WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Green Building Council has recognized nearly 100 schools as eco-friendly under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.
]]> For the LEED program, schools are rated on a point system and given a designation reflecting the environmental elements they incorporate. The highest score is 79, but schools can be rated as "certified" (29-36 points), "silver" (37-43 points), "gold" (44-57 points) or "platinum" (58-79 points). Only one school -- Sidwell Friends in Washington -- has achieved platinum certification status.The scoring system is divided into six categories:
- Sustainable Sites (criteria such as proximity to public transportation, maximizing open space and controlling pollution during construction).
- Water Efficiency (criteria such as landscaping that needs relatively little water, reduced water usage in the building and innovative water system designs).
- Energy and Atmosphere (elements such as on-site renewable energy sources or use of refrigerant that doesn't employ ozone-depleting chemicals).
- Materials and Resources (criteria such as storage and collection of recyclable waste, renovation of existing buildings rather than new construction, and use of recycled materials during construction).
- Indoor Environmental Air Quality (elements such as increased ventilation, large windows that bring in natural daylight and motion sensors that control artificial lighting).
- Innovation and Design Process (elements such as a green curriculum that showcases environmental aspects of the building and use of cleaning agents and methods that minimize noise and air pollution).
To find out which schools have been recognized by the LEED program or are seeking certification, go to the following Web site: www.buildgreenschools.org/leed/whos_going_green.html. The site allows you to access two spreadsheets listing those already designated and those seeking designation.
]]>]]> The Canadian Construction Association’s (CCA) chief operating officers’ committee would like to see owners step up to the plate and ensure contractors are up to speed on LEED.
In a memo to the CCA’s board of directors, the committee said owners should be encouraged to be “pro-active” in educating contractors before commencing projects that are in the pipeline for LEED certification.
Development of information courses or packages for specific trades is also important, said the committee which is composed of the chief operating officers of the CCA’s member associations.
“The idea is that the onus should be on the owners to sit everybody down at the start of a project to explain the role of each contractor and subcontractor in meeting LEED certification,” said CCA spokesman Jeff Morrison.
The LEED program is administered by the Canada Green Building Council. Morrison said the council recommends that project teams meet in advance and collaborate closely during the course of such projects.
In partnership with CCA’s member associations, the council offers half-day LEED for Construction courses. Last year, there were 1,197 registrants.
“However, generally speaking, there are only a handful of people on a given project who actually have taken LEED courses,” Morrison said.
Morrison, also secretary to the CCA’s environment committee which handles LEED-related matters on behalf of the association, said CCA plans to raise the committee’s suggestions with the green building council
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The Springfield City Council will consider giving a 25 percent property tax break for 10 years to businesses that meet LEED energy and water conservation standards.
If approved, it would be the first property tax abatement of its kind in Missouri, according to Matt Schaefer, senior planner with the city of Springfield.
At tonight's meeting, the City Council will have its first reading of the proposal and hear public comments.
The tax break would be available in the Springfield Enhanced Enterprise Zone, an area that includes most of Springfield, Battlefield and some areas in Greene County adjacent to Springfield.
Because the enterprise zone extends beyond Springfield, Greene County commissioners and the Battlefield City Council also will consider approving the tax abatement plan. All three groups must approve the plan for it to go into effect.
"The Enhanced Enterprise Zone is an economic development tool that Springfield uses to help recruit new business and to create new jobs," Schaefer said.
"We may be able to attract additional business with this new property tax abatement."
Businesses that meet certain job creation requirements in the Enhanced Enterprise Zone can already get a 50 percent property tax abatement for 10 years.
They could earn an additional 25 percent tax abatement if their buildings -- or expansions of existing buildings -- can achieve a silver level or higher certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.
LEED is sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, which encourages sustainable green building practices.
Buildings can achieve four levels of certification based on points assigned for energy and water conservation elements. The categories are certified, silver, gold and platinum.
Schaefer said building to a high LEED standard may cost a bit more initially.
