On February 13, Facilities Dive quoted Matt Allman on new green building policies in the industry.
According to the article, Alexandria, Virginia, has updated its green building policy to allow developers of commercial buildings 10,000 square feet or larger to meet sustainability requirements through an energy use intensity (EUI) standard instead of relying solely on third-party certifications. This shift may signal a broader trend that building operators are likely to see more frequently in the future.
Allman noted that Alexandria’s approach reflects a growing movement among municipalities “I do think we’re seeing a trend in that direction,” he said in an interview. “I’ve not seen municipalities abandon third-party rating systems completely, but more and more of what they’re doing is providing a menu of options where you can achieve the green building policy [using] metrics related to energy use intensity.”
He added that jurisdictions are increasingly prioritizing energy efficiency as a direct path to achieving environmental goals. “Jurisdictions seem to be a little bit more focused on energy efficiency as a means of meeting their environmental goals,” Allman said. “With the third-party rating systems, there may be a sense [that] there are so many things you can do to achieve a certain level of LEED certification that maybe aren’t as aligned with the jurisdiction’s specific goals, so they’re trying to deemphasize [that] or offer alternatives to those routes.”
Click here to access the article.