City of Portland – Green Building Policy and LEED Certification

In 2001, the City of Portland adopted a Green Building Policy requiring new construction and major renovations of all city facilities to meet the Certified level of LEED. This policy was amended on April 27, 2005 by Resolution Number 36310, which was adopted by the Portland City Council. At that time, the Green Building Policy was changed to require new buildings to meet the LEED Gold standard. Additionally, the 2005 changes required LEED EBOM Silver for existing buildings. This policy was further amended in April 2009, with the passage of Resolution Number 36700. This resolution includes measures to incorporate the Green Building Policy and green building principles into city operations. Building construction projects and operations and maintenance will be financed at a level appropriate for the implementation of the Green Building Policy. The policy has been most recently amended in 2015 by Resolution Number 37122, adding requirements focusing on parking and transportation for building employees and visitors. 

Current requirements for new, occupied city-owned construction projects include:

• Certify for the US Green Building Council’s LEED Building Design and Construction at the Gold level and/or achieve Living Building Challenge status;
• Achieve 15% energy savings beyond the applicable Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code;
• Incorporate on-site renewable energy systems and meet the State of Oregon’s 1.5% for Green Technology requirement;
• Earn or meet LEED’s advanced energy metering credit requirements to support ongoing energy monitoring and commissioning;
• Earn or meet LEED’s enhanced commissioning credits requirements;
• Use native and/or non-invasive drought-tolerant plants, and use no potable water for irrigation, except for the first two years to establish plantings, or in cases of drought; 
• Select WaterSense-labeled products for all eligible fixtures to reduce total potable water use by at least 20% over the building’s estimated baseline;
• Cover the entire roof, minus skylights, mechanical systems, and fire and access routes, with an ecoroof. 
• Incorporate stormwater management and related watershed enhancement strategies that support Salmon Safe certification during construction and after project completion; 
• Provide or lease no more than the minimum auto parking required by code;
• Price auto parking for employees and visitors consistent with parking prices within one-quarter mile of the site;
•  Provide covered and secure bicycle parking for employees and visitors at an amount equal to the 25% mode share target in the City’s Climate Action Plan.
• Pre-wire charging stations at the time of building and parking lot construction for City owned electric vehicles where financially feasible and where vehicles will be parked onsite after the project is complete;
• Follow construction waste prevention guidelines in Section 3; and
• Follow space allocation standards and space planning guidelines in Appendix C.