EFFECTIVE DATE: JANUARY 8, 2013
SUBJECT: NET-ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS
DISTRIBUTION: ALL DEPARTMENTS
AUTHORITY: RALPH BECKER, MAYOR
Background:
Buildings have a significant impact on energy use and the environment. Commercial and residential buildings use almost 40% of the primary energy and approximately 70% of the electricity in the United States. The energy used by the building sector continues to increase, primarily because new buildings are constructed faster than old ones are retired. Energy consumption in the commercial building sector will continue to increase until buildings can be designed to produce enough energy to offset the growing energy demand of these buildings. One way to reach this goal is to construct net-zero energy buildings.
A net zero-energy building (ZEB) is one that balances the annual energy use with renewable energy. A building that achieves a ZEB definition should first reduce the energy needs through all cost-effective and demand-avoidance strategies including on-site renewable energy. To offset the remaining energy needs of the building, use installed renewable energy on City’s property (preferred), off-site renewable energy by third party, and the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) that support solar and wind projects.
The measurement for ZEB is through net-zero carbon emissions. On an annual bases, the building produces as much emissions-free renewable energy to offset carbon emissions from the building energy uses (i.e. electricity, natural gas, heating water, chilled water). Emissions from transportation and construction activities are excluded. To calculate ZEB, the accounting method that is currently employed by the City to calculate carbon footprint should be used.
It is important for government entities to take the responsibility to demonstrate the benefits of net-zero buildings, as building efficiently now will impact both our current citizens, and future generations.
Definitions:
“Applicable building project” means the construction or major renovation of a municipal building that will contain more than 10,000 square feet of occupied space.
“City construction funds” means funds that are authorized to be used for construction by the City Council for use by any person or City department in order to construct an applicable building project, including, without limitation, loans, grants, and tax rebates. However, this term shall not apply to the funds of the Redevelopment Agency.
“Major renovation” means work that demolishes space down to the shell structure and rebuilds it with new walls, ceilings, floors and systems, when such work affects more than twenty five percent (25%) of the building’s square footage, and the affected space is at least 10,000 square feet or larger.
“Net Zero-Energy Building” A net zero-energy building (ZEB) is one that balances the annual energy use with renewable energy.
“Temporary structure” means any proposed building that is intended to be in existence for five (5) years or less or any existing building that at the time it was constructed was intended to be in existence for five (5) years or less.
General:
1. This Executive Order applies to the following construction projects when the project’s design contract is first solicited after the date of this Order, except as exempted or waived under this Order:
•All new construction to construct buildings owned and controlled by the City that are larger than 10,000 square feet.
•All major renovations of buildings owned and controlled by the City that are larger than 10,000 square feet when the building has a remaining useful life in excess of fifteen years.
2. All City Buildings, unless covered by the exemptions below, will be evaluated for the potential to meet net-zero energy emissions standards. If feasible and cost-effective, the building will be designed and built to this level of energy efficiency, with on-site or off-site renewable energy included to provide an equivalent annual amount of renewable energy as the building uses from CO2-emission-producing sources each year.
3. The following exemptions will apply, and City departments will document the reason for the exemption:
•Any improvement that is not a building.
•Buildings that will not be occupied, or that serve specialized functions (including pump stations, garages, storage buildings, equipment areas, etc.)
•Projects where the useful life of an improvement does not justify whatever additional expense would be incurred to increase a building’s long-term efficiency.
•Projects where the application of net-zero goals will increase construction costs beyond the City’s funding capacity for the project.
•Projects where the use of net-zero goals will create an impediment to construction due to conflicts of laws, building code requirements, federal or state grant funding requirements, or other similar requirements.
•Projects where net-zero goals are not attainable due to the nature of the facilities or the schedule for construction.
•In addition to the exemptions stated above, particular net-zero goals shall not prevail over any prohibition in Title 18 of the Salt Lake City Code.
•The documentation for any of the above exemptions shall be maintained in the project file of the Department with a copy to the Mayor.
4. The requirements of this Executive Order may be waived or modified by the Mayor.