On December 16th, the Ohio House of Representatives passed HB 7, legislation “[t]o enact section 153.013 of the Revised Code to require a building or structure constructed using state capital budget moneys to adhere to certain energy efficiency and building standards and to encourage the use of Ohio-produced products.” More specifically, the proposed code provision would require (with certain exemptions) buildings constructed with state capital budget moneys to achieve either LEED Silver certification or two Green Globes (while leaving open the possibility for the development and application of another national green building rating standard), or higher, AND either exceed 30% energy savings beyond the most current ASHRAE energy efficiency standard or achieve an Energy Star energy performance rating of 77% or higher. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
If passed, the bill would obviously have an affect on the architects, contractors, engineers, and others that compose the building community. Considering the proposed legislation, Intern Architect Josh Loyd, of Philip Markwood Architects, Inc., noted:
“I think it is a good move on the state’s part to require energy efficiency standards. It will help save the tax payers money in the long run with reduced energy costs over the life of the building. Which for a building owner like the state who holds onto the buildings for a very long time, the utility costs will far outweigh the cost of construction. Plus it will also push some of our architects & engineers to design better, more durable buildings that will stand the test of time.”
[...] merely incentivizing the private sector to follow their lead. For example, the recently passed Ohio House Bill 7 would require buildings receiving state money to become LEED Certified, but no city in Ohio has [...]