ENERGY CONSERVATION AND GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVES

You asked for a discussion of recent legislation to promote energy conservation and examples of “green buildings” constructed by the state.

Over the past ten years, the legislature has adopted a wide variety of measures to promote energy conservation. These include requirements for electric utilities to establish conservation programs funded by a charge on electric bills, energy conservation requirements for state buildings and for various appliances, and tax and other incentives to promote energy efficiency.

Green buildings promote a number of environmental goals, including energy and water conservation, recycling, and improved indoor air quality. The most common green building rating system, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system, places new or renovated buildings into four categories (certified, silver, gold, and platinum) based on the number of green features incorporated in the building's design and construction. PA 06-187 requires most state facility construction projects funded on or after January 1, 2007, to meet the LEED silver or a comparable standard. The requirement generally applies to new facilities costing $ 5 million or more, other than school construction projects, salt sheds, parking garages, or maintenance facilities.

Several recently constructed state university buildings have incorporated green features. At the University of Connecticut (UConn) the new athletic complex is undergoing LEED certification, while the university is seeking a silver LEED rating for the new Social Sciences building.

Similarly, several buildings at Connecticut State University (CSU) campuses are participating in the LEED program. Centennial Hall at Western CSU was the first dormitory in the state to receive LEED certification. Eastern CSU is seeking a silver rating for the Science Center, which is under construction. In addition, several other CSU facilities incorporate green features, although they have not participated in the LEED program.

PA 98-28 requires the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) to assess a charge of 0. 3¢ per kilowatt-hour to fund energy conservation programs through the Energy Conservation and Load Management Fund. A DPUC-established board, including state agency representatives, business groups, and other interested parties advise and assist the electric companies to develop a comprehensive plan to promote cost-effective conservation programs and programs to develop more energy-efficient products. The companies must implement the plan as approved by DPUC.

PA 05-1, June Special Session, requires municipal electric utilities to impose a one mill per kilowatt hour (kwh) charge to fund conservation or renewable energy programs. The charge will increase in five steps, rising to two and one-half mills per kwh starting in 2011. The same act requires the electric companies and competitive suppliers to acquire 1% of their supply from distributed resources, which include conservation measures installed in businesses, starting in 2007. This requirement increases to 4% by 2010. Finally, under the act, the electric companies must implement, with DPUC approval, (1) mandatory daily time-of-use rates for large commercial and industrial customers and voluntary time-of-use rates for other customers starting June 1, 2006 and (2) mandatory seasonal rates for all customers starting June 1, 2007. These rates can provide customers with a financial incentive to conserve electricity.

As described in OLR memo 2006-R-0723, the legislature passed legislation addressing light pollution in 1995, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2006. The legislation requires that state and municipal highway lighting be designed to maximize energy conservation and minimize glare and light spilling on to neighboring properties.

PA 03-132 requires the governor's budget to include a line-item breakdown of energy costs for each state agency. It requires the schedule of an agency's energy costs to be supported by a statement of its (1) plans for energy conservation in each year of the biennium and (2) progress in the last completed fiscal year with regard to energy conservation. The act expands an Office of Policy and Management (OPM) energy conservation reporting requirement and gives it additional responsibilities with regard to energy, including establishing a pilot program for energy performance contracting in state facilities. Under such contracts, a third party makes energy efficiency improvements in exchange for receiving part of the savings in reduced energy bills.

PA 06-187 requires large state facility construction projects funded on or after January 1, 2007, to meet specified energy and environmental standards. By that date, the OPM secretary must adopt regulations adopting construction standards that meet or exceed the silver LEED rating or an equivalent standard. The alternative standard must at least include a two globe rating under the Green Globes USA design program. The secretary, in consultation with the public works commissioner and the Institute for Sustainable Energy, must exempt a facility from the regulations if the institute finds that the cost of compliance significantly outweighs the benefits of compliance.

PA 04-85 requires DPUC to establish, by regulation, energy efficiency standards for specified heating, cooling, and lighting, and other types of products. The products include, among other things, large packaged air conditioning systems, and ccommercial heaters, refrigerators and freezers, and clothes washers.

