Global Green News
(Malibu) Council on board for strong green building standards
THE MALIBU TIMES. JULY 14, 2010. By Jonathan Friedman / Associate Editor
If adopted, new residential buildings would be required to exceed the state's energy code by 15 percent. Also, the city considers creating an official Malibu song.
The City Council on Monday supported in concept the adoption of strong energy efficiency standards for new developments as part of a Green Building Program. The council also supported city staff's proposal for a pilot program that will fast track a handful of “high-level” green projects through the permit review process.
Also at the meeting, the council added concerns of Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich to the list of topics for a city communications subcommittee to address. But the council did not vote to modify the group's membership as Conley Ulich had wanted to do. The council also set up the process for a possible contest to develop an official Malibu song.
City staff and consultant Global Green USA presented the council with research and analysis regarding green development. They recommended the city require that “typical new residences” (up to 5,499 square feet) exceed the California Building Efficiency Energy Standards, or Energy Code, by 15 percent. Larger homes would need to exceed the Energy Code more than that so they would consume the same amount of energy as the typical home.
Walker Wells of Global Green USA told the council increased energy efficiency could be achieved with “no or very little changes to design.”
“The main changes are actually in the quality of the windows, off-the-shelf technologies [such as] tank-less water heater[s] and field verification [including inspection for correct insulation],” Wells said.
According to the staff report for the meeting, multifamily and commercial structures could achieve 15 percent higher efficiency than the Energy Code “with relatively minor changes such as incorporating better performing equipment, insulation, and windows and adding overhangs.”
While working on a draft ordinance to present to the council, staff will also finalize a cost-effectiveness analysis regarding meeting the high efficiency standards. Preliminary research estimated the cost of adding these features to “typical” homes would cost in the range of $3,000 to $5,000. The cost would be more for larger homes.
These regulations would only apply to new structures and additions to existing developments. The fast-tracking pilot program for “high-level” green projects was proposed by staff as a response to interest from council members, planning commissioners and project applicants about expediting green projects through the permitting process as an incentive for doing environmentally friendly development.
Statewide, the California Green Building Standards, or CALgreen, Code will go into effect on Jan. 1. It sets minimum mandatory standards for new residential and commercial structures in the areas of site planning, water conservation, material conservation and indoor environmental quality. But it does not make demands for energy efficiency beyond the Energy Code.
