January 23, 2009

San Francisco’s Green Building Codes: The New Requirements Under Chapter 13C

Posted by Sarah Grilli under Build It Green / Green Point Rated, Building and Design, Law, Legislation, and Policy, USGBC / LEED | Tags: , , , |
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San Francisco has emerged as a leader in the Bay Area by enacting a comprehensive set of green building standards that include aggressive mandates. On November 3, 2008, a new chapter of San Francisco’s Building Code, Green Building Ordinance, Chapter 13C went into effect. The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection also released an administrative bulletin, AB-093 on September 24, 2008 to accompany the code and provide a comprehensive guide to the new requirements.

The new chapter of the building code includes sustainability requirements for new construction and substantial remodel work in both the residential and commercial context. The regulations incorporate elements of the USGBC’s LEED rating system as well as the GreenPoint rating system for residential construction and make several of these voluntary systems mandatory practice. San Francisco’s new codes  promote energy reduction and sustainable practices but also focus on stringent requirements in two particular areas: water efficiency and waste reduction. Recognizing a key environmental challenge the city faces is scarcity of water, the chapter focuses on water reduction and efficient use by requiring certain buildings to meet standards and develop ways to maintain site imperviousness, prevent post-development peak discharge rates,  protect existing on-site stream channels, capture rainwater, recycle gray water, and choose to plant specific vegetation that reduces run-off.  Another major element the city chose to focus on is reducing the amount of waste that is generated during the actual construction process by mandating strict on-site separation of materials for recycling and composting. For a complete detailed summary of the specific requirements of Chapter 13C check out the full article here:

SF Green Building Code Analysis

San Francisco has taken a strong stand by enacting this new chapter into their building code and cities and towns on the verge of creating their own green building ordinances will most likely look at Chapter 13C as an innovative and aggressive benchmark.

 

November 19, 2008

The Time for Green

Posted by Sarah Grilli under Energy, Green Economy, Law, Legislation, and Policy | Tags: , |
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Throughout the last generation we have all frequently heard advocates make the case for reduction of our country’s greenhouse gas emission levels and propose a shift in our energy policy away from oil and towards renewable energy. Most recently, on the campaign trail, Obama pledged to invest $150 billion over the next 10 years in sustainable energy. He asserts that an 80% reduction of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is achievable and avers that investment in the following three areas will be imperative: creation of hybrid and alternative fuel automobiles, increased production of renewable energies, and implementation of a country wide cap-and-trade program. The plan incorporates sustainable building measures such as requiring all new buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030, retrofitting the government’s old buildings, constructing new federal buildings that are energy efficient and winterizing homes for low-income families. You can find the full text of the Obama energy plan on his campaign website, http://www.barackobama.com/. John McCain also supported a cap-and-trade system and US emissions reductions. His plan is laid out on his campaign site, http://www.johnmccain.com/. Al Gore’s plan is similar to the Obama plan and acknowledges that buildings contribute to 40% of the US’ emissions. Gore, however, does not believe in funding for “clean coal” technology as Obama does. The Gore plan can be found on-line at http://www.wecansolveit.org/, and http://www.algore.com/, also see his Op-Ed column in last week’s Sunday NY Times.

After the outcome of the election on November 4th, news media throughout the country published articles projecting that an Obama presidency will consummate what proponents argue is a dire need for the US adoption of green policies. Wherever you look the cry for green change is in the air. Many environmental groups and organizations have grasped the moment to provide our nations leaders with advice on how to seize this potential:

The Center for Progressive Reform: http://www.progressivereform.org/penstroke.cfm

National Resources Defense Counsel: http://www.nrdc.org/media/2008/081104.asp

Environmental Defense: http://www.edf.org/article.cfm?contentID=8761

Union of Concerned Scientists: http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/obama-administration-new-0156.html

Republicans for Environmental Protection: http://www.rep.org/opinions/speeches/89.html

Even SF Mayor Gavin Newsome weighed in: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/11/4/211442/450?source=weekly

Additionally, many of these same organizations and politicians highlight a key point that investment in these areas will not only create a cleaner country for future generations, but will have the added benefit of stimulating the economy and providing Americans with jobs that cannot be outsourced in an increasingly global economy.

