Kaine touts green building

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on Monday toured the renovated, environmentally friendly Virginia Association of Counties headquarters where he highlighted the benefits of green construction and green roofs. The VaCo headquarters on Main Street in Richmond was built in 1866 and recently was completely renovated using LEED standards.

“VaCo has done a tremendous job of making environmental improvements to this historically important building,” Governor Kaine said. “Legislation I signed this year will not only further my Renew Virginia initiative but will make it easier for localities to encourage green construction and green roofing. I hope localities look to the example set by VaCo to provide incentives for the development and deployment of green roofs across Virginia.”

The benefits of green vegetative roofs include:
– Increased insulation provided by vegetative roofing leads to lower heating and cooling bills for the building.
– Rooftop vegetation provides an urban habitat for various forms of wildlife.
– Vegetative roofs not only absorb heat, but they filter the air running across them – removing particulates and carbon from the atmosphere.
– Vegetative roofs help control both the quantity and quality of runoff. In urban environments especially a big storm can overpower the local stormwater system, causing dangerous sewage overflows.
– Urban centers like Richmond are often hotter than the surrounding area. This is the “Urban Heat Island Effect.” The impact of all the pavement and hot roofs has the effect of raising the temperature, requiring cooling systems to work even harder and raising the temperature in some downtowns to dangerous levels. With reflective coating and vegetative roofs we can help negate that impact.

Gov. Kaine signed a number of bills this year that make it easier for VaCo’s members to encourage the replication of this type of effort throughout Virginia.
– HB 1975 and SB 1058 from Delegate Lee Ware and Senator Mary Margaret Whipple authorizes localities to grant regulatory flexibility and incentives to promote the construction of vegetative roofs and solar roofs on private homes and businesses. The incentives or regulatory flexibility could include a reduction in permit fees when green roofs are used, a streamlined process for the approval of building permits when green roofs are used, or a reduction in any gross receipts tax on green roof contractors as defined by the local ordinance.
– HB 1828 from Delegate William Fralin allows water authorities to offer rate incentives for vegetative roof construction. The bill also authorizes localities to establish a rate incentive program designed to encourage the use of green roofs in the construction and remodeling of residential and commercial buildings. A locality’s incentives must be based on the percentage of storm water runoff reduction the vegetative roof provides.

Gov. Kaine continues to move forward his “Renew Virginia” initiative, a series of legislative and executive actions focused on promoting renewable energy, creating green jobs, and encouraging preservation of the environment in the Commonwealth.