City and County of Denver - Green Building Ordinance
If you're developing a new building over 25,000 square feet in Denver, you must install a cool roof (high solar reflectance material) and choose from green building measures like on-site solar, green spaces, renewable energy purchases, or LEED Gold certification. For existing buildings undergoing roof replacement over 5% of the roof area, you must install a cool roof plus one additional option such as green space, solar panels, LEED Silver certification, or payment into the green energy fund.
You'll need to source cool roof materials meeting specified solar reflectance values and guide clients through selecting complementary green building measures from the approved list—including solar installation, LEED certification support, or green space design—for projects over 25,000 square feet in Denver.
Ordinance No. 1134-18 (passed October 2018) mandates cool roofs for all new construction and substantial roof replacements (>5%) on buildings exceeding 25,000 square feet, with tiered requirements: new buildings must add one qualifying green measure; existing buildings undergoing major roof work must combine cool roofs with green space (up to 18% of roof area), solar, LEED Silver, or green energy fund contributions. The ordinance applies citywide across commercial, industrial, residential, and multifamily sectors.
Program details
- Program ID
- 22673
- Last updated
- 7/18/2024
Eligibility
- Sectors
- commercial industrial residential multifamily residential
Program summary
Passed in October 2018, Ordinance No. 1134-18, requires developers of new buildings greater than 25,000 square feet to install a "cool roof" during construction. A "cool roof" is defined as a roof, or portion of a roof, containing roof covering materials meeting certain solar reflectance values that mitigate or assist in reducing urban heat island effect. In addition to this, developers are required to incorporate other green building or energy efficiency measures into their buildings. Developers may choose which measures to incorporate. These may include green spaces, on-site solar panels, off-site renewable energy purchases, demonstration of decreased energy consumption, or LEED Gold or equivalent certification. To view the full list of acceptable measures, click here.
For existing buildings greater than 25,000 square feet, a roof replacement for more than five percent (5%) of either the total roof area or individual roof section must include the installment of a cool roof and one of the following options:
- A Green space covering an area in one (1) of the following amounts, whichever is least:
- For total roof area replacement: two (2) percent of the gross floor area of the building; for individual roof section replacement: two (2) percent of the gross floor area of the building, multiplied by the area of individual roof section(s) being replaced, divided by the total roof area of the building; or
b. For total roof area replacement: eighteen (18) percent of the total roof area on the building; for individual roof section replacement: eighteen (18) percent of the individual roof section(s) being replaced.
- On-site solar panels
- LEED Silver or equivalent certification
- Payment into the green energy fund
Contact & resources
Please verify current program details with the administering agency before making any financial decisions.
