East Orange, NJ Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)

Section 51-114C, "Sustainability guidelines," sits within the TVD's design regulations article and opens by encouraging green rating systems such as the LEED standard developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and the joint EPA/DOE ENERGY STAR program. Subsections (1) through (4) keep that language voluntary: new and rehabilitated buildings are "encouraged, although not required," to pursue LEED certification; newly constructed homes are encouraged to earn ENERGY STAR; new commercial and industrial buildings are encouraged to score in the top 25% under the EPA's National Energy Performance Rating System; and all buildings are encouraged to use ENERGY STAR-rated products for insulation, roofing, windows, HVAC, plumbing and lighting.

The mandatory line comes in subsection (5): "All new buildings must incorporate the 2009 IECC for low-rise residential buildings and the 2007 ASHRAE 90.1 standards," which applies within the TVD boundaries covering the Village Core, Evergreen Square, and the Main Street and Central Avenue entertainment districts. Section 51-114D(2) reinforces the code's reach by making the entire TVD subject to the City of East Orange Property Maintenance Code for ongoing upkeep enforcement, layering habitability standards on top of the energy-code mandate for new construction.