Petition to the Chapel Hill Town Council November 6, 2006 Presented by Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth (NRG)
As the discussions regarding Carolina North move forward, the time is drawing near when you [the Town Council] will have the task of defining a new zone to accommodate this project. The constitution of that zone will be critical to the shape of Carolina North and to the impact it has on our community.
Last January, the Town collaborated with NRG in the presentation of a forum on renewable energy and sustainable buildings for large-scale projects. Interest and turnout were high, as they have been for almost all such events in the last couple of years. Clearly the time is right for new approaches to energy and sustainability in our communities.
Both Chapel Hill and UNC recognize this fact. UNC has dedicated itself to becoming a leader in sustainability and the use of renewable energy. The university’s concepts and plans for Carolina North are studded with references to this position, such as in the Carolina North Infrastructure Report, which states: “The design of structures and facilities should sustain natural systems and employ renewable energy to the maximum extent possible.”
The current draft of the Guiding Principles for the Carolina North Campus also states:
“At Carolina North, the University will draw on the lessons learned from main campus to create a campus for living and learning that is a model of sustainability, socially, environmentally and economically sound.”
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“Carolina North will be a sustainable campus that meets the environmental, social, and economic needs of future generations.”
We applaud these goals – they are truly worthy of a great institution. Properly implemented, they chart the way to cleaner air, a better environment, and better quality of life for all of us and future generations.
NRG would like to urge the Town of Chapel Hill to support these goals as well. While the planning and design of Carolina North are not the Town’s responsibility, Chapel Hill does have the power to help promote these goals – by tailoring the new zone in a way that rewards and promotes sustainability and use of renewable energy.
We urge the Council to explore including the following items in any new zone drafted for the Horace Williams tract:
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Require a carbon energy per square foot number that meets or exceeds the new American Institute of Architects (AIA) policy standards for 2010 to reduce fossil-energy consumption in buildings by 50%, and require increasing use of carbon-neutral or carbon-free energy sources to achieve the AIA standards for 2020 that reduce fossil energy consumption to zero.
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Require or incentivize siting and layout to make buildings solar-ready so that these technologies can be added as they become cost-effective. Considerations include building orientation, daylighting, preparation for solar installations, etc.
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Limit building height to an average of 4 stories to ensure sufficient roof square footage area for solar systems to provide for most HVAC and lighting loads.
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Require that construction costing be based on Life-Cycle Cost Analyses rather than one-time current project costing.
Life-cycle costing more accurately reflects the true costs associated with the use of newer renewable and sustainable technologies by factoring in energy savings.
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Require commissioning of new buildings and verification at the end of projects.
Commissioning is the process of calibrating a new building’s heating and cooling systems and training the occupants in how to maintain optimum adjustment.
We therefore further petition the Council to engage a consultant or consultants to assist in achieving these goals regarding any new zone for the Horace Williams tract. Our region is fortunate to have a number of knowledgeable and capable individuals in this field. We will be happy to share our knowledge of these local resources with the Council.
NRG believes that this dual approach, using zoning and forward-looking design, will result in a Carolina North that will be a model for other universities and an excellent neighbor to the Town of Chapel Hill. To our knowledge, there is currently no campus in the US that achieves such a high level of sustainability. Following these recommendations could make UNC #1 in the country in the use of renewable technologies and sustainability. | 
NRG presented a forum on renewable energy options on January 19, 2006, in the 
