9. GREEN BUILDING POLICY – 2009 STATUS REPORT

POLITIQUE SUR LES BÂTIMENTS ÉCOLOGIQUES – RAPPORT D’ÉTAPE DE 2009

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS AS AMENDED

That Council:

1. Receive the 2009 Status Report on the Green Building Policy for the Construction of Corporate Buildings;

2. Authorize Committee and Council to exempt capital projects from LEED certification where not practical based on the following criteria, with the exception that the existing exemption of buildings under 500 square metres be maintained:

a) When all reasonable efforts to achieve LEED certification have been exhausted;

b) When the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) has rejected the certification submission; and

c) When the costs to achieve certification outweigh the benefits to the City.

RecommandationS modifÉeS DU Comité

Que le Conseil:

1. Prenne connaissance du rapport d’étape de 2009 concernant la « Politique sur les bâtiments écologiques régissant la construction des immeubles municipaux »; et

2. Autorise le Comité et le Conseil à exempter les projets d’immobilisations de la certification LEED dans les cas où les critères suivants sont satisfaits, en maintenant toutefois les exemptions qui existent pour les bâtiments d’une superficie inférieure à 500 mètres carrés :

a) Lorsque tous les efforts visant à respecter les normes de certification LEED ont été déployés;

b) Lorsque le Conseil du bâtiment durable du Canada (CBDCa) a rejeté la demande de certification; et

c) Lorsque les coûts visant à obtenir cette certification surpassent les avantages que pourrait en tirer la Ville

DOCUMENTATION

1. deputy City Manager’s report Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability dated 6 May 2010 (ACS2010-ICS-INF-0015).

2. Extract of Draft Minute, 1 June 2010.

Report to/Rapport au :

Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee

Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique

and Council / et au Conseil

25 May 2010 / le 25 mai 2010

Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/Directrice municipale adjointe, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability/Services d 'infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Wayne Newell, General Manager / Directeur Géneral

Infrastructure Services/Services des infrastructures

(613) 580-2424 x 16002, Wayne.Newell@ottawa.ca

City Wide/à l'échelle de la Ville

Ref N°: ACS2010-ICS-INF-0015

SUBJECT:	GREEN BUILDING POLICY – 2009 STATUS REPORT
OBJET :	POLITIQUE SUR LES BÂTIMENTS ÉCOLOGIQUES – RAPPORT D’ÉTAPE DE 2009

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee recommend that Council:

1. Receive the 2009 Status Report on the Green Building Policy for the Construction of Corporate Buildings;

2. Authorize the General Manager, Infrastructure Services Department to exempt capital projects from LEED certification where not practical based on the following criteria:

a) When all reasonable efforts to achieve LEED certification have been exhausted;

b) When the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) has rejected the certification submission; and

c) When the costs to achieve certification outweigh the benefits to the City.

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique recommande au Conseil:

1. De prendre connaissance du rapport d’étape de 2009 concernant la « Politique sur les bâtiments écologiques régissant la construction des immeubles municipaux »; et

2. D’autoriser le directeur général des Services d’infrastructure à exempter les projets d’immobilisations de la certification LEED quand elle serait considérée non raisonnable en raison des critères suivants:

a) Lorsque tous les efforts visant à respecter les normes de certification LEED ont été déployés;

b) Lorsque le Conseil du bâtiment durable du Canada (CBDCa) a rejeté la demande de certification; et

c) Lorsque les coûts visant à obtenir cette certification surpassent les avantages que pourrait en tirer la Ville

BACKGROUND

The Green Building Policy for the Construction of Corporate Buildings, approved by Council on 28 September 2005 and amended on 26 September 2007, requires an annual status update on City of Ottawa Capital Building Projects being designed and delivered in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification rating system.

Green building practices not only reduce the environmental impact of building activities on limited renewable and non-renewable resources, they also reduce the cost of owning and operating those facilities over their full life cycle.

The current Green Building Policy requires that:

· All buildings with a footprint greater than 500 square metres (5,400 square feet) be designed, delivered and certified by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) as meeting the LEED "Certified" rating at minimum; and

· Staff pursue the LEED "Silver" rating when it can be demonstrated the additional investment will be paid back through a reduction in building operating costs over a period of seven years or less, and that this additional funding be administered following the “Delegation of Authority.”

Through the adoption of the “Green Building Policy” the delivery of building projects as defined by LEED – Canada “Certification” are able to achieve the following benefits:

· 40% to 50% annual utility cost savings over current practices;

· Reduced Greenhouse Gas emissions;

· Reduced Life Cycle costs through enhanced material selection;

· Reduced material consumption during manufacturing and transportation;

· Reduced waste generation during construction;

· Reduced water consumption resulting from more efficient systems and devices;

· Improved indoor environment;

· Healthy and productive work environments; and

· Demonstrated leadership in environmental stewardship.

