Green Building in Alexandria

Green Buildings have been identified by the City as a major component of its commitment to sustainable development. The City’s initiatives through its strategic plan, commitment to Green Building of City facilities, and the adoption and phased implementation of the Eco-City Charter lay the foundations for the wider adoption of Green Building practice in the City of Alexandria.
Page updated on July 24, 2023 at 11:10 AM

Adoption of City's Green Building Policy

City Council adopted the 2019 Green Building Policy at its public hearing on Saturday, June 22, 2019.  The new policy is in effect for all development applications submitted on or after March 2, 2020.

Background

Green Building Policy Update Task Force

On September 11, 2018, City Council approved Resolution 2841 establishing the Green Building Policy Update Task Force (‘Task Force’) to provide guidance to staff in the development of the 2019 Green Building Policy Update including the consideration of increasing LEED or equivalent third-party green building certification standards for new private development and establishing separate standards for new public development; prioritizing specific green building elements; incorporating incentives to promote green building; introducing green building standards for existing buildings and for small buildings not subject to site plan review; instituting a building performance monitoring program; and establishing a Green Zone in the city.

The Task Force is comprised of 15 members, 12 of whom were appointed by the City Manager, and includes environmental advocates, technical experts and representatives from the real estate development industry. The Environmental Policy Commission, Planning Commission and Alexandria City School Board designated their own representatives. The Task Force is anticipated to meet four times between October 2018 and May 2019.

  • Bob Brant, Land use attorney
  • Mike Dameron, Residential home builder
  • Garrett Erdle, Residential home builder
  • Jenna Hamilton, Third-party green building certification organization (Green Globes)
  • Rentz Hilyer, Environmental group  (Northern Virginia Conservation Trust)
  • Stephen Koenig, Planning Commission 
  • Lisa Lettieri, Architect with LEED certification 
  • Brendan Owens, Environmental Policy Commission 
  • Chris Pyke, Third-party green building certification organization (USGBC)
  • Don Simpson, Chair, Large-scale developer 
  • Jennifer Skow, Affordable housing developer 
  • Alexandra Taylor, Environmental consultant 
  • Michael Wilson, Large-scale developer 
  • Ken Wire, Development association (NAIOP)
  • Debra Yap, Alexandria City Public Schools

Task Force Meetings and Trainings

Spring 2020 - training sessions in preparation for the Green Building Policy's implementation

Task Force Meetings

Background

Per the City Council’s Eco-City Alexandria initiative, the Environmental Action Plan 2030 (EAP) was adopted by City Council in 2009 following significant efforts from several City departments and an extensive public outreach campaign, including the establishment and efforts of the 29-member City of Alexandria Green Building and Sustainable Development Working Group.

The EAP calls for updating the EAP at least every five years and the Eco-City Charter every ten years. These updates are aimed at maintaining the EAP’s relevance, prioritizing efforts, and enhancing its effectiveness in leading the City further toward environmental sustainability and achieving the City’s long-term goal of becoming a true Eco-City. In consultation with the Environmental Policy Commission (EPC), staff is updating the EAP in two phases:

  • Phase 1 was adopted by City Council on October 13, 2018, and identifies short-term (through FY 2023) goals and action items for five key program areas: Energy, Climate Change, Green Building, Land Use and Open Space, and Solid Waste.
  • Phase 2 builds on the first by establishing similar goals and action items for the remaining five program areas: Transportation, Air Quality, Water Resources, Environment & Health, and Implementation, Outreach, & Education. Phase 2 will develop mid- and long- term goals for all 10 program areas. 
    • Phase 2 also includes an update to the Green Building Policy with the expectation that a new policy would be adopted in June 2019.

Going "Green" in Alexandria - Resident Information

City residents can "go green", reduce energy consumption and save money by using a Kill A WattTM meter. Residents now have access to meters through a collaborative effort between the City and the Alexandria Library. Click  here to learn how to use a Kill A WattTM meter in your home or business. Check out the  Eco-City E-News to find out where to pick up a meter and how to conserve energy costs!

Resources

Further information and links of interest

  • 2009 Green Building Policy Summary (Superseded)

  • Environmental Action Plan Phase 1 Update - Adopted October 13, 2018
  • Old Town North Small Area Plan Eco District Plan
  • Builders Guide to Reuse & Recycling 
  • US Green Building Council.  The U.S. Green Building Council developed and implements the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. Links to the LEED process and scorecards can be found on this web site. 
  • Energy Star. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star home page. For resources on home performance using Energy Star appliances and additional publications on energy efficiency, click  here.
  • National Trust for Historic Preservation - Sustainability page  
  • National Green Building StandardTM. The National Green Building Standard defines green building for single and multi-family homes, residential remodeling projects and site development projects.
  • Architecture 2030. Architecture 2030, a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization, was established in response to the global-warming crisis by architect Edward Mazria in 2002. 2030’s mission is to rapidly transform the US and global Building Sector from the major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to a central part of the solution to the global-warming crisis. Our goal is straightforward: to achieve a dramatic reduction in the global-warming-causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the Building Sector by changing the way buildings and developments are planned, designed and constructed.
  • Building Science Corporation. Building Science Corporation provides on-line information on a variety of green building topics, publications, seminars and consulting.
  • Earthcraft House. EarthCraft House,™ created in 1999, is a residential green building program of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association in partnership with Southface. This program serves as a blueprint for energy- and resource -efficient homes.
  • The Energy & Environmental Building Association. Mission statement: To provide education and resources to transform the residential design, development and construction industries to profitably deliver energy efficient and environmentally responsible buildings and communities.
  • Greener Product. Greener Product is the world’s first online platform that creates a vast marketplace for the analysis of sustainable and healthy building products. The site is one-stop resource is used by thousands of green professionals to research environmentally preferable building materials and to study vital information on how to use advanced building design to build green more effectively.
  • Unleashing the Economic and Sustainability of Power of Existing Buildings: Explores why a "major system replacement" is the ideal time to determine what a building's theoretical, optimum performance is before spending on retrofits, and why investing in existing buildings reduces carbon footprint, fuel poverty, and the inequities of indoor air quality. A lively question and answer session followed. 

Questions?

Contact Rob Kerns, Division Chief, Development, Department of Planning and Zoning at 703.746.4666