New sustainable building guidelines

New sustainable buildings guidelines for major renovations of state buildings could be on the way, with a goal of exceeding the state energy code by 30 percent.

HF3401, sponsored by Rep. Bill Hilty (DFL-Finlayson), would direct the Administration and Commerce departments to develop guidelines that would apply to all major state-funded building renovations after Feb. 1, 2009. The House Energy Finance and Policy Division laid the bill over Feb. 27 for possible inclusion in its omnibus bill. A companion, SF2706, sponsored by Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL-Duluth), awaits action by the Senate State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committee.

Sustainable building design guidelines currently exist for new buildings that are constructed using state bond money; the bill would apply them to renovations involving more than 10,000 square feet of space as well.

In addition, the bill would direct the Commerce Department to develop “Sustainable Building 2030” energy-efficiency performance standards for commercial and industrial buildings. These standards would be developed in conjunction with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Sustainable Building Research, with the goal of reducing per-square-foot carbon emissions by:

• 60 percent by 2010;

• 70 percent by 2015;

• 80 percent by 2020; and

• 90 percent by 2025.

The standards would not be mandatory, and would emphasize cost-effective measures.

John Carmody, the center’s director, said that nearly half of the country’s energy use is associated with buildings. He said sustainable building initiatives are starting to move away from point-based rating systems like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, and toward systems that focus instead on concrete reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Rep. Bud Nornes (R-Fergus Falls) expressed skepticism that energy-efficiency measures would reduce buildings’ operating costs, arguing that did not take into account the potential maintenance and repair costs of new, unproven energy-efficient technologies. Carmody admitted that cost-recovery estimates often did not take such potential costs into account.