A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Green Energy Analysis Zoning Petition Substitute Zoning Text received from the Community Development Department and the Law Department

Green Energy Analysis Zoning Petition – Substitute Zoning Text Shown as Amendment to Current Section 22.25.1 of the Zoning Ordinance, Paragraph (c) Cambridge Community Development Department – November 12, 2020 22.25.1 Before applying for any special permit from the Planning Board or any development review procedure under Article 19.000 of the Zoning Ordinance, the documentation listed below shall be submitted to CDD for review. Within thirty (30) days after receiving a complete set of documentation, CDD shall provide written notice that the documentation sufficiently demonstrates compliance with the requirements of Section 22.24, or shall provide a written explanation of deficiencies to be corrected in a revised submission. […] (c) Net Zero Narrative: A written description of how the Green Building Project is being designed in response to the City's Net Zero Action Plan, which seeks to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions resulting from buildings by reducing their energy use intensity and promoting renewable sources of energy. This information is provided for advisory review by CDD staff, and CDD may provide a questionnaire template to the developer for completing this narrative. At a minimum, this narrative shall include the following information: (1) anticipated building envelope performance, including roof, foundation, walls and window assemblies, and window-to-wall ratio; (2) anticipated energy loads, baseline energy simulation tool assumptions, and proposed energy targets, expressed in terms of site energy use intensity ("EUI"), source EUI, and total greenhouse gas emissions; (3) a description of ways in which building energy performance has been integrated into aspects of the Green Building Project's planning, design, and engineering, including building use(s), orientation, massing, envelope systems, building mechanical systems, on- site and off-site renewable energy systems, and district- wide energy systems; (4) a description of the technical framework by which the Green Building Project can be transitioned to net zero emissions in the future (acknowledging that such a transition might not be economically feasible at first), including future net zero emissions options for building envelope, HVAC systems, domestic hot water, interior lighting, and on- and off-site renewable energy sources; (5) a description of programs provided by local utility companies, government agencies, and other organizations that provide technical assistance, rebates, grants, and incentives that can assist in achieving higher levels of building performance, summarizing which entities have been contacted and which programs could be utilized in the Green Building Project; and (6) an assessment of the technical and financial feasibility to meet the projected HVAC and domestic hot water demands of the building (as set forth in Paragraph (2) above) using energy systems that do not consume carbon-based fuels on-site (to include solar photovoltaics and hot water, ground source, water source or air source heat pumps, district energy, geothermal systems, and/or similar systems) compared to code-compliant energy systems that consume carbon-based fuels on-site (including, where applicable, the construction or expansion of energy plants controlled by the developer that may be necessary to produce energy for that specific building), which shall include the cost of installation, maintenance and upkeep of the energy system and its components (incorporating programs and incentives as set forth in Paragraph (5) above).