Buildings in St. Louis will have to meet energy efficiency standards after the city became the first in the Midwest to pass a building energy performance standard.
The fourth major city in the country to pass such a standard, St. Louis will allow “broad flexibility” on how owners can achieve efficiency goals, according to a post by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The legislation establishes incrementally increasing energy-saving targets for buildings with the goal of eliminating community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Buildings account for about 80% of St. Louis’s emissions. Site Energy Use Intensity (EUI) will be the chief performance metric under the new standard which covers buildings 50,000 sf or larger. Buildings of that size have been required to report energy and water use since 2017 in St. Louis.
Building performance standards enable cities to achieve multiple city priorities such as carbon reductions, building electrification, energy efficiency, and peak demand reductions.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2021
New Seattle building code eliminates fossil fuels for most space and water heating
Also increases on-site solar photovoltaics, reduces envelope heat loss, air leakage, and interior lighting power allowances.
Codes and Standards | Feb 25, 2021
It’s not just lumber—roofing material prices are also on the rise
Lower demand for petroleum products means less asphalt production.
Codes and Standards | Feb 23, 2021
USGBC offers education on LEED Safety First pilot credits
Four courses address COVID-19.
Codes and Standards | Feb 23, 2021
ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force releases updated Building Readiness Guide
Includes flush calculations to reduce time and energy to clear contaminants between occupancy periods.
Codes and Standards | Feb 22, 2021
Preservation of Affordable Housing develops climate resilience strategy
Includes backup power for resident and staff “area of refuge”.
Codes and Standards | Feb 18, 2021
Construction industry moves toward comprehensive U.S. BIM standard
NIBS hosts roundtable to create coordinated program to advance collaboration.
Codes and Standards | Feb 17, 2021
Construction on international sports venues is ripe for corruption
Poor planning, complex contracting, a lack of accountability and high levels of collusion to blame.
Codes and Standards | Feb 16, 2021
Feds may fund removal of some urban highways
Senate bill proposes pilot program to reknit communities.
Codes and Standards | Feb 16, 2021
Bechtel joins international heat resilience organization
Experience designing resilience standards to aid effort to protect communities from extreme heat.
Codes and Standards | Feb 10, 2021
More than two-thirds of construction companies say COVID-19 has not impacted their ESOP
Half of survey respondents say 2020 project profitability decreased due to pandemic.
