFMA Furniture Emissions Standards)
• LEED EQ 4.5 +CHPS EQ 2.2 (ANSI/BIFMA Furniture Emissions Standards
• LEED MR 4.1 or 4.2