Welcome to Elemental Green! Here you will find inspiration, education and practical ideas for your green building projects. At Elemental Green (“we,” ”us,” or “our”) the focus is our customers. This Privacy Policy will let you know what personal and other information is collected and how it is used. The Zero Energy Project joined the Elemental Green portfolio in September 2022. The Zero Energy Project provides information and education to prospective homebuyers, builders, designers, real estate professionals and advocates about zero net energy homes and to advance the prevalence of these homes in the mainstream housing market.
If you use the Elemental Green website, or the Zero Energy Project website, you agree to be bound by our Terms and Conditions.
When you use the websites Elemental.Green or zeroenergyproject.com, or zeroenergyproject.org, you consent to our collection, use and disclosure of information about you as described in this Privacy Policy.
Scope
This Privacy Policy describes what we do with the information that is collected on our websites Elemental.Green and zeroenergyproject.com (the “Sites”) and any email messages that we send you, and your use of the Service.
Our “Service” includes the Sites, “Content” (information, material, alerts, articles, videos, offers and the like that are available from or through the Site), and “Communications” (alerts, newsletters, invitations or other Content that we email you or that is available to you when you click on an advertisement or a “read more” button. It also may includes seminars and webinars and other programs that we organize online, offline or through telecommunication means).
This Privacy Policy does not address the information practices of any third party. Our Service provides links to another sites and services. This does not imply that we endorse the data handling practices of that third party site and it does not imply that its practices are covered by this Privacy Policy.
Children
Children under 16 should not contact us or sign up for our newsletter except through their parents or guardians. We do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under 16. If we become aware that an individual submitting information is under 16, we will attempt to delete the information as soon as possible.
Information we Collect Automatically
When you use a Service, or when you click on an advertisement or a link that directs you to our Sites, or any of our Service, your browser automatically provides, and we automatically collect and store, certain information about your device (computer, tablet, smart phone,) and your activities. This includes:
- Preferences and settings: time zone, language, and character size;
- Identifiers: IP address; mobile device identifier;
- Technical information: type of device, operating system or platform (Mac, Windows), browser information (type, version);
- Connection: Internet provider or mobile carrier name, connection speed and connection type; Internet service provider (ISP);
- URL of the last webpage visited before visiting our Service; exit page;
- Information about your use of the Service: data stamp, pages viewed, time spent on a page, click through, clickstream data, queries made, search results selected, history, comments made; and
- Location: general geographic location.
When we send you, or when you access, respond to, or decline to open a Communication from us, when you complete a form to register to a webinar or conference, or when you contact us outside our Sites, we automatically collect and store certain information about you, your device (computer, tablet, smart phone,) and your activities, such as:
- The nature of the Communication sent to you;
- Whether you opened it or ignore it;
- Any action you take upon receipt of such Communication (e.g. you register to a webinar that we offer, or request to receive a copy of an article);
- Your name and contact information; and
- The purpose of your contacting us, and the action we took in response to your inquiry.
Information you Provide to us
You may provide information to us when you use our Service when you choose to:
- Use any of our Service;
- Complete a form to register with us (e.g. to attend an event, or to subscribe to a newsletter) or to request information or assistance;
- Contact us about employment opportunities posted on the Website.
Depending on which Service you use, the information you provide may include your:
- First and last names;
- Email address;
- Postal address;
- Telephone number;
- Demographic information;
- Interests;
- Communication preferences.
Information we obtain from Surveys and Questionnaires
From time-to-time, we may invite you to participate in surveys or respond to a questionnaire. Participation is voluntary. If you participate, we may request certain personal information from you, such as name, email address, or zip code. We use this information for analytics purposes, to ensure that there are no duplicates, or to send the survey results to the participants. We may use a third party service provider to conduct these surveys. That company will be prohibited from using our users’ personal information for any other purpose than to administer the survey or send the survey results.
How we Collect Information
We (and our service providers) collect information in a variety of ways:
- Through the Service: e.g. when you sign up to register for a seminar
- Through your browser or device, using cookies or similar technologies
- From other sources: We may obtain information through external sources, such as public databases, joint marketing partners, social media platforms, people with whom you are connected, and third parties.
