Establishing one of the first policies of its kind in the nation, the University of California Board of Regents approved a universitywide policy for the design of "green" buildings and a standard for the use of "clean" energy today (July 17). The policy creates a framework for UC to improve its energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

The "Green Building Policy and Clean Energy Standard" calls for UC to adopt principles of energy efficiency and sustainability in its capital projects to the fullest extent possible, taking into account budgetary constraints and regulatory and programmatic requirements.

In addition, it calls for the university to minimize its impact on the environment and reduce non-renewable energy use by purchasing green power from the electrical grid, promoting energy efficiency, and creating local renewable power sources.

The policy will be applied to all proposed and existing university facilities. The regents will receive an annual report that examines impacts of the policy on energy utilization and building design and on operating costs.

"The Green Building Policy and Clean Energy Standard will provide UC with an important new set of guidelines for environmental sustainability," said George M. Marcus, chair of the regents' grounds and buildings committee. "We greatly value the committed work of the student groups and others with whom the university worked in partnership to develop this new policy."

The adoption of this policy is the first step toward the development and implementation of a larger, comprehensive sustainability policy for UC.

The university will finalize the policy's implementation guidelines for the campuses.

Draft recommendations on how UC could implement the standards outlined in the regents' policy are available in a fact sheet at:

http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/greenbuildings.pdf