Green Schools and Green Buildings

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Green Schools and Green Buildings

• State and Local Policy Possibilities
• Mary Luévano
• Policy Legislative Affairs Director
• Global Green USA

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Global GreenGreen Building Initiatives

• 1994 Green Affordable Housing Initiative
• 2000 Local Government Green Building Program
  Work
• 2004 Green Schools Initiative
• 2005 Climate Solutions for Communities

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Linking Practice and Policy

• Global Green works across a continuum that
  includes research, technical assistance,
  education, advocacy, and policy development
  efforts.

Technical Assistance
Policy/Advocacy
Research/Outreach
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• Crafting an Effective Policy Strategy

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Drafting Your Argument

• Highlighting the positive characteristics of
  green schools
• Efficient To Operate
• Durable and Resilient
• Healthy and Productive
• Environmentally Responsible

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Green School Benefits
Reduce operating costs
Improved student performance
Improved Air Quality
Direct Benefit (Individual/Org)
Increased teacher/worker retention
Reduced Maintenance
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Green School Benefits
Supports regional/national economic development
Reduces Impacts of Global Warming
Indirect Benefit (National/Global)
Protects Endangered Species and Habitat
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Formulating a Strategy

• Identify key policymakers and champions
• Identify what specific issues appeal to
  policymakers personally
• Understand the fiscal situation of the state or
  school district
• Identify related policy efforts to piggyback on
• Identify key constituencies who will support
  policy/build coalition

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Policy Options
Education and Technical Assistance
Mandate
Incentives
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Green Schools Mandates
District Resolution
Executive Order
Law
Mandates
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Green Schools Incentives
Utility Incentive Programs
School Construction Bonds
Incentives
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Education and Technical Assistance
Partnering with local, state or federal agencies
that can provide resources
Hiring (or acquiring) a green school advisor
Education and Technical Assistance
Educating key staff about LEED and/or CHPS
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Whats happening around the country?
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States with Green Schools Policies
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Whats up in NY, IL, CA

• New York/NYC
• 2005 Mayor Bloomberg signs law requiring
  city-funded capital projects to use LEED. Schools
  and hospitals must meet the LEED Certified level.
  Also required energy cost reductions.
• Ilinois 2007 the Illinois State Senate amends
  the School Construction Law with the governors
  approval, directing the Capital Development Board
  to only issue grants to school projects with LEED
  for Schools certification, the Green Globes
  rating system, meet the standards set forth by
  the Capital Development Boards Green Building
  Advisory Committee, or comparable rating system
  certification.
• California2006 voters approve statewide green
  schools bond for 100m), LA USD adopted green
  school policy in 2005/implementing now
• Significant because these states contain 3
  largest school districts in the country.

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State and Local Policy Examples California
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• 2004 Legislation introduced (AB 736-Hancock)
  requiring all schools built after 2006 to meet
  CHPS - Vetoed (reason want comprehensive gb
  policy)
• 2004 LA USD adopts motion to bring GG on as
  Green Schools advisor
• 2005 Legislation introduced (AB 315-Hancock)
  requiring all schools that receive state funding
  to meet CHPS - threatened w/veto/held by author
  (reason DGS opposed mandate)

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CA Policy

• AB 315 Supporters
• Global Green USA (Sponsor)
• Natural Resources Defense Council (Sponsor)
• American Lung Association (Sponsor)
• Collaborative for High Performance Schools
• Urban Ecology
• American Federation of State, County and
  Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
• Planning and Conservation League
• East Bay Municipal Utility District
• Literacy for Environmental Justice
• Sempra Energy
• SMUD
• American Institute of Architects
• California Teachers Association
• California Federation of Teachers
• Association of California School Administrators
• California School Boards Association
• Clean Power Campaign
• Sierra Club

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CA Policy

• 2005 GG works to get 100million in state
  education bond (Prop. 1D) set-aside for green
  schools. Approved by voters in November 2005.
• The sum of one hundred million dollars
  (100,000,000) shall be available, upon
  appropriation therefore, for grants for projects
  that promote sustainable resource use in public
  facilities, including the use of green building
  materials in schools. Priority shall be given to
  projects that provide multiple benefits, use
  existing public lands, serve communities with the
  greatest need, and facilitate joint use of public
  resources and investments, including schools.
  Not less than fifty million dollars (50,000,000)
  of the funds made available by this article shall
  be for incentive grants for the use of
  sustainable building materials in public schools.

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CA Policy

• Drafting the Regs
• Two administrative bodies (OPSC, SAB)
• Challenges to CHPS criteria (outside standard,
  desire to focus on ghg reductions)
• Final regs approved in Fall 2007

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Local Policies-LA USD

• Partnership with Los Angeles Unified School
  District to implement green building design and
  construction practices
• 60 New Schools, Hundreds of Rehabilitations
• 19 billion total cost
• Largest Public Works project in USA after Gulf
  Coast Rebuilding
• 100 million in statewide green school funding

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LA Green Building Policies

• Los Angeles Unified School District

2/2002- direct the head of Facilities develop
more resource efficient design criteria for new
and renovation project, consult with
CHPS 10/2003- ensure every new school
incorporate CHPS from the beginning of the design
process, must meet 28 points, aim for 32 points
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LAUSDs 19 billion schoolconstruction program

