Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

Additional Resources

Building America
The Building America is a private/public partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy that conducts research to find energy-efficient solutions for new and existing housing that can be implemented on a production basis.
ENERGY STAR New Homes
The ENERGY STAR for New Homes program works with builders, home energy raters, rating providers, utilities, state and regional sponsors, and lenders to promote the benefits of energy-efficient homes. The program offers technical assistance, guidelines and specifications, and marketing and outreach support to energy efficiency program sponsors, the home building industry and new homebuyers. www.energystar.gov/newhomes/
National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB)
- Built Green Colorado
  The Home Builders Association of Metro Denver offers this voluntary industry-driven program to builders across the state. The purpose of Built Green Colorado is to encourage home builders to use technologies, products and practices that result in homes that are better built and better for the environment.
- Build Green New Mexico
  The Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico (HBA of CNM) developed Build Green New Mexico to promote and facilitate sustainable construction. The organization was accepted as a pilot program from the Green Building Initiative and tailored NAHB Green Home Building Guidelines to reflect the arid climate of the state. Homebuilders voluntarily participate to learn the guidelines and certify their homes to the green building standard.
- Build Green Utah
  As an active council of a Home Builders Association, the Utah Green Building Initiative is a member-driven organization comprised of proactive builders, architects, and associates that are investing in an environmentally sound, socially supportive, and economically healthy future through a conscientious building industry.
- Southern Nevada Home Builders Association
  Founded in 1954, the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association ranks as the oldest and largest local trade organization representing the residential construction industry. It has nearly 700 members, working in all facets of the homebuilding industry. It is an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders and dedicated to enhancing the quality of life by meeting the housing and community development needs of Southern Nevada.
New Buildings Institute
NBI works with national, regional, state and utility groups to promote improved energy performance in commercial new construction. NBI manages projects involving building research, design guidelines and code activities to ensure all elements of this chain are available for use by energy efficiency programs throughout the United States.

NBI has just released their study of measured energy performance of LEED buildings. The study gathered whole building energy data from 121 LEED NC buildings across the country that had been occupied for at least one year. Read Energy Performance of LEED for New Construction Buildings.
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
A national non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. USGBC manages the Leadership for Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) standards, which is a voluntary rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.

The USGBC has chapters in each state. Below is a list of the chapters in the Southwest region:

Arizona Chapter

Colorado Chapter

Nevada Chapter

New Mexico Chapter

Utah Chapter

© 2002-2008 Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
2260 Baseline Rd. Suite 212, Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 447-0078 fax: (303) 786-8054 info@swenergy.org

Last Updated: 04/05/2008