AS Title 46, Chapter 11: Conservation of Energy and Materials

Chapter 11. Conservation of Energy and Materials. Sec. 46.11.010. Thermal and lighting energy standards for public buildings. [Repealed, § 7 ch 39 SLA 2005.] Sec. 46.11.020. Training of public building maintenance personnel. Persons responsible for the maintenance of public buildings designed with energy conservation or production features shall be trained by the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development in the use and operation of those features. Sec. 46.11.030. Energy audits. [Repealed, § 10 ch 79 SLA 1983.] Sec. 46.11.040. Applicability of thermal and lighting energy standards to residential buildings. State financial assistance may not be approved or granted for the construction of or purchase of a loan for a residential building if construction of the building began after December 31, 1991, unless (1) the building is in compliance with thermal and lighting energy standards; (2) the building is in compliance with the building code of a municipality and the standards for thermal and lighting energy of the municipal building code meet or exceed the thermal and lighting energy standards; (3) the building (A) is constructed under an exception to the municipal building code granted because the exception will result in increased energy efficiency; or (B) is located or is to be located in an area where thermal and lighting energy standards are not justified because of the high cost of implementation of the standards, with specific consideration given to the availability of inexpensive home heating energy sources, as determined under regulations adopted by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation; or (4) the applicant agrees, in writing, that the building will be brought into compliance with thermal and lighting energy standards within one year of conveyance. Sec. 46.11.050. Financing of energy efficient homes and buildings. (a) After December 31, 1980, a financial institution shall take into consideration the economic benefits of alternative energy systems, life-cycle energy costs, energy efficient building design, and energy conservation when financing homes and buildings with state financial assistance. (b) After December 31, 1980, a financial institution that makes home mortgage loans with money provided to it by the commissioner of revenue from surplus state general fund investments authorized by AS 37.10.070 , or a state agency that makes a direct home mortgage loan to an applicant, shall include estimated heating and lighting costs as determined by an energy audit in standard principal, interest, taxes, and insurance calculation of the cost of buying a housing unit. An applicant for a home mortgage loan shall provide the financial institution or the state agency with a copy of an energy audit. Sec. 46.11.060. Recycling of materials by state agencies. (a) A state agency shall to the greatest extent practicable recycle reusable materials, including paper, glass, and cans. (b) The department shall encourage, through cooperative means, the adoption of all available and practicable methods throughout federal, state, and local governments that recycle, reuse, and conserve materials. Sec. 46.11.070. Waste reduction and recycling awards for schools. (a) In consultation with the Department of Education and Early Development, the department shall establish a waste reduction and recycling awards program under which the department may annually, subject to available funding, award grants of up to $2,000 each to public schools in recognition of their efforts and the efforts of their students to reduce and recycle waste generated in the administrative offices, classrooms, laboratories, cafeterias, and maintenance operations of the schools. (b) The department shall, on request, provide technical assistance to schools concerning their opportunities to reduce and recycle wastes. (c) The department shall adopt regulations to implement the awards program. For purposes of evaluating school waste reduction and recycling programs, the department may group schools according to geographical location, student population, distance to recycling markets, or other criteria considered appropriate by the department. (d) The department may accept and use restricted grants of money or other assistance from private persons or groups to fund the awards made under (a) of this section. (e) The department may not use state money to fund awards made under (a) of this section unless an appropriation is made specifically for the purposes of (a) of this section. Sec. 46.11.900. Definitions. In this chapter, (1) “alternative energy system” (A) means a source of thermal, mechanical, or electrical energy that is not dependent on oil or gas for the supply of energy for space heating and cooling, refrigeration and cold storage, electrical power, mechanical power, or the heating of water; (B) includes (i) an alternative energy property as defined by 26 U.S.C. 48(a)(3)(A); and (ii) a method of architectural design and construction that provides for the collection, storage, and use of direct radiation from the sun; (2) “department” means the Department of Environmental Conservation; (3) “energy audit” means a determination and written summary prepared under 42 U.S.C. 8216(b) of (A) the energy consumption characteristics of a building, including the size, type, and rate of energy consumption of major energy consuming systems of the building and the climate characterizing the region where the building is located; and (B) the energy conservation and cost savings likely to result from appropriate energy-conserving maintenance and operating procedures and modifications, including the purchase and installation of energy-related fixtures; for purposes of this subparagraph when a fossil fuel is the energy source, the energy cost savings shall be determined with reference to the projected price of that fossil fuel over a 10-year period; (4) “financial institution” means a bank, trust company, savings bank, savings and loan association, or credit union; (5) “life-cycle cost” means the total cost of owning, operating, and maintaining a building over its useful life, including its energy and fuel costs, determined on a basis of a systematic evaluation and comparison of alternative building systems, except that in the case of leased buildings the life-cycle cost shall be calculated over the effective remaining term of the lease; (6) “public building” means a building owned or controlled and held by the state for government or public use; (7) “state financial assistance” means a loan, grant, guarantee, insurance, payment, rebate, subsidy, or other form of state assistance other than aid under AS 05.35.010 — 05.35.070, AS 14.11 , and AS 29.60 , including the purchase by a state agency of a loan to finance the construction or purchase of a residential building; (8) “thermal and lighting energy standards” means the thermal and lighting energy standards (A) established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers as revised by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation for buildings and structures that are not public facilities; or (B) developed in regulations adopted by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation for buildings and structures that are not public facilities.