Casey O'Connell
Director of Communications
Regenerative Ventures, Inc.

We are entering an era where green building has transformed from a buzzword, to a sophisticated approach redefining how we make and live in buildings. Instead of spending the bulk of our efforts converting people to build green (although this is still very much a need), we are now discussing the different genres and levels of green.

What was first an industry centered largely on materials efficiency with measures such as low flow toilets, day lighting, and weatherstripping, has now metamorphosed into high-tech IT. Electrochromic windows, controllable electrical outlets, sensor-based DC power lighting systems, building dashboards coupled with cloud technology, micro fuel cells, and bio-based phase change solutions—wall fabric that melts and solidifies at room temperature to stabilize a space’s heat gain/loss.

These advancements are what can be called, “disruptive,”—innovative technology that helps to create a new market and value network; they ‘disrupt’ an existing market by displacing earlier technology. David Gottfried, founder of U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), WorldGBC, and Regenerative Ventures, Inc., predicted and labeled this progression in the green building movement as “GreenbuildTech”—the application of high-tech IT expertise with the objective of advancing energy and water efficiency, carbon mitigation, reduction of operational impacts and materials’ effectiveness.

To increase awareness and accelerate the mainstreaming of such emerging, disruptive technologies, Regenerative Ventures, Inc., in partnership with USGBC, has created the summit GreenTech@Greenbuild (G@G), to be held at Greenbuild on October 6th, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Fairmont Ballroom). After researching the clean tech (GreenTech) market, Regenerative Ventures selected 30 top companies to present their exceptional solutions for the building industry. The G@G event showcases innovative, private, start-up companies (investor- or venture-backed) with less than $100 million in revenues.

The summit will commence with a venture capital panel discussion that deliberate the GreenTech trend. Then, parallel tracks of 5 rapid-fire presentations by top-level members of each participating company will alternate with 20–minute networking sessions. A dynamic presentation using USGBC’s new Green Building Info Gateway (GBIG) program will link featured companies to LEED projects where their products or services are used.

The inaugural G@G event embodies the theme of the 2011 Greenbuild, it examines what is “NEXT” in green building, and will introduce the next wave of sustainable commerce.

Learn more about GreenTech@Greenbuild »