"But over the long term your operating costs are a lot lower because you're saving on energy and water usage," he said.
City Councilman Dan Chiles said natural gas prices are likely to soar this winter, so it makes sense for businesses to cut their energy costs through LEED building practices.
"It is time for us to start thinking about this," Chiles said. "We're trying to attract other businesses to this area and this is one way to do it."
He called the proposed tax abatement for LEED certification "quite a carrot" for companies considering a move to Springfield.
"We're not sacrificing anything to do this," he said. "This is attracting new business that otherwise may not have come here."
Ryan Mooney, vice president of business development at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, said a company has already inquired about any green-building incentives the city might offer if it chose to move here.
"We're hoping that in two or three weeks we can talk more about it," Mooney said.
]]>It’s no secret that sustainability has become one of the biggest buzz words in media today. With climate change documentaries dominating our televisions and energy prices soaring, few issues are drawing as much attention as the current state of the environment. While many issues remain controversial, one issue has not: We have a limited supply of resources, and the cost of doing business is skyrocketing as world demand for those resources increases.
During the past two decades, the focus on green building by environmentalists, architects and engineers has gained considerable acceptance in the business community. Beyond the perceived moral implications that green building addresses, recent studies performed by the U.S. Green Building Council suggest that sustainable design can reduce a business’ operating costs by 8-9 percent, and increase building values by nearly 8 percent.
But what is sustainable design? Since its inception in 1993, the U.S. Green Building Council has taken a leadership role in defining the process. Comprised of more than 15,700 member companies and organizations, the USGBC developed the Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design certification system that provides universal benchmarks and standards for planners, architects and engineers to use when designing or renovating a green building.
Developed by the USGBC through the late ’90s and established in 2000, LEED is more than just a certification process for green building. It includes a comprehensive set of objectives aimed to define and integrate the green building process, promote competition among green builders and raise public awareness about the benefits of building green. Moreover, its goal is to encourage planning teams and developers to design projects that can sustain themselves indefinitely.
Through the use of a point system, building projects can obtain one of four certification levels – LEED Certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold and LEED Platinum. While LEED Certified requires the fewest number of points, none of the certification levels are easy to obtain. Ideally, the developer, architect and engineering team need to be committed from the beginning to obtain the certification. Typically, the project should be registered as a LEED project with the USGBC prior to commencement.
Once registered, the team must track the progress of the project and document each effort to maximize water efficiency, promote sustainable site-selection and energy efficiency, interior environmental quality and overall innovation and design of the project. There are several ways that the planning team could accomplish these objectives. One common practice is diverting water used for cooling into sewage conveyance systems – which provides two separate water uses from the same source. Another innovative way
that architects and engineers maximize water efficiency is by using decomposed granite instead of pavement in walkways and areas surrounding the building. This provides a two-fold benefit. First, the granite reduces water run-off, thereby percolating and irrigating the surrounding landscape. The granite also minimizes reflective or absorbed heat (called hardscaping), which causes a cooling effect to the surrounding environment. The reduction in heat leads to decreased energy usage for the facility.
To illustrate the competitive nature of the LEED Certification process, only 14 new construction projects in Texas received the Gold level or higher during the past decade. And to date, there has only been one Platinum level certification in the state.
Today, the LEED certification process is driving the entire building industry toward the use of renewable materials and energy-efficient building products from the earliest stages of development. According to USGBC estimates, the annual U.S. market in green building products and supplies has risen from $7 billion in 2005, to $12 billion today. The growth of this industry has also spurred the USGBC to encourage LEED development in areas beyond new construction.
In its earliest stages, LEED has already made a significant impact in the way that city planners, architects and engineers develop our communities. By changing the focus from short-term profit and tax revenue generation, to long-range sustainability, communities will benefit from the reduced strain on local infrastructure and natural resource consumption. Businesses will benefit financially from reduced operating costs and better employee health and wellness. And, individually, we will all benefit from a better quality of life.
