Cedar Rapids close to creating enviromental standards for rebuilding projects

The city of Cedar Rapids is moving closer to establishing environmental standards for public rebuilding projects.

The City Council will vote Nov. 10 on whether to impose Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for new public buildings. As plans for a library and central fire station grind forward at City Hall, the city wants to make sure those and other post-flood public buildings are energy-efficient.

“We want this policy in place so that when engineers and contractors and contractors get started, they know what the standards are,” said Dave Dechant, a project manager from HDR Engineering who is overseeing the city's study on energy efficiency and conservation. “I really believe this is a legacy moment for the city.”

Though green buildings usually cost more upfront, they make up the difference over time because of savings on utilities - and the savings continue for the life of the building.

Dechant and several other consultants answered questions at an open house on the subject Thursday at the Carl & Mary Koehler History Center, 615 First Ave. SE.

The energy-efficiency study is focused not just on green building standards, but also on burning waste to create energy at the wastewater treatment plant southeast of town, and putting together a citywide energy management strategy.

The wastewater treatment plant on its own accounts for more than half the city's annual municipal energy consumption. Burning available biological waste there could provide the energy to run the plant and power nearly a quarter of the entire city, said Dave Traeger, another project manager with HDR Engineering.

The City Council will likely adopt resolutions early next year to reduce municipal energy consumption, by pushing departments to meet baseline standards, improving best practices, retrofitting buildings and requiring LEED standards for new projects.

However, municipal facilities account for only roughly 1.6 percent of the entire city's energy consumption, so the larger question will be how to encourage residents and private industry to cut energy use.

A 10 percent reduction would result annually in $30 million of savings and a 3,700-ton cut in greenhouse gas emissions. Ideas for changing resident behavior include smarter zoning to encourage mixed-use development and therefore less driving, education campaigns, more tree planting, and loan programs that support residential energy-efficiency improvements.

Ideas for making commerce and industry more efficient include education campaigns and a loan program similar to the one for homeowners.