Building Codes Update: Santa Fe and Austin

February 2010 – The Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) is tracking code improvements in several cities through its Ten Places to Watch in 2010 campaign. Among them are Santa Fe, New Mexico, for its Sustainable Santa Fe Plan; and Austin, Texas for its above-and-beyond adoption and implentation of 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

Santa Fe

Meaning "holy faith" in Spanish, Santa Fe became the capital of the New Mexico province in 1610 and is the fourth largest city in the state. With a population of 69,961, the city has a thriving mixture of Native American, Spanish and modern American cultures and holds the nation's second largest arts market with a $1.6 billion annual arts economy. The city also has the highest elevation of any state capital in the United States.

The City of Santa Fe is dedicated to becoming more energy-efficient and utilizing renewable energy resources, as evidenced by its adoption of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement in 2006, which sets a goal of reducing citywide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

The city has instituted a Sustainable Santa Fe Plan, to address areas including GHG inventory and reduction, green building codes, renewable energy, water conservation, solid waste reduction and sustainability education.

2010 marks the beginning of Santa Fe's Water Conservation Credit Program. Here, credits are used to offset new system demands of small development projects within the city's water service area.

For example, residents wishing to build an addition to a home or business must offset any new water demand from the addition. This can be done by installing water efficient appliances such as low-flow toilets and showerheads, ENERGY STAR clothes washers, or by entering into a conservation contract.

Reisdents are essentially pledging to reduce water consumption by at least 6,517 gallons per year. Both the retrofit rebates and conservation contracts will help the city meet the water conservation goals established in the Sustainable Sante Fe Plan.

Another component of the Sustainable Santa Fe Plan is the Residential Green Building Code program. Since July 1, 2009, the program has been managed by the city's Housing and Community Development Department. It requires all new applications for single-family residential buildings in Santa Fe to include a completed residential green building checklist. This checklist must be submitted to the Housing and Community Development Department before building permits can be approved.

The six-section Residential Green Building Code was designed for consistency with the New Mexico Green Building Code. Additionally, the Housing and Community Development Department is in the process of preparing codes for remodels and additions of existing single-family residences, commercial buildings and historic buildings. These new codes will be released for public comment in the coming months.

Austin

Austin, Texas, is one of the fastest growing cities in America – and with good reason. The city offers something for everyone: the political fervor of a state capital, the laidback vibe of a college town and the rapid pace of a booming business center.

Although well-known as a progressive enclave in a staunchly conservative state, the city and its metro area strike a delicate political balance. The city's rapid growth - and that of its surrounding subuarbs - has raised the profile of environmental issues within local government and , accordingto some citizens, threatened the city's core values. Nevertheless, Austin's record of environmentalism and energy efficiency has earned it a spot on the short list of the country's greenest cities.

Austin Energy, the city's community-owned electric utility, is one of the driving forces behind the city's efforts. Taking into account Austin Energy's recommendations as well as others from a number of appropriate city boards and commissions, the city council in 2007 adopted the 2006 IECC with a number of strengthening amendments, including those concerning ventilation, lighting, reflective roofing and vapor issues.

The most significant improvement was establishing a mandatory testing requirement for residential construction. Today, utility staff work with the building department to provide onsite inspections of homes prior to granting occupancy permits.

Not yet satisfied with the current rate of progress, the city has aggressively raised the ceiling for energy efficiency and renewables. Austin Energy runs one of the nation's most successful green building programs for both residential and commercial construction. In 2007, the city council passed a resolution to establish zero-net-energy single-family homes by 2015; it plans to accomplish this goal through specific incremental improvements in the code, coupled with design features that allow on-site energy generation.

For more information on these cities and others in the Ten Places to Watch in 2010 campaign, visit BCAP's website, bcap-ocean.org/tenplaces.