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The Bay Area Air Quality Management District awarded HEART $296,000 in climate protection funding to develop designs for green accessory dwelling units (ADUs) that homeowners can download for free and build on their property.

ADUs (sometimes known as second units or granny flats) are smaller than a primary structure in terms of size and can be built inside the main home, attached to it or even as a detached structure. This project is an excellent opportunity to reduce greenhouse gases as well as criteria pollutants and we are grateful for this support!

Even though these ADUs will inherently save energy due to their size and eliminate direct greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), by eliminating all natural gas appliances, there are many other ways to reduce dependence on external fuel sources, such as ENERGY STAR© rated appliances and on-site renewable energy systems.

To learn about other ways to conserve or reuse resources in the building process, as well as view a variety of green features that could be utilized with the GLADUR designs to, please see our accompanying GLADUR Handbook.