Coming out of the 2013 Legislative Session, HB 628 (now session law 242) made a number of modifications to what designers could consider in terms of sustainability when undertaking state construction projects. Specifically, the bill dealt with the use of the LEED rating system in considering North Carolina produced construction material and energy efficiency as an element of construction cost vs. long-term payback.
With regard to the section on energy efficiency, the bills passage created a lot of confusion with designers so the State Construction Office was asked to develop an interpretation of the new law so architects and engineers would have some authoritative guidance as they begin the early stage of design of affected projects.
We have uploaded the interpretive memo from the State Construction Office at the following link: