Model Policies

Any building permit or water hook-up shall be issued or granted only if the applicant demonstrates that the water demands created by the use of the structures for which the building permit, water hook-up or development approval is sought will be entirely offset (Ord. No. 2003-36 § 11). In all cases, the amount of water offset by retrofits shall be equal to or greater than the estimated water usage of the proposed building, as determined by the annual water budget procedures.

The following requirements are effective July 1, 2010: All new or substantially renovated residential structures must comply with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) New York ENERGY STAR-Labeled Home Program. At a minimum, homes less than 3500 ft² must attain a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rating of 84; homes with 3501 to 4500 ft² must attain a HERS rating of 87; homes with 4501 to 6500 ft² must attain a HERS rating of 90; and homes over 6500 ft² must attain a HERS rating of 93. All commercial and municipal buildings, regardless of size, must meet the ""designed to ENERGY STAR"" requirements. Owners of residential homes and commercial buildings that meet LEED requirements are eligible for a refund of 0.25% of the costs of construction

In addition to the building codes of the city, the following is required: a minimum Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 83; one programmable thermostat on every story; return air paths on rooms must be closed off by a door; all joints in the air distribution system must be sealed with duct mastic; ASHRAE 62.2 must be met in respect to indoor air quality, HVAC system; HVAC plenums must be constructed of sheet metal; air filters must be replaced before occupancy; carpets, cushions, and adhesives must carry the Carpet and Rug Institute's (CRI) green label; vinyl wallpaper is not allowed in portions of the home. In addition to the landscape ordinance, bedding must be mulched using recycled content; and each installed tree must have an irrigation drip bag or zoned bubbler system. In addition to the city's waste and recycling regulations, construction waste, including brick and wood, must be recycled

The original ordinance was signed in 2000, with additional definitions added in 2006 for clarification. Gilbert's water conservation ordinance addresses irrigation water use in new residential developments and commercial properties. Water-intensive landscaping in common areas of a new single family or multi-family development shall not exceed 10% of the total landscapable area in the new development. If reclaimed water is used on such common areas, the town's reclaimed water incentive rate shall be charged. If only reclaimed water is used on common areas, the amount of water-intensive landscaping may increase to 50% of the total landscapable area. In model homes, the following restrictions apply: (a) The combined water-intensive landscaping and water features of model homes in new single-family developments shall not exceed 20% of the landscapable area; (b) Water-intensive landscaping shall be located only where it is functionally useful, such as in play areas or...

All landscaping, except native plants, drought-tolerant landscape and that of single family residential homes, must be equipped with irrigation systems that are designed to avoid runoff, low-head drainage, and over spray. Turf areas must utilize low-volume irrigation and be on a separate line from plant irrigation.

Directly watering impervious surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks, as well as overwatering to the extent that water cannot be absorbed into the soil, will result in a fine of that will increase with each day of offense, up to $400 per day.

Authorizes the collection of precipitation from a roof of a building that is primarily used as a residence and is not connected to a domestic water system if the water collected is used for fire protection, the watering of livestock, irrigation and household purposes. Concerns rainwater harvesting and water efficiency/conservation.

Technical assistance and financial incentives must be established to encourage compliance with a variety of established third party programs. Commercial projects receive rebates based on level of LEED certification, while residential projects receive rebates based on the number of units certified. All new municipal buildings over 10,000 ft² must be LEED Certified

Any county, city, or town in Montana that has enacted an energy efficiency program may include voluntary standards for new commercial construction that promote energy conservation and provide incentives for following the standards. Incentives can be greater than those offered by the state building code.

The Arlington County Green Building Density Incentive Policy applies to special exception site plan requests for bonus density and/or height. The program uses the LEED rating system as a standard for measuring each project. The floor area ratio (FAR) bonus depends on the level of LEED Certification and building type (commercial, high-rise residential). The County established a Green Building Fund; builders that do not commit to a LEED rating contribute to the Fund. The contribution is calculated at a rate of $0.045 per square foot. (This calculation is based on the fees assessed by the U.S. Green Building Council for registration and evaluation of a formal LEED application.) The Green Building Fund is used to provide education and outreach to developers and the community on green building issues. Developers must post a bond or letter of credit before a certificate of occupancy is issued. If a project receives LEED certification from the USGBC, the Fund contribution is...

This law provides model policy ordinances for construction and demolition (C&D) construction, green building, etc.

This template offers ideas, provisions, and definitions a local government may chose to include when developing a green building ordinance. This document also includes ordinances and resolutions already passed by Florida jurisdictions.

This document provides a sample ordinance, including a blank template.

Arkansas HB 1624 promotes economic development and exempts fuel and energy used or consumed in manufacturing from the state sales tax.

This legislation permits solid waste management facilities to collect and convert methane gas from landfills to electricity or other alternative sources of energy.

Colorado SB 78 requires the state historical society and the cities that distribute grant monies from the state historical fund to adopt standards for the distribution of the monies that allow the use of energy-efficient materials and technologies, as long as their use does not affect the historic appearance of a historic property.

Resolution-38-06 increases the urban forest canopy to 50% of the city's land area by 2036, purchases 20% of the city's total energy needs from renewable resources by 2020, and requires the city of Annapolis to purchase only ENERGY STAR equipment and appliances.

The Federal government will reduce the amount of energy consumed by 30% by the end of FY15.

In addition to green building requirements for all new city construction to attain a LEED certification, Derry also requires the purchase of hybrid vehicles and alternative fuel for the town fleet.

SBC-11 involves education and training requirements for building inspectors and code officials.

All city departments will incorporate green and environmentally preferred purchasing practices into the current program. All departments are responsible for purchasing ENERGY STAR or similarly energy-efficient appliances, using and encouraging contractors to use recycled materials, purchasing Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) free products when available and using alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles when possible.

The Iowa Building Code Commission has the authority to adopt and amend the building codes. The state energy code is reviewed on a 3-year code cycle corresponding to publication of the IECC. Iowa has consistently adopted the IECC published version the past three code cycles. Iowa adopted the 2009 IECC on January 1, 2010.

The Oregon Building Codes Division has the authority to approve and adopt codes and proposed code amendments. The state building code is derived from the most appropriate version of base model codes, which are adopted approximately every 3 years from the last Oregon specialty code effective date. Oregon adopted the OR Residential Specialty Code (ORSC) effective July 1, 2011 and the OR Energy Efficiency Specialty Code (OEESC) for commercial buildings effective July 1, 2010. Oregon has also adopted a commercial reach code, which became effective July 1, 2011. This is a voluntary code based on the International Green Construction Code. Oregon is one of the few states that now has a reach code based on the baseline code, which has exceeded the IECC version for the last two code cycles.