Aggregated, Anonymized, or Statistical Information
We generate and use aggregated, anonymized, or statistical information about the use of our Service. We may provide this information to third parties such as our advisers or consultants for research, analytical or strategic purposes. This information is not intended to allow the identification of any specific user of our Service.
About Cookies
Cookies, pixel tags, web beacons, mobile device IDs, and other technologies (collectively “cookies”) are used to recognize a user when the user visits a website or an application, clicks from page to page, or returns to use a website, application, or feature. Cookies are used to store, on a user’s computer or device, information about that user’s preferences and settings. Cookies can be “first party cookies” (served by us) or “third parties cookies” (served by others).
Our Cookies
The Service relies on cookies in order to recognize users and attempt to understand their interests.
Third Parties Cookies
Third party’s cookies are used for functionality, performance, and analytics purposes. These cookies collect and store automatically information about a user’s computer or mobile device, and the use of the Service. This information is used in aggregate form only.
The practices of these third parties are subject to the third parties’ privacy policies over which we have no control. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.
Your options
You may choose to block certain categories of cookies. Most browsers contain information on how to control or delete cookies. These settings will typically be found in the “options” or “preferences” menu of a browser. You may also wish to refer to https://www.allaboutcookies.org/manage-cookies/
Please note that blocking or disabling certain cookies may interfere with certain functionalities of our Service. Further, while disabling a cookie may prevent the collection of information in the future, it does not prevent the use of information collected before the cookie was disabled.
Link to Third Party Website; Social Networking Buttons
The Service may contain links to other website (e.g. to copy of an article) or social networking buttons (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) that link to other website that are not owned or controlled by us. We are not responsible for the data collection and the privacy practices of such other Site.
We encourage you to be aware when you leave our Site, and to read the privacy statements of each website on which you land after you click on a link or social networking button located on our Site.
Use of Information
Other than as provided above, we use the information collected from our users or from the user’s device as described above for the following purposes:
- Respond to questions and other requests for information made through the Service;
- Send updates, invitations to events that we think may be of interest;
- Send communications that a user has requested or that may be of interest to that user accordance with his/her preferences;
- Keep record of contact information, and correspondence;
- Provide services, such as seminars or consultation;
- Allow a user to send Service-related content though the Service to a friend;
- Remember the user’s preference, e.g. language, font size, when using our Site;
- Remember the user’s interests (e.g. the type of seminars attended);
- Administer our Service, diagnose technical problems, and otherwise manage our business;
- Facilitate the user’s use of the Service;
- Allow the user to navigate or browse through our Site or Content quickly and efficiently;
- Improve user experience, such as by personalizing Content to the user’s preferences or interests or expedite the processing and completion of a transaction;
- To perform data analysis, audit, fraud monitoring and prevention, enhancing, improving, or modifying our Service, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns, and operating and expanding our business activities;
- Perform other functions as otherwise described at the time of collection.
Sharing and Disclosure of Information
We will not share the personal information that we collect about a user with any third party for that third party’s own direct marketing purposes without the specific user’s consent.
However, we share user information with the following entities or in the following circumstances:
- Service Providers: We share information with our service providers, suppliers, subcontractors, and similar third parties who provide services to us, or act on our behalf so that they can assist us with the provision, upkeep, and maintenance of the Site, Service and other related activities, such as the organization of conferences and webinars, email delivery, or auditing. These service providers are prohibited them from using or sharing with others, for other purposes than as directed by us, the information that we provide to them, or that they collect directly from our users.
- Analytics: We use automated devices and applications, such as Google Analytics, to evaluate use of our Site. These third party services use cookies and other tracking technologies to perform their services.
- Sale, Merger, and Corporate Reorganization: We may transfer users’ information to a third party in case of the reorganization, sale, merger, joint venture, assignment, transfer or other disposition of all or any portion of our business, assets or stocks.
- Social Networking: Your information may be disclosed to anyone to whom you send a message through the Service (for example when you forward an article). You may also disclose it when you post or transmit information or material through our social networking buttons, e.g. a Facebook button. Please note that any information that you post or disclose through these social networking services may be available to us, or to other users of that service or the public. We urge you to be careful when using these features.