Sustainable building practices not only demonstrate responsible leadership practices, they also demonstrate good business practices.

DISCUSSION

This report provides an update on initiatives that have been undertaken to date, upcoming initiatives, and issues identified to date.

City of Ottawa LEED projects that are completed and certified by CaGBC:

Project	Size	Value	Completion	LEED Rating
Ottawa Paramedic Service Headquarters	100,000 sf	$18.9 M	Mar. 2006	Certified
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority Headquarters	22,000 sf	$5.6 M	Oct. 2007	Gold

City of Ottawa LEED projects that are completed and currently submitted for review and validation by CaGBC:

Project	Size	Value	Completion	LEED Rating (target)
Vars Fire Station No.73	8,800 sf	$2.4 M	Mar. 2007	Certified
Goulbourn Recreation Complex Expansion	22,000 sf	$5.0 M	Nov. 2008	Silver
OC Transpo Interior Fit-Up (LEED C.I.)	18,000 sf	$2.3 M	Nov 2008	CI Gold
Albion-Heatherington Community Centre	7,000 sf	$1.5 M	Dec. 2008	Silver
Orleans (Shenkman) Arts Centre	78,000 sf	$25 M	June 2009	Silver
Hunt Club Riverside Community Centre	6,000 sf	$ 3.7M	March 2010	Silver

City of Ottawa LEED projects that are currently under construction and will be submitted to CaGBC for review and validation following completion:

Project	Size	Value	Estimated Completion	LEED Rating (target)
OC Transpo Dispatch Building	10,000 sf	$4.5 M	May 2010	Silver
Paramedic Dispatch Building	25,000 sf	$6.7 M	June 2010	Silver
OC Transpo Articulated Bus Garage	162,000 sf	$58.0 M	September 2010	Silver
Huron Early Learning Centre	5,500 sf	$2.97M	September 2010	Silver
Kanata Recreation Complex Expansion	14,000 sf	$1.9M	September 2010	Silver
Central Archives and Library Materials Centre	92,000 sf	$27 M	March 2011	Silver
Centrepointe Theatre Expansion	25,600 sf	$9.3M	March 2011	Silver
Greenboro Community Centre Expansion	10,000 sf	$3.1M	March 2011	Silver
Overbrook Community Centre Expansion	10,000 sf	$3.1M	March 2011	Silver

City of Ottawa LEED projects that are currently in design phase:

Project	Size	Value	Estimated Completion	LEED Rating (target)
Carlsbad Springs Community Centre	6,500 sf	$2.5M	December 2010	Silver
Kanata West Fire Station No. 46	12,250 sf	$ 4.4 M	Summer 2011	Silver
Barrhaven Fire Station No. 47	12,250 sf	$ 4.4 M	Summer 2011	Silver
Conroy Works Yard	18,700 sf	$9.5 M	Fall 2011	Silver
Trail Road	35,000 st	13.1 M	November 2011	Silver
Goulbourn Recreation Complex Arena Expansion	35,000 sf	$ 9M	December 2011	Silver
East District Pool	38,000 sf	$12 M	Summer 2012	Silver
Kanata North Recreation Complex	105,000 sf	$40 M	Summer 2012	Gold
West District Library	30,000 sf	$8 M	TBD	Silver

Performance of Green Building Policy

As the design and construction of LEED buildings in Canada becomes more common place in the industry, most City of Ottawa projects are able to target a LEED ‘Silver’ rating within the current budgets (which include a 5% investment funding identified in the 2005 policy to support the delivery of LEED projects).

The information presented in the tables above shows that all City projects completed in 2008 and later have been able to target a LEED “Silver” rating or better. None of the completed projects targeting the LEED “Silver” rating required the addition of funding beyond the 5% identified in the “Green Building Policy”.

However, those projects that have, or will be, targeting a rating higher than LEED “Silver” do require additional funding to achieve the higher ratings. The exact premium is project specific and is determined at the time of detailed project development.

On occasion, projects that are targeted to seek a LEED Silver rating are able to approach the Gold rating threshold within the current budgets. This Gold target currently may be achievable on the Overbrook CC Expansion project, with little extra costs and LEED Gold has been defined as a project goal on the Kanata North Recreation Complex.

