Rebates

Note: Cincinnati's property tax abatement system was overhauled in 2023 by Ordinance 106-2023, which established different parameters for awarding tax abatements. LEED buildings still qualify for abatements but at different levels than under previous ordinances.

History

The City of Cincinnati offers property tax abatements for residential and commercial buildings constructed or renovated to meet LEED certification standards. The original green building tax abatement ordinance was passed in 2006 and has been amended four times since, culminating in the current abatement rules clarifications passed December 19, 2012. The incentive is available for any building within city limits and does not require

The City of Austin has ambitious building energy efficiency codes, policies, and programs in place.

Building Codes

In February 2007, the city council passed the Austin Climate Protection Plan, calling for the drafting of new building codes consistent with reducing energy used in single-family homes by 65% and all other public and private buildings by 75% by 2015 (see Resolution No. 20070215-23). Accordingly, the Zero-Energy Capable Homes (ZECH) Task Force was designated to draft recommendations and progressively-increasing goals for the program. Furthermore, an Energy Efficiency Retrofits (EER) Task Force was created in December 2007 to examine strategies for reducing energy

In 2003, the Dallas City Council passed a resolution requiring that all new municipal buildings larger than 10,000 square feet be constructed to meet U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification standards. In 2006 the green building program policy was updated, increasing the requirement for new city-funded public works and transportation facilities under the 2006 bond program to LEED Gold Certification.

The first building completed under this policy was the Jack Evans Police Headquarters, which obtained LEED Silver certification in December 2005. As of 2015, Dallas has 26 LEED certified facilities: 14 silver (includes

Salt Lake City's mayor issued an executive order in July 2005 requiring that all public buildings owned and controlled by the city be built or renovated to meet the requirements of LEED "silver" certification, at a minimum. A subsequent, related executive order was issued in January of 2006.

The Salt Lake City Council codified the requirements stated in the Executive Order in November 2006. The requirement applies to all new building projects over 10,000 square feet which are owned and operated by the city. The policy also affects the major renovation of public buildings when the work demolishes space down

Scottsdale’s Green Building Program, established in 1998, was the first such program in Arizona with an emphasis on residential home construction. It was developed to encourage environmentally responsible building in the Sonoran Desert region by incorporating healthy, resource- and energy-efficient materials and methods in the design and construction of homes. The program’s goals are to reduce the environmental impact of building; achieve both short and long-term savings of energy, water and other natural resources; and encourage a healthier indoor environment.

Incentives include technical assistance, green building permits and inspections, monthly educational lectures, a homeowner’s manual, recognition on the city website

As of Dec. 6, 2022, the Scottsdale City Council has adopted the 2021 edition of the International Energy Construction Code (IECC) and the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) with amendments as mandatory codes. The effective date for the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is Jan. 7, 2023.

In 2005, Scottsdale approved a green building policy for new city buildings and remodels. The resolution requires all new, occupied city buildings of any size to be designed, contracted and built to achieve certification by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program at the "Gold" certification level

Green Energy Technology

Enacted in June 2007, HB 2620 introduced a unique requirement for installing solar systems for public buildings. In 2012, SB 1533 amended the requirement to allow the use of any Green Energy Technology (GET). As of January 1, 2020, GET has been defined as energy systems that employ:

• Geothermal electric
• Geothermal direct use
• Solar electric
• Solar thermal
• Passive solar
• Battery storage equipment paired with the above

• Woody Biomass*
• Energy Use Efficiency**
  

NOTE: Much of the information presented in this summary is drawn from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program and the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP). For more detailed information about building energy codes, visit the DOE and BCAP websites.

The Connecticut Office of the State Building Inspector establishes and enforces building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and energy code requirements by reviewing, developing, adopting and administering the state building code. Compliance is determined through construction documents submitted to the relevant local building official showing detailed building data and features, and equipment systems governed under the code. Variances and

Commercial, industrial and institutional customers of NV Energy can take advantage of a wide variety of incentives offered through the program for retrofit and new construction projects. Incentives and rules differ based upon whether equipment is for new construction or existing buildings. Complete details are available on the program website. 

In April 2021, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed Executive Order 594, titled “Leading By Example: Decarbonizing and Minimizing Environmental Impacts of State Government.” This order establishes numerous energy targets and mandates for all executive branch agencies and all public institutions of higher education. 

These include the following:

• Reduce overall site energy use intensity (EUI), defined as weather-normalized Btu per square foot, from a 2004 baseline at state owned buildings by 20% in 2025, and by 25% in 2030.
  
• Reduce state government unadjusted greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and vehicles from the 2004 baseline by 25% by 2025, 35% by 2030