Compliance and Legal Requirements
There may be times when we use, share, or disclose information about our users in order to comply with applicable laws or to address legal concerns or liabilities, especially in the following cases:
- Compliance with Applicable Laws: When we believe it is necessary or appropriate under applicable laws, including laws outside your country of residence; or to comply with legal process;
- Fraud prevention and Protection of Legal Rights: When we believe it is necessary to enforce our terms and conditions, to investigate, prevent, or respond to suspected illegal or fraudulent activity; to protect the safety, rights, or property of our company, and those of its affiliates, users or others; or to exercise or protect legal rights or defend against legal claims; to allow us to pursue available remedies or limit the damages that we may sustain.
- Law Enforcement: If law enforcement authorities, courts, or regulators, or other public or government authorities with appropriate jurisdiction – including public and government authorities outside your country of residence – request that we provide user information, and such request is made using the method required by law in the applicable jurisdiction, such as a search warrant, subpoena, or a court order, and we believe that such request is facially valid, we will provide any information we have about a user that responds to such request.
Users Rights
Choice Regarding Marketing
If you no longer want to receive marketing-related material from us, you may opt-out of receiving these marketing related electronic communications by following the unsubscribe instructions in such messages or by contacting us as indicated in the “How to Contact Us” section. We will try to comply with your request as soon as practicable. Please note that you cannot opt-out of receiving administrative messages.
Access
Each user has the right to review, change, or suppress personally identifiable information that we have collected from that user. You may exercise third right by contacting us as indicated in the “How to Contact Us” section. For your protection, we may need to verify your identity before implementing your request. We will try to implement your request as soon as reasonable practicable.
However, please note that we reserve the right to refuse to act on a request that is manifestly unfounded or excessive (for example because it is repetitive) and/or to charge a fee that takes into account the administrative costs for providing the information or the communication or taking the action requested.
If you have a question, a comment or a request, please contact us at explained in the “How to Contact Us” section below.
Do Not Track
Some browsers give individuals the ability to communicate that they wish not to be tracked while browsing on the Internet. The “Do Not Track” feature of these browsers sends a signal that inform operators of services online that the user does not want certain information about their online activities to collected over time and across website or online services.
The Internet industry has not yet agreed on a definition of what “Do Not Track” means, how compliance with “Do Not Track” would be measured or evaluated, or a common approach to responding to a “Do Not Track” signal. Consequently, due to the lack of guidance, we have not yet developed features that would recognize or respond to browser-initiated Do Not Track signals.
In the meantime, you may opt out of receiving interest based advertising from advertising networks that may be delivered on our platform and other websites by visiting the following websites: http://www.aboutads.info/consumers or http://www.networkadvertising.org.
This will opt you out of many –but not all- of the interest-based advertising activities in which we or third parties engage.
Choices you make may be browser and device specific. If you delete your cookies or use a different browser or a different computer or device, you may need to update your opt-out choices.
Other third-party Sites provide visitors with the ability to opt-out of receiving interest-based ads on their Sites that you need to control through your settings on that Site. For example, to opt out of Google’s use of your online behavior for advertising purposes, visit Google’s Ad Settings page.
Special Notice for California Users
This section provides notice and specific information for California consumers to address the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”).
We collect the following categories of personal information from you:
● Contact information and other identifiers (for example, real name, address, email address, account name, or other similar identifiers);
● User ID or device identifiers (for example, IP address or other similar identifiers);
● Customer records (for example, customer records containing personal information, such as name, address, and telephone number);
● Protected classifications (but only gender, age range, and ethnicity, which you choose to provide);
● Usage data (for example, internet activity information, including browsing history and interactions with a website or advertisement);
● Precise geolocation data (for example, latitude/longitude from a particular device, but only with your consent);
● Audiovisual information (for example, visual, audio, or similar information, only if you choose to provide this information);
● Work history (for example, professional information, if this information is provided).
We do not disclose your data in exchange for money except at your request or direction. For California residents, the CCPA defines “selling” personal information to include providing it to a third party in exchange for valuable services. We disclose information to certain third parties in exchange for valuable services, such as advertising services, which may constitute a “sale” under the CCPA. As provided in our Terms of Use, use of the Service by anyone under 16 years of age is strictly prohibited. Consequently, we do not knowingly disclose information regarding individuals under 16 years of age to third parties in exchange for consideration.
