FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 2812

                         C 242 L 94

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Revising provisions insuring energy conservation in design of public buildings.

By Representatives Bray, Caver, Romero, Reams and Ballard; by request of Department of General Administration.

House Committee on Energy & Utilities

Senate Committee on Energy & Utilities

Background:  Existing law requires life-cycle cost analyses for major public building construction and renovation.

Life-cycle cost analyses consider the whole lifetime of facilities.  One guiding factor in establishing this requirement was that energy conservation and renewable energy equipment use might be more costly initially, but save money over the life of facilities.

"Major facilities" are specified as 25,000 or more square feet of usable floor space.  This statute has been interpreted to require a "full" life-cycle cost analysis regardless of the size of the facility so long as it exceeds 25,000 square feet.  A "full" analysis may be more than necessary in order to make sound decisions in the case of some modest facilities near in size to the definitional minimum.

A new state commercial building energy code becomes effective in April of this year.  The code requires energy efficiency measures that meet or exceed those which would be indicated in life-cycle cost analyses.

Summary:  "Selected buildings" and "design standards" are defined.

The State Energy Office shall develop guidelines which identify simplified methods to assure the lowest life-cycle cost alternatives for selected buildings with between 25,000 and 100,000 square feet of usable floor area.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  92 0

Senate 47 1

Effective:  June 9, 1994