Aspen, Colorado's city council has approved efforts to draft an ambitious revision of local building codes. The city's building department is focusing on commercial construction — such as the various ski resorts located in the area — and aims to reduce energy consumption by 50 percent by 2030.

New construction will be required to either include a photovoltaic solar panel system or pay into a renewable energy fund for any exterior energy use, such as the heated pools and snowmelt systems that are relatively common in the area. The building department is also mandating the use of building materials that meet minimum efficiency standards.

The only section of the proposed code that the city council did not greenlight was a plan to require that buildings larger than 25,000 square feet submit to energy audits every five years. The results of such an audit would create a credit/debit system that Aspen's mayor, Mick Ireland, referred to as a potential enforcement nightmare.

Local contractors' associations have argued that the new green requirements could raise building costs by as much as 5 percent. Aspen's building department has argued that properties will be worth more, making building costs less of a concern.

Aspen has had a renewable energy initiative for residential construction for several years now.

Image — Travis Church