In addition to the rights described above and in the Your Choices and Rights section, California consumers may also, up to twice every 12 months and subject to certain exceptions, request us to provide information about how we have used and shared your personal information in the prior 12 months. Please submit these requests for information, as well as requests to access or delete your information to privacy@elemental.green.
Your authorized agent may submit a request to know, delete, or opt out on your behalf via this online support form or by emailing us as shown in the Contact Us section. We may still require you to directly verify your identity and confirm that you have provided the authorized agent permission to submit the request.
Consistent with the CCPA, except to the extent reasonably related to the value of your personal information, we will not treat California consumers differently for exercising their rights under the CCPA.
Special Notice for Individuals from the European Economic Area
If you are from the EEA, our legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described in this Privacy Policy will depend on the personal information concerned and the specific context in which we collect it. We collect and use your information for a variety of business purposes that are in our legitimate interests, in order to enter into or perform a contract with you, with your consent, or to comply with our legal obligations.
If we have collected and processed your personal information with your consent, then you can withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing we conducted prior to your withdrawal, nor will it affect the processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent.
If you wish to learn more about specific legal grounds we rely on to process your information for any particular purpose (including any legitimate interests we have to process this information), please contact us as provided under the Contact Us section. For example, we rely on our legitimate interests to process information for direct marketing purposes and for fraud prevention and detection, provided these interests are not overridden by your data protection interests or fundamental rights and freedoms.
Elemental Green takes reasonable steps to ensure that the data we collect is reliable for its intended use, accurate, complete, and up to date. In addition to the rights described above, you have additional rights in relation to your personal information, including the right to object to, or to ask us to restrict, the processing of your personal information. You can exercise these rights by contacting us as provided in the Contact Us section.
You can complain to a data protection authority about our collection and use of your personal information in relation to the GDPR and other applicable law. For more information, and to submit a GDPR complaint, please contact your local data protection authority. Contact details for data protection authorities in the EEA and Switzerland are available here.
Security
We limit access to our users’ information to only those employees who reasonably need access to it to perform the activities attached to their job responsibilities.
We seek to use reasonable technical, organizational, and administrative measures to protect our users’ information against unauthorized or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction, or damage. We believe that these measures are reasonably adapted to the nature of the information in our custody. However, because no security system can be 100% effective, we cannot guarantee the security of any information we may have collected from or about our users.
If you believe that your interaction with our Service is no longer secure, please immediately notify us of the problem in accordance with the “How to Contact Us” section below.
Retention
We retain the information we collect about and from our users for as long as necessary to perform the activities described in this Privacy Notice or comply with a legal request unless a longer retention period is required or permitted under applicable law.
We may choose to anonymize some of the information in our custody so that it can no longer be attributed to a particular individual if we would like to retain it for longer periods of time.
Consent to Transfer of Information
The information that we obtain from or about users of our Service may be stored in data centers located in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The protection of personal information in these countries might be different from that which is afforded in your country.
By using the Service, you consent to our collection and use of your information as described in this Privacy Notice outside your country of residence, including in the United States, and that in these countries, data protection rules other than those in effect in your country will apply.
How to Contact Us
This Site is operated by Sherri Foster, dba Elemental Green.
To write to us regarding this Privacy Notice and our personal information handling practices, please write to us via email or postal service.
You can find us at privacy@elemental.green
Regarding email communications: Please note that email communications are not always secure. Thus, please do include any confidential or sensitive information in any emails.
Our mailing address is – Elemental Green, 171 Main St, Suite 240, Los Altos, CA 94022.
Regarding postal communications: Please be aware that it may take us longer to route and process your request if it is made on paper versus an electronic message.
Changes to this Privacy Notice
Our Service and data handling practices may change from time to time. New laws may be enacted. This Privacy Notice may have to be modified to reflect these changes or requirements. Our Privacy Notice will always indicate the date when it was last changed. We encourage you to visit this page regularly to be aware of our current terms.
In addition, if we make any material changes to this Privacy Notice, we will post the updated Privacy Notice here, along with its effective date, and notify users as required by applicable law.
Please check this page periodically for updates.
Your continued use of the Service after we have posted changes to this Privacy Notice on this page with a new effective date will indicate that you agree to be bound by such changes.
This Privacy Notice was last updated October 5, 2022.