California Adopts “Green Building Code,” but Requirements are Modest and Voluntary

In what is being trumpeted as the country’s first statewide green building code, the California Building Standards Commission adopted a code requirement that all new buildings be 15% more energy efficient, 20 percent more water efficient and use 50% less water for landscaping, but it’s still voluntary…

On July 17th, the Commission adopted standards to go into effect on July 1, 2009, but they have no teeth. What is significant is that all buildings, including homes, in all jurisdictions, will eventually be affected, perhaps by 2011 or 2012. But looked at objectively, this is a really modest beginning. For example, a home with 15% less energy use is basically an Energy Star home, one that thousands of builders nationwide are already building. There is no requirement for a comprehensive “green” rating such as the LEED system and no attempt to deal at all with the land use, materials use and indoor environmental quality issues that are found in green buildings. The rules are the first step, however, in what will be a long battle in California to implement 2006’s AB 32, requiring the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020. The real key now is how the state is going to deal with existing buildings, where most of the energy and water use is taking place and which will not be affected by last week’s action.

Posted by on 07/19/2008 at 06:24 PM