A RESOLUTION STATING THE COUNCIL’S EXPECTATIONS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT PLAN AS ELEMENTS OF REZONING APPLICATIONS WITH ACCOMPANYING SPECIAL USE PERMITS (2007-04-11/R-14)

WHEREAS, Chapel Hill’s Comprehensive Plan contains the following language: “The Town shall encourage site planning, landscaping, and structure design which maximize the potential for energy conservation by reducing the demand for artificial heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, and facilitating the use of solar and other energy resources”; and

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions attributed to the municipal, commercial, residential, and institutional sectors of the Town by 60 percent by 2050; and

WHEREAS, developments regularly come before the Town Council seeking approval, but without an energy efficiency element or a demonstrated intent to utilize sustainable energy, currently defined as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and biofuels;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that it is the expectation of the Council that applicants seeking approval of conditional use rezoning applications with accompanying special use permits will incorporate a “20 percent more energy efficient” feature into their plans, relative to the energy efficiency standard of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), or other comparable standards generally recognized as applicable to building energy consumption, applicable at the time of application. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it is the expectation of the Council that applicants include an energy management plan in their special use permit applications, to include consideration of utilizing sustainable energy, currently defined as solar, wind, biofuels, and hydroelectric power, in the proposed development. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it is the expectation of the Council that the energy management plan would consider the purchase of carbon offset credits and green power production through coordination with the NC Greenpower program.

This the 11^th day of April, 2007.