The California Energy Commission (CEC) passed new standards that would mandate solar energy and storage on new commercial buildings and high-rise multifamily structures.
The new standards would affect hotel/motel, office, medical office and clinics, retail and grocery, restaurant, school, and civic (e.g., theaters, auditoriums, and convention centers) new construction. If the California Building Standards Commission also approves the standards when it votes in December, the new requirements would go into effect January 1, 2023.
New projects would also include an “energy budget” to regulate hydrocarbon use to encourage builders to incorporate heat pumps instead of gas-fueled HVAC. Critics of the new standards say they will increase project costs.
Proponents say inclusion of additional wiring at the onset can be significantly less expensive than rewiring a building for solar storage. Additional costs can be reduced through federal and state tax breaks.
Related Stories
| May 17, 2012
California Governor orders new green standards on state buildings
California Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order recently that calls for all new or renovated state buildings of more than 10,000 sf to achieve LEED Silver or higher and incorporate clean, onsite power generation.
| May 17, 2012
New Zealand stadium roof collapse blamed on snow, construction defects
Heavy snowfall, construction defects, and design problems contributed to the collapse of the Stadium Southland roof in New Zealand in September 2010, a report has found.
| May 17, 2012
OSHA launches fall prevention campaign
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently launched an educational campaign to prevent deadly falls in the construction industry.
| May 15, 2012
Suffolk selected for Rosenwald Elementary modernization project
The 314-student station elementary school will undergo extensive modernization.
| May 10, 2012
Chapter 6 Energy Codes + Reconstructed Buildings: 2012 and Beyond
Our experts analyze the next generation of energy and green building codes and how they impact reconstruction.
| May 10, 2012
Resilience should be considered a sustainability factor
Since a sustainable building is one you don't have to rebuild, some building sustainability experts believe adding points for "resilience" to storms and earthquakes to the LEED sustainability rating tool makes sense.
| May 10, 2012
University of Michigan research project pushes envelope on green design
A research project underway at the University of Michigan will test the potential of intelligent building envelopes that are capable of monitoring weather, daylight, and occupant use to manage heating, cooling, and lighting.
| May 10, 2012
Fire suppression agents go greener
Environmental sensitivity is helping to drive adoption of new fire suppression agents.
| May 10, 2012
Industry groups urge Congress to leave contracting decisions to agencies
An organization of several industry groups urged Congress to leave many contracting decisions to the discretion of individual agencies by avoiding blanket mandates.