PA 05-02 and PA 05-4 of the October 25, 2005, special session exempted various energy efficiency products from the sales tax. The exemption applies to: (1) insulation, programmable thermostats, water heaters and water heater blankets, window film, window and door weather strips, and caulking; (2) natural gas and propane furnaces and boilers that meet federal Energy Star standards; (3) windows and doors that meet federal Energy Star standards; (4) oil furnaces and boilers that are at least 85% efficient; and (5) ground-based heat pumps that meet the minimum federal efficiency rating. The exemption runs until June 30, 2007.

PA 05-1, June Special Session, establishes several initiatives to reduce costs associated with congestion on the electric transmission system. It creates incentives for business customers that install “distributed resources” on their premises, including conservation and load management measures. The incentives include capital- and operating-cost subsidies and the provision of long-term financing. The act also provides awards to electric companies for their efforts in connection with the installation of these resources.

The term green buildings are used to describe buildings that are environmentally benign. Among the measures commonly found in green buildings are:

1. energy efficient lighting systems;

2. increased use of natural light (“daylighting”);

3. energy efficient heating and cooling systems;

4. landscaping that reduces the need for pesticides, fertilizers, and water; and

5. use of building materials that include recycled content.

There are several systems for rating how “green” a building is. The most widely used is the LEED green building rating system. Buildings earn points toward levels of certification depending on how many green features are included. The basic level is called certification. Buildings with additional green features can earn silver, gold or platinum ratings. Further information about LEED is available at http: //www. usgbc. org/DisplayPage. aspx?CategoryID=19.

In 2003-04, UConn developed its own Sustainable Design Guidelines. In addition to energy efficiency, the guidelines address building siting, conservation of materials and other resources, water conservation, and indoor environmental quality. The guidelines will apply to construction projects throughout the next decade of the university's capital improvement program. The guidelines are available online at http: //www. masterplan. uconn. edu/images/SDG. pdf. In 2006, the UConn Foundation launched a Green Campus Fund to support sustainable building enhancements for new construction and renovation projects at the university.

The Burton Family Football Complex and Mark R. Shenkman Training Center at UConn was the first LEED registered athletic complex in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. UConn anticipants that the building will meet LEED certification standards and may earn a silver rating. UConn is designing the new Social Sciences building to earn a silver rating. The building's green features might include:

2. rain gardens (a planted depression that is designed to take excess rainwater run-off from a building),

Centennial Hall at Western CSU was the first dormitory in the state to receive a LEED certification. The four-story, 128,000-square foot residence hall includes 90 student suites, 12 suites for resident assistants, and one suite for the residential director. An adjacent, four-story parking garage has spaces for 439 cars serving the new dorm as well as two adjacent residence halls. The project's green features include water-efficient landscaping; a “cool” roof that reflects light and reduces air conditioning demand; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems that exceed state building code energy standards by 40%; construction waste recycling; daylighting in 90% of the interior space; and use of 20% locally manufactured materials.

At Eastern CSU, three recently built 250-bed dormitories have been LEED-certified. Eastern is seeking a silver rating for the Science Center that is under construction. The university has also implemented a number of green measures outside of the LEED certification process. For example, it has converted one high-rise dormitory from electric resistance heat to a geothermal system that uses the heat contained in the ground for both heating and cooling. Several buildings, including the Child and Family Development Resource Center and Webb Hall have been designed with features such as sensors to turn of unneeded lighting, solar power, building automation systems, heat and cooling monitoring systems, and better insulated doors.

At Southern CSU, the new 5-story, 120,276-square foot residence hall that opened in 2004 has been LEED certified. The building houses students and staff members and also includes resident life offices, laundry facilities, computer technology rooms, common and study lounges, and vending machine areas.


February 26, 2007		2007-R-0220
ENERGY CONSERVATION AND GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVES

By: Kevin E. McCarthy, Principal Analyst