Sustainability Action Plan 2022

It is highly recommended that the district adopt appropriate green building standards for new construction and major renovation projects to implement the Measure G bond program. This will ensure that projects will be energy-efficient and help the district achieve its carbon reduction goals. Minimum standards are mandated by state building codes such as CALGreen. CALGreen is California’s first green building code and the first in the nation state-mandated green building code. It is formally known as the California Green Building Standards Code, Title 24, Part 11, of the California Code of Regulations. CALGreen aims to improve public health, safety and general welfare through enhanced design and construction of buildings using concepts that reduce negative impacts, promote those principles with a positive environmental impact and encourage sustainable construction practices. The CALGreen code is roughly equivalent to LEED Silver.

While state building codes provide high levels of construction energy efficiency, the path to decarbonization will require advanced strategies beyond state codes. The California Community Colleges Board of Governors has recommended standards that include requirements for Zero Net Energy (ZNE)-ready new construction, LEED and WELL Gold, and LEED Operations and Maintenance strategies for existing buildings.

ESAC has adopted a modified version of the BOG Framework as follows: Strive for all new buildings and major renovations to be constructed as ZNE ready, to be LEED or WELL Platinum with a minimum LEED Silver (self- certified), strive for all existing buildings to be LEED Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Gold or WELL Gold equivalent, and strive to reduce the use of natural gas in buildings by 100% by 2035. ESAC recommends that the Board of Trustees adopt this standard for all new construction and major renovation projects.

New green building standards will require that construction, renovation, maintenance and repair projects be designed to consider optimum energy utilization, low life cycle operating costs, and compliance with the district’s goals and applicable energy codes and regulations. The district should address energy-efficient and sustainable design early in the project planning and design phases to maximize cost-effectiveness.

 

The following elements should be considered in the design of all buildings for the district:

 

• Siting and design considerations that optimize local geographic features to improve the sustainability of the project, such as proximity to public transportation, consideration of microclimates, and passive or active solar energy opportunities
• Durable systems and finishes with long life cycles that minimize maintenance and replacement
• Optimization of layout and design of spaces to accommodate reconfiguration, with the expectation that the facility should be renovated and reused (versus demolished)
• Optimization of indoor environmental quality for occupants
• Utilization of environmentally preferable products and processes, such as recycled content materials and recyclable materials
• Systems that monitor, trend and report operational performance
• An active program for recycling and reuse of materials in each building
• Outdoor spaces designed to use permeable pavement and provide shade through tree planting to prevent the heat island effec Sustainable landscaping practices
• ENERGY STAR® rated equipment in new or renovated buildings
• Construction and demolition recycling program for all new construction and major renovations
• Repurpose buildings for new uses rather than demolition and reconstruction

Sustainable building strategies should be evaluated to identify economic and environmental performance criteria, evaluate life cycle savings, and adopt an integrated systems approach. Such an approach treats the entire building as one system. It recognizes that individual building features, such as lighting, windows, heating and cooling systems, should be evaluated and designed as interactive systems.

The district has historically utilized architectural firms, LEED consultants and energy engineers experienced in all phases of the building design process to construct energy and resource- efficient buildings. The district should also take advantage of the utility-provided energy efficiency new construction design programs, such as the CPUC-funded California Energy Design Assistance Program (formerly known as Savings by Design) and the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Building Electrification Technical Assistance program.

All new buildings should be commissioned after construction or major renovations to ensure that systems are installed and operating as designed. Individual systems should also be commissioned to ensure that they run as efficiently as possible. This will be especially important based on the significant construction and renovations from the Measure G bond program. At a minimum, the district should comply with the State of California Non- Residential Commissioning Requirements in the 2019 Energy Code.

The district should evaluate regenerative design practices and nature positive principles in building construction and major renovation projects. These would go further than the recommended green building standard described above. They will not only limit environmental damage but also enhance and actively regenerate or contribute positive impacts to the people who use them and the local ecology surrounding them. This is the next wave of the sustainability movement, and the district will be establishing itself as a true leader among community colleges in implementing these programs.

Regenerative and nature positive planning require setting net positive goals related to material circularity, climate positive measures, collaborative action, community success, food reconnection, optimizing water use, personal action and climate resilience in sustainability planning. Arizona State University is a leader in this area, and the district should examine their work and others to evaluate these strategies.