REPORT TO SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION AND PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Green Building Program Update: Forward a recommendation to the City Council to Adopt a Resolution to Update the Green Building Program for Residential Projects, Nonresidential Projects, and Public Facilities, and Find that the Action is Exempt from CEQA Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15308, 15061(b)(3), and 15378(b).
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
The Sunnyvale green building program was originally adopted in 2009 and last updated in 2014, which was the third phase of the program. Originally, the program envisioned three phases, typically updated after the adoption of the newest version of the California Building Standards Code (commonly known as Building Code). The original vision was to require the highest level of the LEED and GreenPoint Rated (residential) certifications at Phase 3 as the minimum requirement for new construction and, therefore, eliminate the incentive program; both rating systems have modified their programs, increasing the requirements to achieve each level of certification which has resulted in more phases to Sunnyvale's green building program. It was also expected that the California Title 24 green code requirements (CALGreen) would catch up with Sunnyvale's higher energy efficiency standards; the CALGreen codes are progressively more prescriptive; however, Sunnyvale's standards continue to be higher.
After the 2014 update to the green building program, the State updated the California Building Standards (effective January 1, 2017). Those updates included increased energy efficiency requirements and other updates that help strengthen the State's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in California. Greenhouse gas reduction was not a focus of the original Sunnyvale program which stressed a broader concept of "green" including decreasing energy use and demand. In addition to the State's effort to reduce GHG emissions, and local efforts made by the C...
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