Reading these plans and articles, however, is like wading through a sea of idealism, so many magnificent ideas and lofty goals, but little guarantee that any of them will come to fruition. So, despite the exciting potential and our new President’s promises, our optimism remains guarded, with a touch skepticism creeping in with the current economic downturn and the steep road that lies ahead in actualizing these goals. The moment is not only hopeful, but pivotal. The message of emissions reduction and energy conservation is prolific on the nation’s airwaves, and paramount in the public’s mind. The leaders have lauded green jobs as a solution, at a time where many of us need a solution more than ever. We are at a critical point in our nation’s history, a point where potential is abound, where green policy intersects with mainstream American values and the creation of jobs. Now, not only are the green community’s eyes on the government, but the eyes of the nation as a whole. We stand together and wait for what will come, and hope that some day in the not to distant future we will finally be able to say, the time for green has truly arrived.

We will be sure to keep you updated on the sustainable decisions that the nation’s new leadership makes, but in the meantime, please tell us what you think about the measures set out in the plans and articles above. What do you think will actually be realized?

 

November 7, 2008

California’s Green Building Standards Code

Posted by Sarah Grilli under Building and Design, Law, Legislation, and Policy | Tags: , , , |
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On July 17, 2008 California became the first state in the nation to adopt a set of “green” building codes.  http://www.bsc.ca.gov/prpsd_stds/default.htm. The code was drafted by the California Building Standards Commission as a result of governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s directive to the Commission on October 14, 2007 vetoing AB1058. The governor opined that it was “imperative to expedite the greening of California’s building standards” and stated that green standards should be incorporated into the 2010 building code. After extensive meetings between policymakers, industry insiders and environmentalists, the current set of standards were agreed upon and will first be introduced as voluntary in the upcoming January 2009 version of Title 24, the California Building Code. The Commission claims a voluntary introduction will make the transition easier on builders as they can gradually incorporate the measures into their practice over the next couple of years before they actually become mandatory and because they will not effect projects currently under construction. The state agencies adopting sections of the voluntary code include the Building Standards Commission (BSC), California Department of Housing and Community Development (HDC), Division of the State Architect (DSA), and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). If a project is under the jurisdiction of one of the above mentioned agencies, a builder must determine what sections of the codes the agency has adopted by using the checklist supplied in chapter 11 of the code.

The code’s self-proclaimed purpose is to “improve public health, safety and general welfare by enhancing the design and construction of buildings through the use of building concepts having a positive environmental impact and encouraging sustainable construction practices.” Sustainability measures in the following five categories are discussed in detail: planning and design, energy efficiency, water efficiency and conservation, material conservation and resource efficiency, and environmental air quality. According to the code, a green building should achieve more than a 15% reduction in energy usage from the state’s already mandatory energy efficiency standards. Some of the energy reducing techniques the code specifically mentions include the installation of Energy Star appliances, HVAC systems that include demand response software, use of landscaping for thermal loss protection and maximum shading, installation of sufficiently sealed building joints and openings, orienting buildings to provide maximum exterior shade for south facing windows, and proper training of building maintenance staff. Also included is the incorporation of on-site renewable energy such as the use of solar, wind, or geothermal sources to power the building’s energy needs. Water efficiency and conservation measures mentioned include installation of plumbing that meets a 20% reduced flow rate, as well as installation of graywater irrigation or rainwater collection system. Further measures include the use of recycled, bio-based and regional materials, certified wood products and materials with a long service and reduced maintenance life. Lastly, to build a structure with positive environmental air quality, the code suggests the use of low VOC paints, sealants and adhesives, along with the use of proper ventilation.

