On January 12, 2010 the State of California announced the unanimous adoption of CALGREEN the first in the nation mandatory code, requiring all new buildings in the state to be more energy efficient and environmentally responsible. The new code goes into effect on January 1, 2011.
CALGREEN, as described in an article on www.eco-structure.com “will require that every new building constructed in California reduce water consumption by 20 percent, divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills and install low pollutant-emitting materials. It also requires separate water meters for nonresidential buildings’ indoor and outdoor water use, with a requirement for moisture-sensing irrigation systems for larger landscape projects and mandatory inspections of energy systems (e.g., heat furnace, air conditioner and mechanical equipment) for nonresidential 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.”
This will be interesting to watch unfold, will CALGREEN have an impact on the USGBC’s LEED program? Why pay for LEED certification if you get CALGREEN recognition? I have not completed an intense side by side comparison of the two programs, but one would think CALGREEN could take a serious bite out of the LEED certification juggernaut, especially at the Certified and Silver levels. At first glance the 197 page Draft CALGREEN code is rather stout, and it can easily be seen where many requirements are very similar to LEED points; you need to get to page 165 to see the points checklists to compare for yourself.
Will CALGREEN maintain relevance over time and continually strengthen it’s guidelines? Will other states follow suit? Once again California is leading the charge to set a statewide precedent. This will be an interesting one to watch beginning in 2011, if not sooner.