• How did we get here?
• Last school built in 1973
• Most schools over 55 years old
• Many schools on year-round program
• 1997- 2.4 billion, 71 approval
• 2002- 3.35 billion local, 68 approval
• 2004- 3.87 billion, 63 approval
• 2005- 4 billion, 66 approval
• ? 13.62 billion
• Balance from state school construction bonds

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• State and Local Policy Examples Louisiana

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Louisiana Schools

• School Districts making significant investments
  in school infrastructure
• Presents unique opportunity to incorporate green
  building standards into schools
• New construction
• Repairs/Renovations

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LRA Green Schools Criteria

• 2006 Global Green USA approached by the LRA to
  develop Green Schools Criteria for schools to
  obtain CDBG funds
• 2007 Criteria adopted by the LRA
• As drafted, green schools criteria are applicable
  to both repair/renovation projects and new school
  builds

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What is the Goal?

• All new schools built in Louisiana should
  incorporate green building/green design standards
• All renovated/repaired schools should incorporate
  green building/green design standards

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Questions for high performance schools

• Mandatory or Voluntary
• Self-Certification or Third-Party
• Green Criteria in Bond Language?
• High Performance Modernization
• Linking Construction Maintenance Budgets
• Remember-- its about the kids

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Green Seed Schools

• 75k worth of EE and IAQ Audits
• 5 Schools Total in Orleans Parish
• Completed AP Tureaud, International School
• In progress MLK Elementary

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Green Seed Schools

• Energy/Cost Savings
• AP Tureaud - saving 26,588/year (36
  improvement)
• International School - saving 21,781/year (34
  improvement)

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• Municipal Green Building Policy

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Green Building Policy Opportunities

• States and municipalities across the country have
  adopted green building policies
• Momentum is there, global warming is major concern

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Examples

• Austin, Texas
• First in the country, 1991 Created residential
  rating tool
• Now program encompasses residential,
  multi-family, commercial, and municipal
  construction
• Includes
• Green Building Guidelines
• Educational materials
• Rating systems
• Marketing plan to create consumer demand
• Technical expertise

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Examples (cont)

• Los Angeles, CA
• Program adopted in April 2008
• 3 Main Components
• Green Building Team hold public meetings,
  resolve technical issues
• Standard of Sustainability Establishes a
  requirement for non-residential and
  high-residential (above 6 stories) projects at or
  above 50,000 square feet of floor area, or
  low-rise residential (six stories or less) of 50
  or more dwelling units and 50,000 square feet of
  floor area, or the alteration or rehabilitation
  of at least 50,000 square feet of floor area or
  50 or more dwelling units for which construction
  costs exceed a valuation of 50 of the
  replacement cost of the existing building
• Standard of Sustainable Excellence Establishes
  an incentive program for projects that register
  with the USGBCs LEED program, include a LEED AP,
  and can demonstrate how they will achieve LEED
  certification at a Silver or higher level.

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State of Louisiana and City of New Orleans
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City of New Orleans

• Passed Green Building Resolution (2006)
• Passed Green Schools Resolution (May 2008).
  Resulted in efforts to draft ordinance.

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State of Louisiana

• Three attempts over last several years to pass
  green building legislation.
• 2008 Global Green sponsors legislation
• Challenges faced
• Now working with Legislator/created USGBC
  Advocacy Committee

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Municipal Green Building Programs

• Municipal Green Building Programs
• Global Green began advising cities on development
  of Green Building Programs over 8 years ago.
• Have worked directly with
• Cities of Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Long
  Beach, Irvine, Pasadena, Santa Clarita. Energy
  efficiency a core part of each of these programs.
• Publication Developing Green Building Programs
  A Step-By-Step Guide for Local Governments
• Provided guidance and advice to cities nationally
• In development - a model green building program
  guide

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Green Building Programs - How to get started

• Focus on New Construction, Renovation or both?
• Focus on civic, residential or non-residential
  buildings?
• Identify size threshold
• Identify appropriate green building standard/what
  type of design verification you want to require
• Need to consider the following three critical
  elements
• Incentives - expedited permitting? Financial
  incentives?
• Administration - who is responsible for
  oversight/enforcement?
• Outreach and Education -how will you market the
  program effectively?

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Keys to Effective Policy Making

• Implementation and monitoring of policy is
  CRITICAL
• 3rd party verification is another critical
  component to developing effective green building
  policies.
• Financing mechanisms such as tax credit programs
  and bond initiatives provide great opportunity
  for widespread implementation of green building
  practices.

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Final Note

• Policy is important but unless it is linked to an
  action plan, it is not effective

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Resources

• Global Green creates partnerships with cities,
  developers and non-profit organizations to
  provide green building support in the form of
• Workshops
• Green building guideline or program development
• Policy guidance
• Tools Fact Sheets, How-to literature
• Green Building Resource Centers - Santa Monica,
  Louisiana

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Green Schools Report
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Louisiana Developer Fact Sheets
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Global Green USA Contact Information

• 2218 Main Street
• Santa Monica, CA 90405
• [phone]
• www.globalgreen.org
• Mary Luevano
• Policy Legislative Affairs Director
• mluevano_at_globalgreen.org