A green (building) letter day
Three important articles on green building caught my eye today, involving private equity investments, green building renovations and the City of Palm Desert (California) imposing tougher energy conservation rules on new housing that state law.
The New York Times (Jan. 10th) carried a story about green renovations featuring Jonathan Rose’s “Rose Smart Growth Fund” and its investments in building renovations, as well as the ongoing story of what’s happening with the fund’s first investment in two Seattle buildings. The Desert Sun of Palm Springs reported on the upcoming mandate of stringent energy efficiency standards in the nearby city of Palm Desert, a fairly wealthy enclave, 10% to 15% stronger than California’s own strict standards. Compliance will include certification by LEED, Energy Star or the homebuilders’ own “California Green Builder” program. Finally, Forbes Magazine reported an Associated Press story about increased interest by venture investors in green building technologies. When private equity investors start looking at an industry and making investments, that usually indicates there’s something very substantial happening.
Posted by on 01/10/2007 at 09:37 PM
