Epping requiring commercial buildings to be green

Epping (U.S.A.) has adopted a stringent building code requiring green building standards for new commercial development.

While another major city in the same state - Boston - was the first major city in the U.S.A. to require private developers adhere to strict building standards, Epping is the first city in the country to implement a policy by virtue of state law that requires compliance at posting.

The code states that “applicable developments are required to implement energy efficiency and production, energy conservation and design principles”.  The code works “in accordance with the state of New Hampshire’s policy on energy production and conservation .. to enhance and supplement existing federal and state incentives for tax treatment and other benefits related to alternative energy production, energy efficiency and sustainable design…”

The code includes a tiered approach with different requirements for different sized buildings.  Each requirement has a points value, and applicants can use a combination of the requirements to meet a certain point total.  For example, a building 1.86 square metres (20,000 square feet) or smaller could choose a combination of components including:  passive heating and cooling methods; an attempt to use some recycled material and materials from regional sources; conducting a leakage review of the building; attention to HVAC impacts; or installing energy efficient lighting.

With strategies that include using recycled building materials, installing energy saving appliances, and maximizing natural lighting in building design, green buildings typically reduce energy use by 25 to 35 percent - up to 80 percent in some of the best performing buildings - resulting in significant long-term cost savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.  For more information on the role buildings play in local greenhouse gas reduction strategies, please visit www.iclei.org/ccp.

Epping is one of 208 local governments in the U.S.A. that are currently Members of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability.   For more information on ICLEI and its activities in the U.S.A., please visit www.iclei.org/usa.

Source:  “Go green ordinance has cost savings”, and “Going green with new requirements”, Seacoast Online, 21 September 2007.