California Develops Green Building Standards Code

The California Building Standards Commission has announced a new Green Building Standards Code, a set of standards that the commission is describing as the first green-building code in the nation.

The code, which took effect on Aug. 1, encourages the design of buildings that reduce potable water use by 20%, establishing specific methods for controlling water use through plumbing fixtures and indoor and landscape water conservation. The code also calls for a two-tired improvement (15% and 30%) in energy efficiency in buildings above current standards, which are already the most stringent in the nation, according to the commission.

“California continues to lead the way in its efforts to reduce the impact buildings have on our environment,” said Dave Walls, executive director of the California Building Standards Commission. “This new code encourages the use of renewable, recyclable, and recycled material in the building process, requiring all California buildings to be constructed with the environment in mind.”

Source: Climate Change Business Journal