City of Charlotte - Green Building Policy for Municipal Buildings

July 16, 2024

Summary

The City of Charlotte's Sustainable Facilities Policy requires that all new City-owned and City-managed construction and major renovation projects achieve LEED/Global Greens certification and, where applicable, achieve Designed to Earn ENERGY STAR Certification. Additionally, all City-owned and City-managed buildings greater than 5,000 sq. ft. are required to benchmark their energy use intensity. The Sustainable Facilities Policy also prohibits the usage of various personal-type appliances in spaces designated as "common areas."

In April 2024, the Charlotte City council adopted the following changes to the Sustainable Facilities Policy:

New Constructions

Requires all new facilities to be all-electric except for back-up generation
Utilize geothermal systems for HVAC
Requires building automation systems
Requires smart surfaces to reduce energy and heat (cool pavement and roofs)
Requires feasibility analysis to determine if building a net-zero building is possible

New Construction & Major Renovations

Encourages the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) environmental life cycle assessment
Strengthens and expands on-site solar renewable energy
Scopes energy storage systems (e.g., battery) to maximize solar energy
For facilities that meet the bicycle network requirement, new construction will pursue LEED Bicycle facility credit, which supports mode-shift and includes bicycle storage
Requires a periodic analysis for HVAC replacement projects to determine if electrification of systems can occur

Program Overview

Implementing Sector:	Local
Category:	Regulatory Policy
State:	North Carolina
Incentive Type:	Energy Standards for Public Buildings
Web Site:	https://www.charlottenc.gov/City-Government/Initiatives-and-Involvement/The-Office-of-Sustainability-and-Resilience
Administrator:
Start Date:
Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies:	Comprehensive Measures/Whole Building
Green Building Requirement:	LEED/Global Greens and Designed to Earn ENERGY STAR certification for CIty-owned and City-managed buildings

Authorities

Name:

Sustainable Facilities Policy

Name:

2024 Sustainable Facilities Policy Revisions

This information is sourced from DSIRE; the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewables and energy efficiency in the United States. Established in 1995, DSIRE is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University.