(January 25, 2010) The California Building Standards Commission recently unanimously adopted the first-in-the-nation mandatory Green Building Standards Code (CALGREEN) requiring all new buildings in the state to be more energy efficient and environmentally responsible. The standard takes effect January 1, 2011.
The California Chamber of Commerce-supported standards will require:
- Every new building constructed in California to reduce water consumption by 20 percent, divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills and install low pollutant-emitting materials.
- Separate water meters for non-residential buildings’ indoor and outdoor water use, with a requirement for moisture-sensing irrigation systems for larger landscape projects and mandatory inspections of energy systems (for example, heat furnace, air conditioner and mechanical equipment) for non-residential buildings over 10,000 square feet to ensure that all are working at their maximum capacity and according to their design efficiencies.
The California Air Resources Board estimates that the mandatory provisions will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent) by 3 million metric tons equivalent in 2020.
Upon passing state building inspection, California’s property owners will have the ability to label their facilities as CALGREEN compliant without using additional costly third-party certification programs.
The CalChamber is pleased that both the Building Standards Commission and Department of Housing and Community Development have chose to leave the issue of inspection and verification up to the local building department. As with all other state building codes, each local jurisdiction already has the authority to relinquish some or all of its administrative authority for plan-check and inspections to “third-party entities.” That is an administrative decision best left to each local jurisdiction.
In 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger directed the California Building Standards Commission to work with specified state agencies on adopting green building standards for residential, commercial and public building construction for the 2010 code adoption process.
The mandatory code provisions now will become the baseline of regulated green construction practices in the country’s most populous state. The Building Standards Commission, which developed this initial Green Building Standards Code following extensive discussions with environmentalists, architects, builders, local officials and others, will continue to improve this new code with input from those interested parties.
In addition to the mandatory regulations, CALGREEN also includes more stringent voluntary provisions to encourage local communities to take further action to adapt their buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency and conserve natural resources.
Like California’s existing building code provisions that regulate all construction projects throughout the state, the mandatory CALGREEN provisions will be inspected and verified by local and state building departments. CALGREEN will use the long-standing, successful enforcement infrastructure that the state has established to enforce its health, safety, fire, energy and structural building codes. Many of the mandatory provisions in the code are already part of the statewide building code, making verification of CALGREEN an easy transition for local building inspectors.
Staff Contact: Robert Callahan