11-04-2024 Special JDA Agenda Packet

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30 • All buildings shall install photovoltaic systems that maximize on-site energy production. • All buildings shall connect to the district energy system if this system is available to them. • All buildings shall conduct a whole building life-cycle assessment and achieve at least a 10% reduction in global warming potential. • Rigorous requirements for electric vehicle infrastructure. • All owners shall report building energy consumption and other key energy and water metrics. • Outline of administration and waiver processes. 10. Selection of Certification Program In order to support the energy vision and guiding principles of the RCC community, as well as inform the methodology used to establish RCC’s greenhouse gas baseline, LHB recommended LEED for Communities as a community-wide certification program. LEED for Communities is a data-driven, comprehensive third- party system that addresses transportation, water, energy, natural systems, greenhouse gas reduction, materials/resources, and quality of life. To inform this selection, LHB's Project Team analyzed two third-party rating system options. These options were to a) require a rating system for the whole community or b) require sustainability design guidelines for individual buildings. LHB identified LEED Cities and Communities: Plan and Design, as well as LEED for Neighborhood Development, as specific rating systems that could be required for the entire RCC community. LEED for Building Design and Construction (BD+C), the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Program, and LEED Campus were identified by LHB as potential sustainable design guideline frameworks for individual buildings (where LEED Campus is an approach to certification, rather than a rating system). For each of these options, the pros/cons, central areas of impact, and anticipated fee were considered. LEED for Communities was chosen for further evaluation because of its focus on public access to green space, green travel priorities, and ambitious strategies for pushing health/wellbeing, which align with some of RCC’s key goals. LHB analyzed the feasibility of achieving LEED for Communities Gold or Platinum certification, which are ambitious targets meant to "push" the project beyond where it would be without a rating system. The LEED for Communities Scorecard was used to identify areas of required and optional credit. Strategies required by LEED for Communities include ecosystem assessment, public access to green spaces, integrated water management, social infrastructure, and an organics collections service. The initial feasibility analysis indicates that pursuing Platinum certification is a reasonable goal. The timeline from LEED for Communities registration to precertification to certification was estimated to be around 2 years, and ballpark fees for the JDA were estimated to be around $250,000. After determining the feasibility of LEED for Communities, LHB reviewed the system's pros/cons with the Energy Advisory Committee (EAC). Some of the largest pros of LEED for Communities are its reliability and ability to "push" the project if Gold or Platinum is pursued. Some of the cons of LEED for Communities are its high input needs: the program takes a lot of time, effort, and monetary expenses. Based on these discussions, LHB proposed a recommendation for pursuing LEED for Communities to the EAC and the JDA,