The purpose of this section is to promote effective energy and environmental standards for construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of buildings in this State, improving the state’s capacity to design, build, and operate high-performance buildings and creating new jobs and contributing to economic growth and increasing the state’s energy independence. To accomplish the objectives of this article, the State shall adopt policies and procedures that:

(1) optimize the energy performance of buildings throughout this State;

(2) increase the demand for environmentally preferable building materials, finishes, and furnishings;

(3) improve environmental quality in this State by decreasing the discharge of pollutants from state buildings and their manufacture;

(4) create public awareness of new technologies that can improve the health and productivity of building occupants by meeting advanced criteria for indoor air quality;

(5) improve working conditions and reduce building-related health problems;

(6) reduce the state’s dependence on imported sources of energy through buildings that conserve energy and utilize local and renewable energy sources;

(7) protect and restore this state’s natural resources by avoiding development of inappropriate building sites;

(8) reduce the burden on municipal water supply and treatment by reducing potable water consumption;

(9) reduce waste generation and manage waste through recycling and diversion from landfill disposal;

(10) establish life cycle cost analysis as the appropriate and most efficient analysis to determine a building project‘s optimal performance level;

(11) ensure each building project’s systems are designed, installed, and tested to perform according to the building’s design intent and its operational needs through third-party, post-construction review and verification; and

(12) authorize the board to pursue ENERGY STAR designation from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to further demonstrate a building project’s energy independence.