Welcome to the Solano County Green Building Program web site.

Solano County recognizes the need to protect and preserve natural resources and the County seeks to provide a healthy living environment. The design, construction, and maintenance of buildings, structures and landscapes within the County can have a significant impact on the County’s environmental sustainability, resource usage, energy efficiency, waste management and the health and productivity  of residents, workers and visitors.

Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO) Requirements

Beginning in 2025, Solano County will conduct a water efficiency review on all projects meeting the thresholds listed below:

• Located in the unincorporated areas of Solano County
• Overall project is subject to a design review, plan check review, or other review by Solano County (for example, a building permit review)
• New landscaping area is at least 500 square feet*
• Renovated / Retrofitted landscaping is at least 2500 square feet*

*Some exemptions apply (historical sites, ecological or mined-land reclamation projects with no irrigation, and botanical gardens/arboretums open to the public)

Applicants will be required to submit either the full compliance package (projects over 2500 square feet) or the alternative compliance package (projects between 500 and 2500 square feet). Completed landscape packages can be submitted via email to [email protected], via the online submittal portal, via mail, or in our office with an appointment. To set up an appointment or request assistance with a landscape review package, please contact [email protected]. Our team is standing by to help with your project!

Currently, there is no additional fee for a landscape review - however, late submission fees may be assessed for projects that did not disclose landscaping plans at time of building application submittal.

         

Energy Code and Green Building Standards

To assist Solano County with promoting the public health, safety, welfare and sustainability of the community, the county has adopted the 2019 California Energy Code and the 2019 California Green Building Standards Code, which with the minimum standards, provides for an additional voluntary Green Building Tier Program which enables property owners and building professionals wishing to build green to voluntarily participate in the Tier program.

Green building and landscape design, construction and operation can have a significant positive effect on resource conservation, energy efficiency, waste and pollution reduction and the health and productivity of a building's occupants over the life of the building.

With this program, Green Building and landscape benefits are spread throughout the systems and features of the building.  Green buildings can include, among other things, use of certified sustainable wood products; use of high-recycled content products; recycling of waste that occurs during deconstruction, demolition and construction; orientation and design of a building to reduce the demand on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; the use of heating, ventilation,and air conditioning systems that provide energy efficiency and improved indoor air quality; use of construction materials that do not emit toxic chemicals; use of water conservation methods and equipment; and installation of alternative energy methods for supplemental energy production.

The purpose of this program is to improve public health and welfare, assuring that home owners, developers and builders who wish to exceed Title 24 state energy efficiency standards by at least 15% to 20% have the opportunity to participate in a voluntary green building Tier program.

In recent years, green building design, construction and operational techniques have become increasingly widespread. Many homeowners and building professionals have voluntarily sought to incorporate green building techniques into their projects. A number of local and national systems have been developed to serve as guides to green building practices. A property owner may choose to have their project certified under one of the local or national systems listed below, or may choose some of the guidelines listed in one, or a combination of more than one of the systems, to voluntarily incorporate only some of the additional features above and beyond the minimum standards.

1.     The California GreenBuilder Program (CGB) is an established process for evaluating residential green building projects. California Green Builder Homes feature many environmental benefits. The Building Industry Institute (BII) has established California Green Builder requirements as minimum standards to qualify as a California Green Builder. These guidelines set goals for significant improvements in energy efficiency, indoor air quality and comfort, on-site waste recycling, and water and wood conservation. Please visit their website at http://www.cagreenbuilder.org/ for more information.

2.     LEED® GreenBuilding Rating System™ LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a voluntary,consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance,sustainable buildings.  Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality. LEED is a practical rating tool for green building design and construction that provides immediate and measurable results for building owners and occupants. Please visit their website at http://www.usgbc.org/ for more information.

 3.     Build-It-Green: Build It Green is a professional non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy and resource-efficient buildings in California.Supported by a solid foundation of outreach and education, Build It Green connects consumers and building professionals with the tools and technical expertise they need to build quality green buildings. Build It Green fosters collaboration with key stakeholder groups to accelerate the adoption of green building practices, policies, and programs through its network of councils.  Please visit their website at http://www.builditgreen.org for more information.

We are hopeful that you find this site informative and that it provides inspiration to consider Building Green for your next construction project. If you have questions regarding Building Green in Solano County, please contact us at (707)784-6765.