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Green buildings FAQ - codes, LEED, costs
- 1. Green buildings in your city - faq OVERVIEW Green building construction experts, Chris Cheatham and Robert Kobet partnered with BasicGov to outline an effective approach to planning and implementing green buildings codes in your municipality. In the February 23, 2011 webinar “The Reality of Implementing Green Buildings in Your City”, speakers discussed the International Green Construction Code, LEED-based regulations as well as best practices for implementing a green building code. Webinar participants asked many questions and this FAQ (frequently asked questions) document is to help government agencies advance green building programs. ABO UT SPE AK E RS Chris Cheatham: Chris is a Green Building Construction Consultant and Attorney and publisher of the acclaimed Green Building Law Update, a blog www.greenbuildinglawupdate.com dedicated to emerging legal and regulatory issues in the green building industry. He has advised multiple municipalities regarding green building regulations and he is a frequent speaker on the topic. Robert Kobet: Bob is LEED Faculty, and CEO of The Kobet Collaborative. Bob’s impact on the built environment spans several decades over a wide area of influence. His green building and sustainable community development projects around the world range from small non- profit endeavors to multi-million dollar developments. www.bobkobet.com Webinar Sponsor and Moderator: BasicGov web-based software streamlines and automates processes related to green building implementation from permits and inspections to code enforcement. www.basicgov.com FRE Q UE N T L Y ASKE D Q UE ST I O N S Q: Why should we adopt green building codes instead of LEED? A: The LEED rating system is not a building code. The creators of the LEED rating system intended for it to apply to the top echelon of new buildings. A green building code, if drafted properly, can reasonably be applied to all buildings in the jurisdiction. Q: Does federal law prevent us from enacting green building codes? A: No. Keep in mind this simple rule of thumb: states and cities can regulate buildings; the federal government regulates appliances and systems. Q: Should we just adopt a model green building code wholesale? A: Probably not. Model green building codes, like the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), provide options for jurisdictions to select. It doesn't make sense for a state in the arid Southwest to adopt the same building code as a state in the frigid Northeast. Q: So we adopted a green building code. Now what? A: The most important part is still to come -- you have to train your code officials. The green building codes may now be on the books, but your code officials have to understand the changes and what they are looking for. Without proper training, your jurisdiction could face conflicts between what the code says and what the code official actually allows. It's also important that you educate the public about the new codes. There is likely to be confusion about what the green building codes truly mean for the real estate industry. Clear up this confusion by educating through seminars, webinars, and mailings. Page 1 of 2
- 2. Green buildings in your city - faq FRE Q UE N T L Y ASKE D Q UE ST IO NS - CO NT I N U E D Q: How will adopting the IGCC impact the cost of enforcing the new codes? A: Most of the cost will be in education and training, although code officials are subject to ongoing education obligations, if not requirements. Other costs may be necessary to inform constituents through advertising, revisions to forms, etc. This is where BasicGov software can . help with workflow processes. Q: Where can I go to get more information about IGCC? A: This website has IGCC information www.iccsafe.org/cs/IGCC/Pages/default.aspx including downloading the public version, training BasicGov web-based software streamlines and automates and certification information. processes related to green building implementation from permits and inspections to code enforcement. Track progress, see dashboards, generate reports. Q: Which source has the best information about LEED? A: The US Green Building Council website www.usgbc.org/. Q: Is there a place to get education related to green building codes? A: The International Code Council offers courses – see here www.iccsafe.org/Education/Courses/Pages/institute s.aspx. CO NT ACT INFO R M AT I O N Chris Cheatham Roula Fredrikson LEED AP Sales Executive, Construction Attorney BasicGov chris@kc‐grp.com roula.fredrikson@basi 1-202-553‐3181 cgov.com 1-866-999-1846 Bob Kobet LEED Faculty Architect bob@kc-grp.com 1-412‐980‐9725 Page 2 of 2