Using the LEED Rating System to Support other Corporate Initiatives

Given that the LEED rating system is a menu driven system, meaning the point thresholds required to achieve predetermined ratings can be reached using varying combinations of measures, the opportunity exists to support other City environmental goals.

As part of the terms of reference for design consultants delivering projects that fall under the requirements of the “Green Building Policy,” the following specific LEED credits are included as part of the project requirements:

· Improved energy efficiency which is defined as 40-50% better than the Model National Energy Code. (25% efficiency is the minimum improvement required by the LEED rating system);

· Water efficiency measures;

· Waste diversion management of construction materials;

· Indoor air quality management during construction followed by air quality testing prior to occupancy;

· 3^rd party commissioning of building systems to ensure achievement of planned energy savings;

· Building material selection that supports the intended service life of the facility; and

· Green cleaning practices during operation of facility.

Using this approach, the LEED rating system is able to support sustainable building practices in general as well as specific corporate environmental goals.

Inability of Projects to Reach LEED Certification

As part of the previous "Green Building Policy" update, approved by Council on 26 September 2007, the “Delegation of Authority” to authorize additional funding to move a project from a LEED “Certified” rating to a LEED "Silver" rating or to exempt certain projects from the requirements of “The Green Building Policy” based on specific criteria was given to the former Director of the Real Property Asset Management (RPAM). Under the current City of Ottawa organizational structure, this authority should now be assigned to the General Manager, Infrastructure Services Department.

The "Green Building Policy" currently requires that all buildings over 5,400 square feet meet the LEED “Certified” rating at the minimum. The policy does allow for exceptions. This is because the particular nature of some projects makes it difficult to achieve this rating, and on others the cost-benefit analysis shows achieving the certification is not in the City’s financial interest. This does not mean a failure to implement environmental initiatives, follow sustainable building practices or achieving energy efficiency within the performance of the building. Whenever possible, staff incorporates sustainable building practices into all construction and design.

Examples of City projects unable to the minimum LEED Certified rating include:

· Navan Vehicle Storage Facility: 8,700 sq ft - $1.9 M

This unheated facility cannot meet the prerequisites in energy and atmosphere and the nature of this building type does not lend itself to the LEED point system.

· Kinburn Arena: Current LEED NC (New Construction) program and supporting energy simulation tools present significant challenges to rink projects and in particular, to single ice pads in rural locations. Selected upgrades were incorporated into this facility based on cost effectiveness and to help fulfill the municipal policy, however, it was decided to be of limited practical benefit to require full certification for this rural single pad facility.

Projects under 500 sq m following Sustainable Design Principals

The Green Building Policy does not require buildings constructed under 500 sq m (5,400 square feet) to meet the minimum LEED “certified” rating. However, these buildings are still constructed in accordance with sound environmental principals of the policy by following sustainable building practices and achieving energy efficiency performance of the building.

Examples of small scale projects following environmental initiatives include:

· Old Ottawa South Community Centre Expansion: 2850 sq ft addition - $2.8 M

This is a small addition onto a heritage structure. The design incorporates many energy efficient and sustainable features, resulting in a superior building with lower operating costs and an improved environment, representing a good return on investment. The project, while following the LEED principles, is not being submitted for review by the CaGBC.

· Petrie Island Facility: 1800 sq ft – $900,000

This beach facility is challenged to meet the prerequisites in energy and atmosphere given that it is a seasonal facility. Many sustainable design features are included, such as reduced water consumption; however this building project did not go through the CaGBC review process.

As can be seen from the information presented above, the "Green Building Policy" is having a positive effect in supporting sustainable building and operating practices as well as demonstrating community leadership in these areas.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

The policy is applied City-wide. However, as stated in the report, delivering new building projects in rural locations may not always provide sufficient opportunities to achieve LEED certification. These projects will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine their ability to achieve LEED certification. Sustainable building practices will be applied to these projects to the extent possible.

CONSULTATION

As this is an information update report, no consultation was required.

However, as part of the “Service Excellence Program” the Design & Construction (Buildings / Facilities & Parks) Branch of Infrastructure Services Department takes every opportunity when liaising with Client departments to create awareness of the environmental and sustainable opportunities associated with building construction projects.

COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)

This is a City-wide report. No consultation was required.

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There are no legal/risk management implications to this report.

CITY STRATEGIC PLAN

Supports corporate community sustainability and environmental initiatives for facility building and operations.

TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

We are currently in the process of making arrangements to have detailed profiles of each of the facilities delivered under the “Green Building Policy” posted on the internet for public access and review. These profiles will identify the individual sustainable measures integrated into each new facility.

It is expected that this information will be available by Q3 2010.

