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California to make energy and water saving mandatory

18/1/2010

US state introduces building code for 2011 but its green label causes controversy.

From next year new non-residential buildings in California will have to cut water consumption by 20 per cent, halve construction waste to landfill and install low pollutant-emitting materials under a new building code.

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced this month that the state's voluntary green building code is to incorporate a series of mandatory measures. But the new code, called CALGREEN, is provoking controversy, as buildings passing state inspection will be labelled as CALGREEN compliant, making it effectively both a building code and a certification system.

The code requires separate water meters for non-residential buildings' indoor and outdoor water use, with a requirement for moisture-sensing irrigation systems for larger landscape projects. Non-residential buildings over 10,000 square feet will be subject to mandatory inspections of energy systems (eg, heat furnace, air conditioner and mechanical equipment) to ensure that all are working at maximum capacity and according to their design efficiencies. The code includes more stringent voluntary provisions to encourage further action.

CALGREEN's approach, with its mandatory provisions being inspected and verified by local and state building departments and confirmed in a green label, has led to concerns that it confuses building standards and certification. Questions are being asked in the USA about a number of issues, in particular, lack of third-party assessment and the code's potential to reduce adoption of points-based certification routes, notably LEED.

Governor Schwarzenegger said: "The code will help us meet our goals of curbing global warming and achieving 33 per cent renewable energy by 2020 and promotes the development of more sustainable communities by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency."