City Council Study Session Agenda and Packet 2008 06 24

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SUBJECT: DISCUSSION -BUILDING CODE BOARD OF APPEALS -GREEN BUILDING DATE: JUNE 24, 2008 Green Points -The name of the City of Boulder and the City of Longmont green building program. The programs have varying point levels that must be attained for specific types of construction, additions, new multifamily, new single family, remodels, etc. The points come from specific "green" construction practices or the use of "green "materials or the energy savings level the completed project, attains. Build Smart -Boulder County's green building program. These are mandated construction practices monitored by third party inspectors. HERS -Home Energy Rating System (HERS) is a system of measurement for a home's energy efficiency. It is based on the HERS rating index. A home which uses no energy would have a rating of zero. Most new homes rate at between 70 and 90. Most older homes rate well above 100. LEED -The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practice through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria. LEED was created from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998.This has primarily been a commercial program but they have recently issued a residential program. Points Program- In a green points program points are awarded for specific green building practices or products used in the construction. A point threshold is required and the contractor chooses which items from a list of possible point options to attain the threshold. Mandatory program -Specific green practices chosen by the Jurisdiction that are required for a building permit. BACKGROUND With an ever increasing focus on ouir limited resources the conservation of those resources is critical. One of the major consumers of those resources is the construction industry. With the rising cost of energy a demand for more energy efficient homes and commercial buildings has created a need fir construction practices and products to better manage natural resources. The residential home market has done a good job of marketing the green practices because the public demands it. The commercial side is lagging behind mostly due to the significantly higher cost of construction and the lack of return for the investors. Green building has been around for over 20 years. The City of Austin, Texas implemented an educational program 10 years ago before implementing a voluntary green points program that is now mandated for both commercial and residential buildings. The City of Boulder has had some form of green points program for over 10 years. Boulder County has