Last month, Build It Green finalized the sale of its utility program implementation business to Franklin Energy, a Wisconsin-based provider of energy efficiency and grid optimization services. This move positions BIG to reinvest in and revamp our green building programs and resources to ensure they remain responsive to market conditions today and in the coming decade.

Catalyzing market transformation has always been part of Build It Green’s DNA. GreenPoint Rated, our signature green home rating system, was conceived more than a decade ago to bring green home building practices into the mainstream in California and provide verifiable criteria for judging a home’s environmental performance.

It didn’t take long before the majority of 100 local governments in the San Francisco Bay Area were referencing GreenPoint Rated as a standard. The Northern California Home Builders Association also endorsed GreenPoint Rated as a standard for its members. A few years later, California became the first state in the nation to adopt a green building code, with Build It Green playing a major role in shaping this process and bringing residential green building to the mainstream.

Speaking on behalf of the Board, we’re proud of Build It Green’s achievements and we’re committed to continuing to develop transformative programs and resources for the building sector. It’s clear that the magnitude of challenges the building industry and our society face—from homelessness to lack of affordable housing to the climate crisis—calls for bold action.

To this end, BIG’s Board and staff have embarked on a strategic visioning process to explore new directions for the organization. In the coming months, we’ll be reaching out to share our ideas and tap into the collective wisdom of our partners and stakeholders.

Thank you for being part of the Build It Green community.

Karen Kho Chair, Board of Directors, Build It Green