Eric Claycamp is an associate principal with Hahnfeld Hoffer Stanford. He was the LEED coordinator for the J. Lindsay Embrey Engineering Building at Southern Methodist University.
Montgomery, who is in his eighth year with Opus West, previously was director of real estate development. In his new position, he will direct efforts on several new development opportunities.
Montgomery has been the leader of all Opus efforts relating to four significant projects in the City of Irvine, including Avenue One, the Plaza-Irvine and 3000 The Plaza luxury condominium projects, and the Opus Center Irvine III class A office tower.
Dan joined Opus in 2006 and formerly was real estate representative. Since joining Opus, he has helped to guide the leasing and marketing of the Shoppes at Chino Hills, a retail development project that will open in May 2008 at more than 90% leased.
Dorris has been at Opus since 2005 and previously served as real estate manager. In his new role, he will spearhead all marketing activities for both phases of the Opus Point office campus in San Diego and will work to source new development opportunities to further grow Opus’ market presence.
Dorris has helped facilitate the San Diego sales activity at Opus Point and the eight-building Opus Crossing industrial park, as well as assisting with the acquisition, entitlements and marketing of Horizon Tech Center @Scripps Ranch, a class A office project seeking LEED Silver certification.
Ranallo, who formerly was an associate project manager, joined Opus in 2005 and has been instrumental to the success of Opus West’s mixed-use Pine Corporate Center in Chino Hills as well as the Northpointe office development in San Bernardino. With an architecture background and LEED accreditation earned in 2004, Ranallo has taken a leadership role in the LEED training of Opus West’s Southern California staff and continues to provide guidance and support for Opus team members seeking LEED certification for their projects. He is currently managing the Horizon Tech Center @ Scripps Ranch project.
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Leesburg, FL, - Barrier-1 supplies a concrete additive that densifies the floor, prevents moisture intrusiion and eliminates mold and mildew growth. The process qualifies for points under the new LEED-EB program.
The Barrier-1 Topical System is designed to protect existing floor surfaces by preventing moisture intrusion between a concrete substrate and installed carpeting, wood vinyl or other covering material. When properly installed, the Barrier-1 Topical System also eliminates mold and mildew growth.
The Barrier-1 system is designed stop hydrostatic pressure, capillary action and micro silica alkali attack on existing concrete floor surfaces. The system has zero volatile organic compounds (VOC) and requires no special handling or equipment.
The system is ideally suited to contribute points toward projects registered under the new LEED –EB: Operations & Maintenance Rating System.
LEED-EB is the newest of the series of LEED Ratings Systems, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is specifically designed to serve as a blueprint for sustainability practices for existing commercial buildings.
The Barrier-1 products produce a chemical reaction that creates a "gel" that completely fills the capillary system of the concrete floor, effectively shutting down the route of vapor emission and rendering the concrete non-hygroscopic. With a closed capillary system, hydration is completely even top to bottom, slab curl is greatly reduced or even eliminated, and the concrete is densified and the process increases the strength of the slab by an average of 14 percent.
Depending on specific situations, the Barrier-1 Topical System could potentially aid in securing LEED-EB points in the following categories: Sustainable Sites, Credits 2 and 7.1; Materials & Resources Credits 3 and 9; and Indoor Environmental Quality Credits 1.5, 3.2 and 3.4.
Lanham, a LEED Accredited Professional, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an emphasis in architecture from Drury University.
Founded in February 2005, Vertegy provides clients with design, procurement and construction consulting services for green and sustainable facilities. One of the key ways Vertegy serves clients is by helping them gain certification for their projects from various nationally and internationally recognized certification bodies, such as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which provides LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification. Vertegy - which is derived from combining the Latin root for green and strategy - is based in St. Louis at the new LEED Platinum-certified Alberici headquarters. For more information, call 314.733.2666 or visit www.vertegyconsultants.com. ]]>Bob Castro, Project Manager with Knutson Construction Services Midwest also has become a LEED Accredited Professional.
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