LEED What does it mean for my facility and the Earth.

Mike Bryson LEED AP

What does it all mean??

LEED which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a

certification program focused primarily on new, commercial-building projects

and based upon a points system.

LEED is internationally recognized environmental program and is currently

deployed in more than 30 countries around the world. It provides a means of

verifying that a building or a group of buildings were designed and built in a

way that would improve energy savings, water efficiency, indoor

environmental quality, and CO2 emissions reduction.

LEED certified buildings when well maintained, produce less waste products

and are more energy efficient than they would be otherwise.

Creating a LEED Facility

There is a lot of work before, during and after the construction of a facility to

obtain LEED status.

It takes the work of several individuals to create a facility worthy of LEED

status

Buy in from the owner and community is crucial for success.

Building a LEED facility can be expensive

There needs to be a full understanding of the responsibilities of taking on a

LEED project.

What's in it for me (ROI)

Honestly, if its expensive to obtain LEED status and it’s a lot of extra work so

why do it?

Its our obligation as facility operators, managers and administrators to create

and operate facilities that leave as little a carbon footprint as possible.

The reward is the reduced operating cost of a more efficient facility

Ultimately we leave the Earth in a bit better place for future generations

Why bother?

The results speak for themselves

Since 2002 LEED® Canada has led to: Energy savings of 6,503,647 MWH which is enough to power 220,702 homes in

Canada for a year.

Water savings totaling over 1.8 billion litres, the equivalent of 5,131 Olympic

sized swimming pools. (6 lane)

Recycling over 1.6 million tonnes of construction/demolition waste which

represents 491,174 garbage trucks.

A 1,261,016 CO2 tonne reduction in greenhouse gas emissions which equates

to taking 238,377 cars off the roads for a year.

Installing 231,608 sq. metres of green roofs, or an area the size of 153 hockey

rinks to reduce the urban heat island effect and mitigate storm water flows in

urban areas.

Shell Place Fort McMurray LEED Gold

(Pending)

Fort Chipewyan LEED Certified (Pending)

LEED Scorecard

What levels of LEED are there

I have an old building. What can I do?

An easy way to upgrade to a more efficient

building is to replace metal halide, mercury

vapor or even T8 fluorescent lights to LED

lighting

I have an old building. What can I do?

Heat recovery is a popular and efficient

way to reduce the impact on utilities.

Plate and Frame heat exchangers instead of

shell and tube chillers

Re-pipe excess heat to colder areas

Solar Power

In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the use of solar power

The Alberta government will be introducing incentives for using solar power

on homes and facilities.

For LEED facilities there is an opportunity to purchase REC’s (renewable

energy certificate) from the solar power

Other options include owning equipment and utilizing the power in house

Work with a third party provider that will sell the power generated and pay

facility owners to lease out space.

Depending on where you are in

the province will determine

the amount of sunlight your

facility will get.

Some solar projects that already exist.

Athabasca - town office

Black Diamond - Oilfields Regional Arena

Calgary - Municipal Building

Canmore - Biosphere Institute - (Canmore Senior's Centre)

Cochrane - Big Hill Leisure Pool

County of Barrhead - County Administration Building

Drayton Valley - Early Child Development Centre

Edmonton - firehall (LEED Silver)

Jasper - upper wall on south side of Jasper Activity Centre

Lethbridge - downtown ice centre

MD Foothills - south wall of music room on the Cayley School

Medicine Hat - rooftop of Public Library, downtown Medicine

Hat

Okotoks - town office

Olds - aquatic centre

Pincher Creek - rooftop of south-facing wing, Pincher Creek

Town Hall

Red Deer - Civic Yards

St. Albert - firehall (LEED)

Strathcona County - parks compound (LEED)

Westlock - town office

How to become involved

Descriptions

LEED Green Associate

Passing the LEED Green Associate exam demonstrates

your understanding of the Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating

system, as well as sustainable design principles, practices

and standards.

Descriptions

LEED AP Operations + Maintenance (LEED AP O+M)

Distinguishes professionals implementing sustainable practices, improving

performance, heightening efficiency and reducing environmental impact in

existing buildings through enhanced operations and maintenance.

Descriptions

LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C)

This credential suits professionals with expertise in the design and

construction phases of green buildings, serving the commercial, residential ,

education and healthcare sectors.

