The state's green building code, the first of its kind in the nation, took effect August 1, the California Building Standards Commission has announced. This new code standardizes practices for reducing the environmental impact of buildings in a variety of ways. It encourages the use of renewable, recyclable, and recycled material in the building process. It also encourages the reduction of a building’s potable water use by 20 percent, and it establishes a two tiered 15 or 30 percent energy savings above current levels for all buildings through a combination of more efficient appliances and windows, better insulation, and other performance enhancing measures.
Application of the code is currently voluntary. It was adopted last year as a step toward mandatory green building standards, which Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for by 2010.
For more info:
http://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/bsc/2009/part11_2008_calgreen_code.pdf
