Mission

Promote green building through stringent energy codes and benchmarks, education and awareness, incentives and retrofitting thereby creating new jobs.

Goals

Retrofit 25% of all buildings in Cleveland by 2019; Achieve an average of 50% energy reductions in homes retrofitted; Reduce carbon dioxide emissions in residential sector by 20%; Develop a Green Workforce (Last revised August 2010)

Proposed goals are set to retrofit 100% buildings for 50% energy reductions, 50% of buildings to be retrofitted to net zero, 25% of buildings to be retrofitted to be energy producers and for new construction to meet LEED standards or equivalent. (Proposed September 2009)

Contacts

Michele Kilroy, Northeast Ohio Green Building Coalition, mkilroy@clevelandgbc.org
Jeff Anderle- janderle@sustain-rhythm.com 

Projects

• In February, 2010 the Green Building Retrofitting sub-group planned the first steps to reach their goal of retrofitting all 130,000 buildings in the City of Cleveland by 2019. The group started a timeline, and formed two committees to address the issue. Read more.
• The Green Building Codes sub-group drafted a letter of support for the city of Cleveland to adopt the International Code Council's 2009 building code.

Updates

Sept. 2010

1. Created a strong network of stakeholders:

• Enterprise Community Partners
• Cleveland Housing Network
• Neighborhood Progress
• NEO Chapter of the USGBC
• Environmental Health Watch
• NAACP
• Apollo Alliance
• Hard Hatted Women
• Enterprise Community Partners
• Cleveland Housing Network
• Neighborhood Progress
• NEO Chapter of the USGBC
• Environmental Health Watch
• NAACP
• Apollo Alliance
• Hard Hatted Women
• Cuyahoga Community College
• Evergreen Fund
• Employment Connection
• Northern OH Weatherization Training
• Cuyahoga Bldg Trades Council
• UCIP-ASAP
• Emerald Cities
• COSE
• Other 2019 working groups

2. Research Conducted

• Number of structures in Cleveland
• Existing retrofit programs and their gaps
• Funding methods
• Retrofit models initiated in other cities and their gaps
• Actively engaged in changing building code– Working with the Sierra Club and EPA to adopt the IECC (International Efficiency Conservation Code) 2009 building code at the state level the 2009 IGCC (International Green Construction Code)
• Generated a report on our findings / recommendations
• Examined the current efforts
• Proposed a framework for success
• Established the metrics and monies for programs
• Recommendations for developing a green workforce

Next Meetings

The Energy Retrofits Sub-Committee meets the second Thursday of the month at 8:00 AM at the Cleveland Environmental Center, 3500 Lorain Avenue.

The Building Codes Sub-Committee meets the last Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Environmental Center. The Building Codes Committee is currently on hiatus.

Next steps

Sept. 2010 – Seeking endorsement from Mayor Frank Jackson, the Office of Sustainability and individual members of Cleveland City Council on the above mentioned report.

5-26-10 – The Green Building Retrofit Working Group is in the process of developing a plan to provide energy efficiency retrofits for the entire building stock of the City of Cleveland, and is meeting with the consultants hired to develop a Cleveland Energy $aver Program. The goal is to have the plan finished and ready to present to Mayor Frank Jackson and other interested parties by the 2010 Sustainability Summit.

2-11-10 – The Retrofits Working Group was invited by Cleveland Sustainability Chief Andrew Watterson to advise the city on its residential energy retrofit project. The 2019 group will align the goals of the city's pilot (100 homes) and full-scale energy retrofit program (proposed 2,100 homes) with its goal of 100% retrofits by 2019. Read more.  

Nov. 17, 2009 Outcome Groups showcase, Kilroy provided the following updates:

• The Retrofits sub-group is researching a 'Pay as you save' model of energy efficiency for cities, and metrics.
• The Codes sub-group completed and sent to Mayor Jackson a letter of support for the International Code Council's building code with the goal of adoption by the city of Cleveland and State of Ohio.
• Model blocks to perform weatherization projects will be identified.
• A marketing campaign for a Cleveland green building standard is being discussed.
• Outreach to the 2019 Advanced Energy group is being pursued.