CA-CHPS Criteria

The CA-CHPS Criteria is a flexible yardstick that precisely defines a high performance school in California. CA-CHPS addresses site and material selection, energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and provides sustainable policies and operations to be adopted by school districts. School districts are encouraged to adopt the criteria for their new buildings and major modernizations.

Implementing the 2009 Edition of the CA-CHPS Criteria

On January 1, 2010, California’s 2008 Title 24 standard (the state’s energy efficiency code) went into effect. In conjunction, all new California CHPS projects, whether seeking CHPS Verified or CHPS Designed recognition, are now required to register under the 2009 Edition of the California CHPS Criteria (CA-CHPS). The 2006 CA-CHPS version required compliance with the Title 24-2005 energy code; the new edition of the CA-CHPS Criteria references the 2008 energy code. If you have questions about the status of your project, please contact Ed Wansing, CHPS Technical Programs Coordinator, at ewansing@chps.net.

California’s High Performance Incentive Program

In 2006, the High Performance Incentive (HPI) program was established to distribute the $100 million set aside for high performance schools from Proposition 1D. The program regulations were based on 2006 CA-CHPS and referenced the 2005 Title 24 standards. According to the website of the Division of the State Architect, the new 2009 CA-CHPS Criteria will now be accepted for the DSA/HPI grant review. The HPI credits will be translated into the HPI scorecard based on the 2006 CHPS guidelines. The process for seeking CHPS recognition and HPI funding remains unchanged. Projects seeking CHPS Verified recognition will still be able to submit their documentation to DSA through CHPS. Projects seeking CHPS Designed recognition will need to complete both a 2009 CA-CHPS Designed scorecard and an HPI program scorecard. You can find more information at on the CHPS website and on the Division of the State Architect’s HPI Program website.

Emphasis on Climate Concerns in 2009 CA-CHPS

Given the increasing necessity of taking drastic action to negate climate change, CHPS has implemented a new Climate category in the 2009 CA-CHPS Criteria. This category is aims to mitigate school buildings' contributions to carbon concentrations in our atmosphere. The category is comprised of three credits worth a total of ten points. One of these points is awarded for joining a CHPS-approved Climate Registry. In order to accurately quantify carbon emissions and reductions, it is essential to have comprehensive registries in place. For a list of the CHPS-approved climate registries, click here. In conjunction with the development of credit CL1.1 Climate Change Action, CHPS has developed a comprehensive Transportation Plan template. The template will give schools a tool to help them to track and reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled for student and staff transportation. Also included in the plan is a Greenhouse Gas Emissions calculator that will enable schools to track their carbon footprint related to transportation. The transportation plan (CL1.1.3) is worth one point in part of a larger Climate Change Action Credit added in the update to the CA-CHPS Criteria.
Download the Transportation Plan template»

Seeking LEI1.2.2: Using a CHPS Educated Professional

At this time, the CHPS Educated Professional program is under development. Projects will not be able to achieve this point until the program is fully available. To remain updated on the status of the program, please email education@chps.net.

Related Materials and Programs

Approved Climate Registries

Transportation Plan template

2009 Edition CA-CHPS New School Construction Scorecard

2009 Edition CA-CHPS Modernization & New Building Scorecard

CHPS Verified Program

CHPS Designed Program

Past Editions

2006 Edition CA-CHPS Criteria

2006 Edition CA-CHPS New School Construction Scorecard

2006 Edition CA-CHPS Major Modernization Scorecard

2002 Edition CA-CHPS Criteria

2005 Edition CA-CHPS Energy Addendum

DOWNLOADS

CA CHPS Criteria
(2009 Edition)

Non-printable version only

School/District Official Architect/Engineer Consultants Contractor New Construction Major modernization Minor modernization/retrofits Programming and goal setting Selecting A/E team Site analysis Schematic Design Design Development Construction Documents Bidding Construction Administration Pre Occupancy Asssessment Tool Best Practices California