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Durham County, N.C., approves high-performance building policy
October 2008
The Achievement
In October 2008, Durham County, N.C., adopted its High Performance Building Policy to mandate that new county buildings be constructed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications:
- New public buildings over 10,000 square feet must achieve a minimum rating of LEED Gold
- Buildings between 4,000 and 10,000 square feet must achieve a minimum rating of LEED Silver.
- Renovations of public buildings in excess of 25% of the building and comprising upgrades or replacements of two of the three major systems (HVAC, lighting, and plumbing), must achieve a minimum rating of LEED-certified.
- All other new construction, renovations, repairs, replacements, maintenance and operations of public buildings must employ cost-effective, energy-efficient, green building practices to the maximum extent possible.
Several of the County's existing buildings are already LEED-certified, including the Triangle Waste Water Treatment Plant, East Regional Library, and North Regional Library.
The Benefits
High-performance, LEED-certified buildings use less energy and other resources to operate. By decreasing its energy demands through greener buildings, Durham County is working to meet its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 50% by 2030.
In developing this policy, County officials also cited studies showing that the financial benefits of green design are more than 10 times the additional cost associated with building green. County officials also believe that LEED-certified buildings will be healthier and more productive places for their employees to work.