Although the code is currently voluntary, the Commission chair stated that she hopes builders, cities, and towns will act on their own to exceed these measures. If California is to meet the stringent emission reduction standard set out under AB32, the Global Warming Solutions Act (a 30% reduction by 2020) changes in the building code are essential. Studies have shown that buildings are responsible for 30%-40% of the emissions produced in the US, and they consume up to 70% of electricity generated. Accordingly, some environmental groups see the voluntary codes as a weak solution to this pressing issue. See the Sierra Club comments at http://sierraclubca.blogspot.com/2008/05/weak-green-building-rules-make-bad.html. Many cities throughout California, including San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego and Los Angeles, however, have already acted to incorporate green building measures into their respective building codes. For example, starting in 2009 San Francisco will require all new small scale residential construction to achieve a total of 25 points under the GreenPoint rating system, and by 2010 it will require all high rise residential projects and commercial buildings over 75 feet in height to achieve LEED silver certification.  The question remains weather builders in other California cities and towns will utilize the voluntary standards before they are required. Some builders are already taking the code seriously and suggest industry insiders need to get up to speed on the new codes as soon as possible, and most industry groups such as the AIA and the US Green Building Counsel applaud California’s forward looking initiative.

Link to USGBC Counsel Comments: http://www.acppubs.com/article/CA6579525.html?q=California+Voluntary+Green+building+codes;

Link to AIA: http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek08/0725/0725n_code.cfm.

The California Green Building Blog will follow the contractors and towns that choose to implement and require additional green building standards, and any further changes to the building codes to incorporate green measures, so please check back with us frequently in order to stay on top of this exciting emerging issue!

 

October 31, 2008

Will Green Jobs Really Assist in Boosting the Economy?

Posted by Sarah Grilli under Green Economy, Just Plain Cool, Research | Tags: , |
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The economic downturn is now a reality and one solution above all others that politicians are focusing on is the creation of green jobs. But are green jobs a reality and will they pose a solution to the thousands of unemployed Americans? Is this not just idealism used by politicians to feed a solution seeking country? Well, according to one recent report funded by the nonpartisan nonprofit group Next 10 and written by two University of California, Berkeley professors, the signs are strong that the creation of green jobs are an imminent reality and can be a dramatic step in turning around the current economic debacle. The report releases the findings of a first of its kind study that focuses upon the economic implications of California’s leadership in commitment to sustainability initiatives over the last 35 years.

Analyzing data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis and the California Regional Economies Employment Commission, the report finds direct connections in the state’s employment and income growth to the implementation of the state’s sustainability measures. These measures put into place over the last 35 years include the policies of the California Public Utilities Commission and legislative measures in the areas of energy efficiency, alternative energy, green building, and energy efficient appliances. According to the report, the historical data proves that in the past 35 years California has already created $1.5 million new jobs, and $45 billion in income, while at the same time saving $56 billion on energy costs due to these policies.

The researchers then take their analysis one more step forward and apply the historical findings to the foreseeable California future. They focus on California’s recently passed Global Warming Solutions Act, AB32, signed into law by the governor in 2006. The goal of AB32 is to reduce state emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 or achieve a 30% reduction from today’s emission levels and an 80% reduction from the 1990 levels by 2050. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) was tasked to create a draft implementation plan that outlined the policies that the state will need to put into place to actualize the standards set out by AB32. CARB’s plan is slated to be finalized in December 2008 and significant action should follow thereafter.  Extrapolating the historical data by using the Berkeley Energy and Resources (BEAR) model for forecasting economic results, the study is able to predict AB32′s effects. They estimate that if the measures are put into place and the standards set out in AB32 are met, it is possible to boost California’s economy with as many as 403,000 new jobs, increase salaries by as much as $48 billion statewide, and create a savings of $76 billion.

Surely there will be naysayers who will harp that facing economic downturn, an emerging market such as the green economy is not the place to hedge your bets, but in the last few months of dismal headlines, this study provides not only a glimmer of hope for the future of the Golden State but concrete evidence that sometimes a path that is both idealistic and altruistic can also ultimately increase each of our bottom lines.

 The full text of the report by Berkeley Professors David Roland-Holst and and Fredrich Kahrl funded by Next10 can be found at www.next10.org/research

 

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