Healthy, Adaptive & Efficient Buildings
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Encourage High Performance Construction for All Publicly Funded Buildings (1.B.3.)
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The City of Bozeman cannot mandate policies for non-municipal facilities that receive public funding, but it can encourage and/or incentivize high-performance construction. The City will partner with other agencies, such as the Bozeman School District and Montana State University to encourage incorporating water efficiency and Net Zero Energy standards into facility upgrades and new facility construction. Cost-effective energy and water efficiency will be considered in publicly funded affordable housing developments.
- The City completed construction of Bozeman Fire Station 2 in August of 2024, a community resiliency and sustainability design collaboration with Montana State University, located on the MSU campus. Station 2 was built to optimize systems to maximize energy efficiency while including PV and EV charging readiness. Design elements include a 53 kW PV array, VRF heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, SolarWalls, heat recovery ventilator, a high-performance envelope, and drought tolerant landscaping. Fire Station 2 Case Study
- The Bozeman Public Safety Center construction was completed in August 2022. The building was designed for energy and water efficiency including a high-performance exterior envelope, a 264kW PV array, transpired solar collectors, drought-tolerant landscaping, and more.
- The Bozeman Public Library remodel incorporates efficiency and electrification strategies, including an induction cooking stove for community user groups.
- The Library, Public Safety Center, and Fire Station 2 projects all incorporated third-party building commissioning services to ensure the design and construction are optimized for energy efficiency. Performance testing is used to verify that the building envelope and mechanical systems operate as designed.
- In 2022, Gallatin County established a C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Capital Enhancement) financing district to make this financing tool available for use. C-PACE financing is a tool for commercial building owners to make energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy investments easier. The Economic Development and Strategic Services Departments are promoting C-PACE.
- The Strategic Services Department will:
- Propose a high-performance Net Zero Energy building standard for city-owned facilities.
- Recommend cost-effective energy and water efficiency provisions for community housing developments that receive public funds.
- The Economic Development and Strategic Services Departments will continue to promote C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Capital Enhancement) financing as a tool for making energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy investments more attainable to commercial building owners.