DISPOSITION

The Design & Construction Branch - (Buildings / Facilities &Parks) of Infrastructure Services Department will continue to apply the “Green Building Policy” to all new construction or major renovation projects over 500 square metres.

The General Manager of Infrastructure Services will assume delegated authority to exempt capital projects from LEED certification where not practical based on the criteria in Recommendation 2.

GREEN BUILDING POLICY – 2009 STATUS REPORT

POLITIQUE SUR LES BÂTIMENTS ÉCOLOGIQUES – RAPPORT D’ÉTAPE DE 2009

ACS2010-ICS-INF-0015 CITY WIDE/À L'ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE

Councillor Doucet noted that although he is not a member of this Committee and could not move a motion, he suggested that the authority not be delegated to City staff as he felt that, given the LEED certification moves very quickly, the authority should be retained with Committee and Council.

Councillor Monette asked if the City was aware of the cost savings from the standards set out by the LEED system. Robert Vaillancourt, Manager, Design and Construction-Buildings/Facilities and Parks, explained that the cost savings associated with the measures integrated in each project vary from project to project. One of the simpler areas to document and quantify would be energy reduction because there is a part of the LEED process that compares it to the National Building Model Energy Code Standard, and it would be possible to create an economic reflection of those benefits. Many other measures integrated into a project may not necessarily have direct economic benefits but supports other environmental or sustainable initiatives.

Councillor Monette then asked if the City was obligated to participate in the green standards or if it was strictly on a volunteer-basis. Mr. Vaillancourt explained that in 2005, Council adopted the LEED standard as a standard for building projects delivered by this Corporation and noted that it was a voluntary participation.

In response to a follow up question relating to rebates, Mr. Vaillancourt advised that there are a number of grant programs available for various primary energy reduction initiatives. He added that every project that is delivered is assessed in those terms and where the opportunities exist, those grants are pursued. In an earlier report to Council in 2008, it was agreed that any grants obtained for energy reduction initiatives would be put back into the projects to further enhance their sustainability.

Councillor Wilkinson suggested that Committee receive regular reports. Mr. Vaillancourt acknowledged that it would be possible to provide regular status updates, noting that it normally takes two years to develop a project, which means the design of the phase occurs in the first year and if there were problems, it would be known at that time and then reported on.

Councillor Wilkinson confirmed that the “Choosing Our Future” study is currently underway and would be completed by the fall. She asked if this would encompass what is required in order to set new policies, as suggested by Councillor Doucet.

She noted her observations from a recent FCM meeting of what other communities were doing in sustainability above and beyond the LEED projects. Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability, noted that this would set the framework within what the Committee chose to take priority as it is a long term plan within the term of Council. It is a changing dynamic and many communities are doing innovative and interesting things and it is staff’s responsibility to keep Council informed so that Members can decide where to invest.

Councillor Wilkinson asked if staff could look at what is coming forward from other municipalities whereby Ottawa may be able to benefit. Ms. Schepers confirmed that staff could do so.

The Committee then discussed a proposed motion by Councillor McRae that the delegated authority remains with Committee and Council, which in effect would replace recommendation 2.

Councillor McRae acknowledged her support for the motion that she would be moving on behalf of Councillor Doucet.

Councillor Doucet noted that this issue was a good deal more contentious than initially thought. He suggested that developers for example, are often interested in reducing the costs on buildings as much as possible in the short term. LEEDS standards demand that the cost be increased in the short term resulting in decreasing the cost in the longer term. It is often a political as much as a technical decision and he was concerned that this be overlooked if this responsibility were to be delegated to staff.

Councillor Wilkinson claimed that the current policy states that any footprint under 500 square metres are exempted. She questioned if this would remove this exemption. Staff and Committee agreed to include this exemption in the McRae motion.

Moved by Councillor McRae,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the exemption from LEEDS standard remain with Committee and Council, with the exception that the existing exemption of buildings under 500 square metres be maintained.

CARRIED

The Committee then approved the item as amended.

That the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee recommend that Council:

3. Receive the 2009 Status Report on the Green Building Policy for the Construction of Corporate Buildings;

4. Authorize Committee and Council to exempt capital projects from LEED certification where not practical based on the following criteria, with the exception that the existing exemption of buildings under 500 square metres be maintained:

d) When all reasonable efforts to achieve LEED certification have been exhausted;

e) When the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) has rejected the certification submission; and

f) When the costs to achieve certification outweigh the benefits to the City.

CARRIED as amended

DIRECTION TO STAFF:

That staff provide Committee with status reports relating to the Green Building Policy on a regular basis.