The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) said it has availability of a new path for California project developers seeking LEED certification.
Starting July 1, non-residential projects in California subject to the mandatory 2013 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) requirements will be able to use an alternative documentation path for LEED. CALGreen is the nation’s first statewide mandatory green building code, covering nearly all residential and nonresidential construction in California.
This new path will make beyond-code green building leadership even more accessible as the state continues to set more aggressive targets for energy and water efficiency, USGBC says.
The alternative documentation path outlines a set of documents that projects may provide in lieu of standard LEED documentation in order to demonstrate LEED compliance.
The alternative documentation path will be available for use on factors related to indoor water use reduction, refrigerant management, the storage and collection of recyclables, construction waste management, and the use of low-emitting paints and adhesives.
“These new streamlined documentation options offer cost savings to project teams while maintaining the quality and rigor of LEED,” says Jeremy Sigmon, director of Technical Policy, USGBC. “In turn, projects already designing and building to the CALGreen code will find LEED and its many benefits more readily within reach.”
Related Stories
| Feb 14, 2014
Must see: Developer stacks shipping containers atop grain silos to create student housing tower
Mill Junction will house up to 370 students and is supported by 50-year-old grain silos.
| Feb 13, 2014
Extreme Conversion: Nazi bunker transformed into green power plant, war memorial
The bunker, which sat empty for over 60 years after WWII, now uses sustainable technology and will provide power to about 4,000 homes.
| Feb 4, 2014
World's fifth 'living building' certified at Smith College [slideshow]
The Bechtel Environmental Classroom utilizes solar power, composting toilets, and an energy recovery system, among other sustainable strategies, to meet the rigorous performance requirements of the Living Building Challenge.
| Jan 30, 2014
Mayors of 10 metros unite to cut building-related climate pollution
Organizers say combined initiative could cut as much climate-change pollution as generated by 1 million cars every year, and lower energy bills by nearly $1 billion annually.
| Jan 23, 2014
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed Federation of Korean Industries tower opens in Seoul [slideshow]
The 50-story tower features a unique, angled building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) exterior designed to maximize the amount of energy collected.
| Jan 21, 2014
2013: The year of the super-tall skyscraper
Last year was the second-busiest ever in terms of 200-meter-plus building completions, with 73 towers, according to a report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jan 16, 2014
West Point releases plan to achieve net zero campus-wide
The installation has an ambitious plan to move to 100% energy efficiency through several initiatives including more renewable energy production and energy efficiency retrofits.
| Jan 11, 2014
Getting to net-zero energy with brick masonry construction [AIA course]
When targeting net-zero energy performance, AEC professionals are advised to tackle energy demand first. This AIA course covers brick masonry's role in reducing energy consumption in buildings.
| Jan 7, 2014
World Expo village in Kazakhstan to be triple net zero
World Expo 2017, planned for Astana, Kazakhstan, calls for an expo village that rates triple net zero—zero net use of energy and water and zero net generation of landfill waste.
| Jan 6, 2014
Green Building Initiative names Jerry Yudelson as new President
The Green Building Initiative announced today that it has named Jerry Yudelson as its president to accelerate growth of the non-profit and further leverage its green building assessment tools, including the highly recognized Green Globes rating system.