Overview: Applicability
All new buildings funded in whole or part by Minnesota bond monies after January 15, 2004 must comply with the guidelines. Remodeling and renovations are not considered new buildings, and thus need not comply. Additions are considered new buildings that require compliance with the guidelines if they are substantially "stand alone" and have both of the following characteristics when applicable:
- If heated, the addition has its own heating plant(s) (eg. boiler, etc.) whether or not its source of energy (eg. fuel) is from an adjacent building
- If cooled, the addition has its own cooling plant(s) (eg. chiller, rooftop unit, etc.) whether or not its source of energy (eg. electricity) is from an adjacent building
If construction is not considered a building under the Minnesota Building Code then it is not considered a building under the Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines. Exceptions to compliance with the Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines as a whole are not allowed based on size of building, number of utility connections, or whether a building is heated, cooled or electrically lit. However, some individual guideline criteria are customized based on these or other variations. If an agency or design team feels certain guideline criteria do not apply to a particular building, this is handled for those specific criteria through a variance process described in guideline P.1 Guideline Management.