Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16a-38

Current with legislation from the 2024 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 16a-38 - Energy performance standards and life-cycle cost analyses for state buildings

(a) As used in this section, subsection (e) of section 4b-23 and sections 16a-38a and 16a-38b, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Major capital project" means the construction or renovation of a major facility;

(2) "major facility" means any building owned by the state or constructed or renovated wholly or partly with state funds, including a state-financed housing project, which is used or intended to be used as a school or which has ten thousand or more gross square feet, or any other building so owned, constructed or renovated which is designated a major facility by the Commissioner of Administrative Services;

(3) "renovation" means additions, alterations or repairs to a major facility which the Commissioner of Administrative Services finds will have a substantial effect upon the energy consumption of the facility;

(4) "life-cycle cost" means the cost, as determined by the methodology identified in the National Institute of Standards and Technology's special publication 544 and interagency report 80-2040, available as set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 15, Part 230, of a major facility including the initial cost of its construction or renovation, the marginal cost of future energy capacity, the cost of the energy consumed by the facility over its expected useful life or, in the case of a leased facility, over the remaining term of the lease, and the cost of operating and maintaining the facility as such cost affects energy consumption;

(5) "energy performance standard" means a rate of energy consumption which is the minimum practically achievable, on a life-cycle cost basis, by adjusting maintenance or operating procedures, modifying a building's equipment or structure and utilizing renewable sources of energy;

(6) "energy audit" means an evaluation of, recommendations for and improvements of the energy consumption characteristics of all passive, active and operational energy systems and components by demand and type of energy used including the internal energy load imposed on a building by its occupants, equipment and components, and the external energy load imposed on a building by the climatic conditions at its location;

(7) "renewable sources of energy" means energy from direct solar radiation, wind, water, geothermal sources, wood and other forms of biomass;

(8) "cost effective" means that savings exceed cost over a ten-year period;

(9) "state agency" means any department, board, commission, institution, or other agency of this state; and

(10) "covered products" means the consumer products set forth as covered products in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, 42 USC 6292.

(b) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall jointly establish and publish energy performance standards for buildings constructed as part of state-owned and state-financed housing projects and establish standards for life-cycle cost analyses for such projects. In establishing such standards, the commissioners shall consider (1) the coordination, positioning and solar orientation of the project on its situs, (2) the amount of glazing, degree of sun shading and direction of exposure, (3) the levels of insulation incorporated into the design, (4) the variable occupancy and operating conditions of the facility, (5) all architectural features which affect energy consumption, and (6) the design and location of all heating, cooling, hot water and electrical systems.

(c) A life-cycle cost analysis of a major capital project prepared for the Department of Housing shall be reviewed by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to determine if such analysis is in compliance with the life-cycle cost analyses standards established for such project under subsection (b) of this section.

(d) Each state agency preparing a life-cycle cost analysis under this section shall submit a summary of the analysis to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16a-38

(P.A. 77-597, S. 1; 77-614, S. 19, 73, 587, 610; P.A. 79-205; 79-496, S. 1, 5; P.A. 80-443, S. 2, 3; 80-483, S. 68, 186; P.A. 81-376, S. 2, 11; P.A. 83-48, S. 2; P.A. 87-496, S. 75, 110; P.A. 89-140; P.A. 93-30, S. 7, 14; 93-417, S. 1, 5; P.A. 94-67, S. 1; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; 95-346, S. 3, 4; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 99-152, S. 2; P.A. 11-51, S. 90; 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 13-247, S. 200; P.A. 16-173, S. 4.)

Amended by P.A. 16-0173, S. 4 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2016.

See Sec. 16a-38i re reduction of energy use.