Green Building Program

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Why Green Building?

Green building design, construction, and operation can have a significant positive effect on energy and resource efficiency, waste and pollution generation, and the health and productivity of a building's occupants over the life of the structure. The City of Santa Cruz seeks to promote the environmental sustainability of natural resources including incentives for waste reduction, energy efficiency, water conservation, and climate protection.

City of Santa Cruz Green Building Ordinance (amended 2022)

California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen)

Checklists and References

A set of user-friendly documents are available to aid in compliance with City and State requirements:

Residential Documents

Residential Guidelines* (pdf) *Under Revision

Residential New Construction Checklist (excel)

Residential Remodels/Additions Checklist (excel)

Construction Waste Management Plan (CWMP) (pdf)

Roll-off Box Flyer- Get the right box for the right job! (pdf)

Non-Residential Documents

Non-Residential Guidelines* (pdf) *Under Revision

Non-Residential New Construction Checklist (excel)

Tenant Improvements Checklist (excel)

Construction Waste Management Plan (pdf)

Roll-off Box Flyer- Get the right box for the right job! (pdf)

Earn a Green Building Award!

The City recognizes projects developed and completed by forward-thinking members of the community. The award process identifies projects utilizing the highest standard for techniques in green construction and sustainable design.

Two award levels are recognized by the City of Santa Cruz based on elements selected using the Green Building Checklist. Both Residential and Non-Residential projects are eligible to participate in the award program. Projects may be issued an Award Certificate for Excellence in Green Building and/or an Award Plaque for Exceptional Design.

ENERGY REACH CODE

The City of Santa Cruz will be unable to reach its legal greenhouse gas emissions reduction target without addressing building energy performance as modeled during the CAP 2030 development. Staff has therefore drafted a new ordinance consistent with state and federal law in the form of a source energy reach code for new buildings to provide developers with a range of options with regard to the type of equipment and energy that will be supplied to new buildings and that will help to meet the CAP 2030 GHG emissions target. The proposed reach code increases the compliance margin for the source energy design rating required for compliance with the California Energy Code.

The City of Santa Cruz amendments to the 2022 Energy Code will become effective on March 1, 2024 and apply to all new building construction. The text of the ordinance adopting these changes to the Energy Code can be found here: Ordinance 2023-12 -Energy Reach Code

For additional information, see Building Electrification Policy