The Green Remodel Forum was founded by Sundong Kwong, a former school teacher now living in Danville, California. She started looking into green remodeling of her home a few years ago and very quickly realized that it was not straightforward.
First, there are energy efficiency improvements that can be done in a remodel and these improvements should be sequenced properly to maximize benefit and minimize cost. Second, there are many environmentally sustainable materials to choose from, each of which has its own merits and places of application. Third, the green building is still an emerging industry. It takes extra effort to put an integrated plan together and to assemble a green-minded team for the project.
Sundong went on to learn green remodeling by attending professional classes, and talking with experienced contractors and architects. It took her a long time to sort the issues out and she understands that other homeowners embarking on a similar task are likely to find the process challenging and time consuming.
In this Green Remodel Forum, she hopes to share her knowledge, and build a community for homeowners and building professionals interested in greening of homes.
This website will be constantly undergoing development – with additional posts of green home information and pertinent news. While most of the ideas are applicable broadly, the directory and many of the event listings and stories are currently focused in the San Francisco Bay Area. Please explore the site and let us know what you are interested in and how we can improve.
Sundong is a Certified Green Building Professional, member of the US Green Building Council, Passive House California, Green America and a board member of Smart Energy Planet.