Recently, Nicole Kibert of Carlton Fields, P.A., compiled an Index of Green Building Provisions in Municipal Codes. The article is an excellent resource for Florida green building practitioners because it identifies the local green building requirements and incentives. The following excerpt from Kibert’s article highlights state a local efforts to mandate and encourage green building practices into new and existing buildings:
On July 13, 2007, Governor Charlie Crist signed three Executive Orders during the Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Climate Change. The three Executive Orders “will guide Florida to reduce green house gases, increase efficiency and pursue more renewable and alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind technologies, ethanol and hydrogen.” The spirit of these executive orders was largely put into action in the 2008 legislative sessions culminating in many directives that will impact our clients and our practices in the years to come. Some of the highlights include the following mandates: All new state buildings must be built in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (LEED-NC) standards. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) standards must be implemented for all existing state buildings. Florida’s 2008 Energy Act created a state definition of green building and started the ball rolling on several initiatives including increased energy efficiency in the Florida Energy Code and the legislative authority for the development of the Florida Renewable Portfolio standard. The Florida legislature passed on taking related action in the 2009 session.
Many Florida municipalities are adopting green building provisions into their codes. The “Index of Green Building Provisions in Florida Municipal Codes” was compiled during the summer of 2009 for informational purposes only.
Index of Green Building Provisions in Florida Municipal Codes submitted by Nicole Kibert, Carlton Fields, P.A.
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