The Dallas City Council has unanimously adopted a green construction ordinance which aims to reduce energy and water consumption in all new houses and commercial buildings constructed in the city.
While the city already has had a green building standard for city-owned buildings, the new ordinances are the first to address residential and commercial construction.
Theywill be implemented in two phases. The first phase, starting in 2009, requires that homebuilders construct their homes to be 15% more efficient than the base energy code and meet four out of six high-efficiency water reduction strategies.
In phase 2, beginning in 2011, it requires all homes to be built to either the LEED standard or the Green Built North Texas (GBNT) standard and include points toward a 20% water use reduction and a minimum 17.5% more efficient than the base energy code or the performance of an ENERGY STAR for homes with a HERS rating of 83 or less.
For commercial projects, Phase 1 of the new ordinance requires buildings less than 50,000 square feet to be 15% more efficient than the base energy code, use 20% less water than required by the current Dallas Plumbing Code, all roof surfaces with a slope of 2:12 inches or less must meet the EPA’s ENERGY STAR low-slope roof requirements; and meet outdoor lighting restrictions, except for safety and security reasons as applicable.
For commercial projects over 50,000 square feet, phase 1 requires buildings to meet 85% of the points required under the appropriate LEED rating system for a certified level, including one point for 20% water use reduction, and a minimum two points for 14% more efficient than the base energy code.
Phase 2, beginning in 2011, requires all commercial projects to be LEED certifiable under the appropriate LEED rating system, including one point for 20% water use reduction, and a minimum three points for 17.5% more efficient than the base energy code.
A Green Building Task Force, comprised of members of the residential and commercial development sectors, was created to develop recommendations for the new standards for all new private development in Dallas.
“We support the efforts to create a better-built environment and accept the responsibility that every industry, and now every home, must share to help the region reach its air quality goals,” said Donny Mack, president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas.
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