BayArea Build lt Greeri

Smart Soluttons FromThe Ground Up SAN FRANCISCO Bay Area group provides builders with a Web-based database for oreen building materials.

Builders wanting to connect to a green product supplier or manufacturer can now mine BABIG's database. which cross-references which type of project relates to a specific green building guideline measure-a green indicator, if you will.

Think you're green enough to be included in the database? Manufacturers and suppliers wanting to partner with BABIG must first go through a stringent review process. A technical review committee, comprised of nonmanufacturer organizations, independent public agencies, non-profit groups, and green building experts oversee the database. The group ultimately determines what gets included. All products must be related to the county's green building guidelines, which are currently being reviewed and adopted by various local jurisdictions in the region.

Some of the many partners include manufacturers such as Andersen, James Hardie, Trex, Tyvek, Johns Manville, Benjamin Moore, and distributors like EarthSource Forest Products, Truitt & White, and BMD.

Builders often turn to BABIG to seek products that their normal supply chain can't provide. "If it gets down to one of our suppliers telling us they can't find the right product, we'll go to BABIG to find, say, the right adhesive." said Jacobs. BABIG will then work with the supplier and increase the availability ofthe product, he said.

Mason said, "One of the biggest advantages when you partner with some of the public agencies is in the education process. One of the things we're finding-and we've been doing this for a while-is the need to educate our buyers. People need to understand how it's going to benefit them and why it's good for society at large."

Don Babbitt, Passport Homes, a custom builder in the Bay Area that builds a dozen homes a year, said partnering with green organizations has been a huge benefit. "The exchange of information with BABIG has been helpful," he said.

Mason said working with public agencies like Green Building in Alameda County gives them the opportunity to not only educate buyers but also some of the municipalities. "Often we find there are issues with inspectors who don't really understand some of these new products. When you partner with public agencies you can get that support with the inspectors at the municipality level and the

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