1. STATE OF CALGREEN The State of
CALGreen
SURVEY
Implementation
and Best
Practices
www.greencodepro.com

2. SURVEY OVERVIEW
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
 Purpose
 California Green Building Standards Code – Mandatory for just over a
year
 Gain insight into current status of CALGreen implementation
 What are the challenges?
 What are the lessons learned?
 How can it be implemented most effectively?
 Presented at Green California Summit April 26, 2012
 Request sent to 170 building code of ficials and building
department staf f in California
 20 questions
 Multiple choice
 Rankings
 Fill-in
 Received 32 responses = 18.8% response rate
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3. SURVEY FORM
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
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4. SIZE OF JURISDICTIONS OF RESPONDENTS
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
Number of Residential Permits, 2011
3%
3%
6%
1 - 999
1,000 - 4,999
5,000 - 9,999
28%
60% 10,000 - 19,999
20,000 or more
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5. SIZE OF JURISDICTIONS OF RESPONDENTS
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
Number of Non-Residential Permits, 2011
3% 3%
13%
1 - 999
1,000 - 4,999
20,000 or more
5,000 - 9,999
81%
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6. W H AT AC T ION S DID YOUR DEPA RT MEN T TA KE IN
P REPA RAT ION FOR T H E JA N UA RY 1 , 2 01 1 LAU N C H OF
CA LG REEN ?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
Nothing
Other
Staff training in CALGreen
Reviewed upcoming project log to identify
new projects that would be subject to
CALGreen
Outreach efforts to local design and
construction professionals to inform them of
the new code
Created new work products and processes in
advance to be ready for implementation
Staff training in CALGreen
Internal meetings with staff
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% www.greencodepro.com

7. H OW WOU LD YOU CAT EG ORIZ E T H E LEVEL OF EF FORT
REQUIRED TO IMP LEMENT CA LG REEN ON PROJECT S IN YOUR
JURIS DIC T ION?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
No Additional Moderate Significant
Effort Additional Effort Additional Effort

8. DID YOUR DEPART MENT RECEIVE A B UDGET INCREAS E FOR
IMP LEMENT ING CA LG REEN ? IF S O W H AT P ERC ENTAG E OR
AMOUNT?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
9%
10%
0
6% 1-5%
6-15%
Other
75%
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9. HOW DOES YOUR JURISDICTION HANDLE CALGREEN
ENFORCEMENT?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
16%
Both
3%
CALGreen Special
Inspectors
Internal staff used for
CALGreen plan review
81% and inspections
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10. H OW W E L L P R E PA R E D W E R E T H E LO C A L D E S I G N & C O N S T R U C T I O N
P R O F E S S I O N A L S TO A D D R E S S C A LG R E E N O N T H E I R P R O J E C T S
W H E N T H E C O D E WA S L AU N C H E D O N JA N UA RY 1 , 2 01 1 ?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
Well prepared Extremely well
6% prepared
3%
Not at all
prepared
16%
Prepared
16%
Somewhat
prepared
59%
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11. W H AT T Y P E S O F TO O L S O R R E S O U R C E S D O E S YO U R D E PA R T M E N T
P R OV I D E TO LO C A L D E S I G N & C O N S T R U C T I O N P R O F E S S I O N A L S TO
A S S I S T W I T H C A LG R E E N I M P L E M E N TAT I O N ?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
Other
None
Telephone helpline
Training
Web based information
Customized CALGreen checklists or
forms
www.greencodepro.com 0 5 10 15 20 25

12. W H AT MET H ODS OF CA LG REEN DOCUMENTATION DO YOU
REQUIRE FOR P ROVING C OMP LIANC E BY DES IG N &
C ON S T RU C T ION P ROF ES S ION A LS ?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
Other
Custom forms & checklists supplied by
your jurisdiction
CALGreen references in specifications
Submission of CALGreen specific forms
& checklists
CALGreen specific notes on drawings
www.greencodepro.com 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

13. AFT ER A Y EAR OF CA LG REEN IMPLEMENTATION , HOW WELL
P REPA RED IS T H E D ES IG N & C ON S T RU C T ION IN D U S T RY TO
MEET CA LG REEN ?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
6%
12%
13%
Still not prepared
Somewhat prepared
Prepared
28%
Well prepared
Very well prepared
41%
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14. H OW WOU LD YOU RAT E T H E EN T H U S IA S M FOR CA LG REEN
AM ONG DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROFESS IONALS?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
Embrace the code and like it
Accept the code
Neutral
Somewhat dislike the code
Dislike the code
www.greencodepro.com 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

15. WHAT ASPECTS OF THE CALGREEN CODE HAVE BEEN
ADOPTED BY YOUR JURISDICTION?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
9%
Just the mandatory
requirements
19%
Mandatory
requirements with a
few amendments
Other
72%
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16. DO YOU FEEL T HAT T HE IMPLEMENTAT ION OF CA LG REEN IS
RES ULT ING IN G REENER OR MORE S US TAINAB LE P ROJEC T S IN
YOUR JURIS D IC T ION ?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
No
22%
Yes
53%
Undecided
25%
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17. P LEA S E RA N K EAC H IT EM F ROM H IG H ES T TO LOW ES T
DIFFICULT Y IN REG ARDS TO YOUR EX PERIENCE IN
IMP LEMENT ING CA LG REEN
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
Building Dept staff reluctance to embrace
the code
Reluctance to accept code by the design &
construction industry
Time constraints
Staff understanding of CALGreen
requirements
Budget and staffing constraints
0 5 10 15 20
Significant Challenge Somewhat of a Challenge Not a Challenge

18. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS THAT
YOU'VE LEARNED ABOUT IMPLEMENTING CALGREEN?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
 Cost Concerns
 Design & Construction community, public
 Inadequate staff time and budgets
 Economy, huge impact, bad timing
 Education
 Important to educate design & construction community on environmental benefits
 Educate the public
 State should provide more support/training before launching
 Communication within depar tment
 Compliance starts at top, management buy-in
 Continual dialogue with BSC/CEC
 Process Improvement
 Need to simplify compliance process
 Work together with designers/contractors to share info compliance methods
 Hard to enforce, lot’s of paperwork
 Need contact at state for Q&A and support
 Inconsistency between building departments
 Small & Rural Jurisdictions
 No local help from private partners
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19. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WITH
IMPLEMENTING CALGREEN IN YOUR JURISDICTION?
The State of CALGreen - Implementation and Best Practices
 Costs & Resources
 Overwhelmed with all federal, state, local codes
 Small jurisdictions
 No staff, budget, time, 6 hour drive to get to training
 Education
 Designers/Contractors need more training
 Documentation
 Too many forms
 How best to show CALGreen compliance?
 Architects love to cut & paste code on their drawings/specs
 Info for Const. Waste Mgmt. Plan not known at submittal time
 How best to integrate pieces of CG compliance at right time
 Verification and Compliance
 Example: Moisture content pass, then rain
 Tracking ALL product usage on job. Ex. VOC of each tube of product used
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