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Environment by Design: The LEED Green Building
Rating System
By Elena Bondareva, Allison Buttel, Franklin Egan, Adam Fox, and Christina Piper
Environmental Impact of Constructing Buildings
• 17% fresh water flow• 25% wood harvested• 50% CFC production• 40% energy flow• 33% CO2 emissions• 40% landfill material
What is Sustainable Design?
• “An holistic approach to design that considers impacts on human health and well-being, and the natural environment at every stage of the building life cycle.”(U.S Green Building Council)
• Protect and restore ecosystems• Create livable communities• Create healthy buildings• Conserve and recycle resources
What is LEED™?
“A national, consensus-based, market driven building rating system designed to accelerate the development and implementation of green building practices.”
(U.S. Green Building Council)
Why was LEED™ Created?
• Define “green” by providing a standard of measurement
• Use as a design guideline• Promote whole-building, integrated
design processes• Recognize leaders
Why was LEED™ Created?
• Prevent “greenwashing”• Stimulate market competition• Establish market value with a
recognizable national brand• Raise consumer awareness• Transform the marketplace
LEED™ Point Distribution and Categories
Water Efficiency
8%
Energy and Atmosphere
27%
Materials and Resources
20%
Indoor Environmental
Quality23%
Sustainable Sites22%
LEED™ Point Distribution and Categories
• Sustainable Sites 14 points• Water Efficiency 5 points• Energy and Atmosphere 17 points• Materials and Resources 13 points• Indoor Environmental Quality 15 points• Innovations 4 points• Accredited Professional 1 point• Total Possible Points 69 points
Levels of Accreditation
• LEED™ certified 26 points• Silver 33 points• Gold 39 points• Platinum 52 points
Who is Doing LEED™Projects?
Federal Government
10%
State Government
13%
Local Government
25%
Private Sector
Companies33%
Non-profit Corporations
14%
Other5%
Costs of LEED™<75,000 Sq Ft 75,000 - 300,000 Sq Ft >300,000 Sq Ft
Charges Fixed Rate Based on Sq Ft Fixed Rate
Registration
Members $750.00 $0.01 per Square Foot $3,000.00
Non-Members $950.00 $0.0125 per Square Foot $3,750.00
Certification
Members $1,500.00 $0.02 per Square Foot $6,000.00
Non-Members $1,875.00 $0.025 per Square Foot $7,500.00
Benefits of Green Building• Environmental Benefits
– Reduce the impacts of natural resource consumption
• Economic Benefits– Improve the bottom line
• Health and Safety Benefits– Enhance occupant comfort and health
• Community Benefits– Minimize strain on local infrastructures and
improve quality of life
Benefits of Certification
• Recognition of quality buildings and environmental stewardship– Third party validation of achievement– Qualify for growing array of state and
local government incentives– Contribute to growing knowledge base– Official LEED™ plaque and certificate– Receive marketing exposure through
USGBC website, case studies, and media announcements
Government Programs
• Several state governments have taken initiatives to encourage green building
• Extension services (OR, MN, NY)• Direct Economic Incentives:
– Grants for renewable energy (MA)– Tax credit programs (NY, MD)
Government Programs
• Maryland Tax Credit Program:– $25m available through 2011– Credits for 6-8% of construction costs– Must meet LEED™ 2.0 silver
requirements
Government Programs
• $25m doesn’t go as far as it used to– NY awarded $18.8m on five building
projects• Encourages competition and
awareness• NY has started a trend
– CA, OR, and MA are pursuing similar programs
Government Programs
• Leading by example– All MD state buildings and facilities must
meet LEED™ silver requirements– DEC headquarters was the first building
in NY to be LEED™ certified
Case Study: Donald Bren HallSchool of Environmental Science & Management, University of
California, Santa Barbara
• LEED™ rating: Platinum, April 2002
• “Greenest” lab in the nation
Case Study: Donald Bren Hall
• Sustainable site planning
• Energy efficiency• Conserving
materials and resources
• Safeguarding water• Indoor
environmental quality
Case Study: Donald Bren Hall
• “Solar photovoltaic panels capture the sunlight to provide 7-10 percent of the building’s energy.”
– Words or numbers?• When is it too late to implement
sustainable design?
Case Study: Cornell UniversityNorth and West Campus Residential Initiatives
• Some green strategies on North Campus– Time– Incentives– Cost
• Official LEED certification for West Campus
Criticisms
• Undemanding eco-labeling scheme• Oversimplified
– Checklist-style system– Minimum standards– No incentive to do more– Creates wrong motivations– Applicability– Ease of implementation
Criticisms
• Methodological problems• Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
– Difficult to interpret– Important processes are excluded– Inadequate measurement tools
• Sam Wyly Hall, University of Michigan– Credits do not reflect impact– Only a marginal difference
Criticisms
• Cost– Limited resources– Displacement of funds
Conclusions
• Balance between simplicity and complexity
• Changing standards• Intent versus outcome• Cooperation between market and
government
The End