High Performance Building Legislation

Issue
When looking at energy conservation and a sustainable future for the State of Oregon, focus has been on energy use and alternative energy sources. Often, the process by which buildings are originally designed and constructed are overlooked as having a huge impact on our environment. Implementation of green building practices will further the State's efforts to become a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship.

A current Executive Order to build to green standards based on LEED Silver guidelines is both diluted and impermanent. The Executive Order does not require certification, it merely sets forth a benchmark agencies are asked to reach for. According to DAS, there is no tracking of how these projects actually end up being designed let alone constructed.

Ideally, AIA would like that the public sector as well as the private sector should use nationally recognized green building standards. But first and foremost, the public sector should lead by example. Hence, we have limited our language to only effect certain state buildings. An Executive Order is not as strong as a statement of public policy as enacted legislation. This policy must be in statute in order to show Oregon's dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Background

• Development and construction practices are significant contributors to the depletion of natural resources and a major cause of air and water pollution, solid waste, deforestation, toxic wastes, health hazards, global warming, and other negative consequences.
• Buildings use one-quarter of all the world's wood harvest, consume two-fifths of all materials and energy flows, and account for more than one-third of CO2 emissions.
• The State of Oregon, through legislation and executive order have shown that they recognize their responsibility to implement and promote building practices that protect the quality of the air, water, and other natural resources; reduce construction practices that impact native fish, vegetation, wildlife and other ecosystems; and minimize the use of energy and human impact on local and worldwide ecosystems.
• The City of Portland requires the use of USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards that identify a range of actions that define green buildings and establish certification processes for new and existing buildings.
• Other standards are emerging and improving, such as the Green Building Institute's Green Globes system, and these standards should have the opportunity to prove their merits in Oregon. Oregon must maintain the flexibility to adjust requirements when national standards evolve and excel.

Position
AIA Oregon's High Performance Building legislation requires construction and renovation of "major buildings" to meet Department of Energy adopted green building design standards and to be certified at the highest standard a 20-year life cycle cost analysis merits.

"Major buildings" is defined as any state-owned building having 10,000 square feet or more of usable floor space, and does not include affordable housing, residential or K-12 school projects. "Renovation" is defined as any addition to, alteration of or repair of a facility which will involve the facility's energy systems, provided that the effected energy systems account for 50 percent or more of the facility's total energy use.

Within the High Performance Building legislation, the Oregon Department of Energy is required to adopt national recognized green building standards and also implement guidelines that encourage the use of products harvested, made and mined in Oregon.