Richmond’s green building ordinance requires mandatory compliance
for all new and enlarged single and multi-family residential
projects, as well as for new and renovated commercial/industrial
projects. The green building requirements vary depending upon the
size of the building.
In order to receive a building permit, all new construction and
most remodeling projects in Santa Cruz are required to earn a
minimum number of green points from the city’s customized green
building program.
Huntington Beach offers permit fee waivers for energy efficiency
and solar upgrades and provides recognition to homeowners for
installing green features in their homes through the Huntington
Beach Green Scorecard program.
San Mateo County’s green building ordinance requires all new and
remodeled residential and commercial projects to earn a minimum
number of green points on either the GreenPoint Rated or LEED
checklists.
Santa Rosa’s green building program covers new and existing
residential and commercial buildings to assist the city in
achieving its greenhouse gas reduction goal of 25 percent below
1990 levels by 2015.
All new single and multi-family residential projects in Fremont
that are subject to discretionary approval must incorporate green
building measures as a condition of approval.
Riverside has a variety of green building programs, including the
Riverside Green Builder program which offers new home builders
expedited processing and utility meter approval. In addition,
rebates are available through the city’s municipal electric and
water utilities for energy and water efficiency retrofits on
existing residential and commercial buildings.
The Petaluma General Plan 2025 reflects planning goals across all
its elements that are designed to mitigate future greenhouse gas
emissions. Highlights include policies that encourage higher
densities around a new regional rail system and in the central
core, as well as greener buildings among existing and future
development.
Monterey County offers homeowners a voluntary green building
certification program, StepUp2Green, as an opportunity to have
their home green certified.
A comprehensive update of the Livermore zoning code will better
incorporate “smart code” practices, such as enhanced pedestrian
and bicycle mobility, transit-oriented development, mixed-use and
infill.
Chula Vista adopted measures aimed, in part, at reducing
greenhouse gas emissions in new development. The measures
emphasize compact neighborhood development, building-specific
energy measures for new communities, as well as comprehensive
project design criteria to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
throughout the community.
The Attorney General’s office has created a document that
identifies the various approaches to green building ordinances
that local agencies have taken and the most common features of
the measures. The document includes links to mandatory green
building ordinances.
In December 2008, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
adopted a Green Building Ordinance with new requirements for
single-family homes in the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara
County.
The Belmont City Council approves a tough green building
ordinance that requires residential and commercial builders and
homeowners to earn “green points” before the city grants them a
permit. The adoption of this new ordinance was a result of a
recommendation by the city’s green advisory committee, which was
formed in 2007.
