City Council Study Session Agenda and Packet 2011 05 10

Home Browse Search

II. Background Green building programs and codes typically include elements that address energy efficiency, water conservation, landscaping, site selection, site development, building size, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. Energy efficiency is typically one of the key benchmarks of a green building program because energy use is the single largest ongoing environmental impact of any building. A. Programs, Codes and Standards Referenced in the Recommendations Following are the full names and brief descriptions of the green building programs, codes and standards that are referenced in this document. Subsequent references to these products use the acronym indicated in parentheses. • ICC -700 National Green Building Standard (NGBS): The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the International Code Council (ICC) produced the first ANSI - approved rating system, the NGBS, for single and multifamily homes, residential remodeling and site development projects. First published in January 2009, the standard is a points -based rating system that allows the jurisdiction to set a minimum number of points for each green building category. • International Green Construction Code (IGCC): The International Green Construction Code (IGCC), published as Public Version 1.0 in March 2010, was the first green construction code written in mandatory code language for residential above three stories and commercial construction. Most of the nation's code jurisdictions have adopted the ICC's codes, or I- codes. The IGCC is an overlay to the I- codes, meaning that the IGCC does not replace the International Building Code; it works in conjunction with the International Building Code, the International Plumbing Code, the International Mechanical Code, and so forth. The IGCC is comprised primarily of mandatory requirements. The jurisdiction that adopts the IGCC can specify requirements in each environmental category — energy, water, materials, sites, indoor air quality, operations, and the building owner /designer chooses from the electives. Each chapter opens with the mandatory requirements for that environmental category and closes with the project electives. The jurisdiction chooses 0 -14 minimum project electives; the designer chooses out of 60 electives. This is very flexible to support the interest of the private sector. • ASHRAE /USGBC /IES Standard 189.1 (Standard 189.1): Development of ASHRAE /USGBC /IES Standard 189.1 began in 2006 and then had four public review processes before it was finally published in 2010. Standard 189.1 has mostly mandatory provisions, however most subject areas have prescriptive and performance options for a 2 13