LA on verge of adopting LEED building standards.
Two Los Angeles City Council committees adopted proposed regulations directing all new commercial and residential developments of over 50,000 square feet to meet LEED silver standards. It is anticipated that the full City Council will formally adopt these regulations within the month.
Key requirements for LEED silver, which must be followed 6 months after the law goes into effect, include:
- Use of recycled materials
- Efficient use of rain runoff
- Low emission paints
- Solar panels
- Efficient use of natural light
- Low flow toilets
According to the LA Times article, buildings in America “account for 71% of electricity consumption, 12% of potable water used and 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions” and that the average green building saves “36% in energy, 40% in water, and cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 40% and solid waste by 70%.”
If and when LA adopts these regulations, it will be the largest city in the United States to implement a green building code. Clearly for a city that is such a major emitter of greenhouse gases, this would be a tremendous step in the right direction. Unlike the problems of a dearth of mass transit and congested roads, this solution can be imposed by the city with a stroke of the pen (so to speak). With mass transit, the city council can vote as much as it likes in favor of solutions, but without a budget and the will to push the project through legal objections, little material progress can be made. But in this case, by requiring new buildings to meet green standards, the city is able to pass the responsibility of action on to the private developers. These developers will most likely not be deterred from constructing profitable new buildings due to green regulations, since in many cases such features increase the value of the property, thereby actually passing the costs along to the public (who patronize the businesses or live in the residences on these properties).
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Comments
2 Comments on LA on verge of adopting LEED building standards.
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Sparky on
Tue, 19th Feb 2008 11:19 am
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Jacob on
Tue, 19th Feb 2008 1:01 pm
This is really interesting about how Los Angeles is finally taking a big step towards greener standards, but are these new regulations just for new builds or for all remodels too?
[Reply]
From the LA Times article, it is not entirely clear whether this will also apply to remodels, however I think it is a safe bet to assume that they will not. The requirements that must be met in order to reach a LEED Silver rating are stringent and would be very onerous to meet in already-built structures, if not impossible. However, I think you raise a really good point, which is, should the city also impose green regulations upon remodels? I think the answer is yes, but that it should be done on a much less burdensome scale so as to avoid discouraging owners from improving their properties.
[Reply]
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