Descriptions

LEED AP Interior Design + Construction (LEED AP ID+C)

Serves participants in the design, construction and improvement of

commercial interiors and tenant spaces that offer a healthy, sustainable and

productive work environment.

Descriptions

LEED AP Homes

Suited for those involved in the design and construction of healthy, durable

homes that use fewer resources and produce less waste

Descriptions

LEED AP Neighborhood Development (LEED AP ND)

Applies to individuals participating in the planning, design and development of

walkable, healthy and sustainable neighborhoods and communities.

What's the first step.

Taking the exam

You’ve taken one or more courses and studied everything there is to know – now it’s time to take the exam and earn your credential.

The two-hour LEED Green Associate exam is administered through the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), in conjunction with the USGBC. While there are no eligibility requirements to become a LEED Green Associate, it is recommended that candidates have exposure to LEED and green building concepts through educational courses, volunteering, or work experience prior to writing their exams.

Fees

Green Associate Exam only

USGBC and CaGBC national members $200* USD (Non-members: $250)* USD

Full-time students $100 *USD

Becoming a LEED AP with specialty

Once you’ve taken one or more courses and studied everything there is to

know – now it's time to take the exam and earn your credential. The two-hour

LEED AP exams are administered through the Green Business Certification

Institute (GBCI), in conjunction with the USGBC.

Eligibility requirements

Candidates must agree to the Disciplinary and Exam Appeals Policy, credential

maintenance, and submit to an application audit. Candidates are strongly

recommended to have prior LEED project experience as it is critical to the

designation and, as such, project proficiency will be tested objectively within

the LEED AP exam itself.

Credential Maintenance

All LEED professionals are required to maintain their credential by earning

continuing education hours. LEED Green Associates must earn 15 continuing

education hours within 2 years of earning their credential. LEED APs must

earn 30 continuing education hours within 2 years of earning their credential.

You can earn hours through these activities related to green building:

education, project experience, authorship and volunteering

Top 10 Reasons to Become LEED-

Accredited

1. LEED has instant name recognition. Upon becoming accredited, you join a

growing group of over 100,000 professionals worldwide who have become

LEED-APs. The popularity of LEED with clients and professionals alike means

that no one will wonder what that acronym after your name means. They’ll

know and respect it.

2. You’ll have a needed skill set to work on LEED projects. Having taken the

exam, you will have a valuable base of knowledge that can help you qualify

for new job opportunities. If you take a class, you’ll also gain a new network

of other LEED-APs to draw upon.

Top 10 Reasons to Become LEED-

Accredited

3. The green economy is growing fast. Your LEED-AP credential will help you

stand out from the competition for projects in a tough market, especially in

this rapidly expanding new sector of the economy. If you are out of work or

seeking a change of direction, getting LEED-accredited will help you take the

next step.

4. You’ll know how to save your clients’ money. More and more clients, of

all types, are choosing to apply for LEED certification as they realize the kind

of impact that LEED certification can have on their project’s bottom line.

You’ll be able to give the valuable input a client needs.

Top 10 Reasons to Become LEED-

Accredited

5. Your actions will benefit the environment. With the growing concern and

attention towards the environment, wouldn’t it be nice to be able do your

part? Knowing the LEED certification system, and having a LEED accreditation,

will allow you to do that for a living.

6. LEED has become an industry standard. Many employers in the building

industry expect job candidates to have LEED certification. It is no longer an

exception; it is the norm.

Top 10 Reasons to Become LEED-

Accredited

7. LEED will play a part in transforming your career. By positioning yourself

to being educated on sustainability, you are giving yourself a leg up on

contributing to your own area of expertise. LEED is being discovered by real

estate professionals, lawyers, and others who find that adding it to their

repertoire is taking their careers in new directions.

8. LEED’s use continues to spread. The listing of cities nationwide requiring

LEED on new construction continues to grow. That means that your

accreditation could be a key to participating in important projects in your

area. Local governments will be receptive to your accreditation as they look

for leaders who can help them go green.

Top 10 Reasons to Become LEED-

Accredited

9. As a system, LEED continues to evolve. The introduction of LEED version

4 has helped the system become more responsive to local conditions, and new

education requirements will help keep your knowledge up to date. Getting

accredited now opens the door to participating in a growing, international

dialogue about sustainability!

10. Your employer may pay for you to take the exam. Recognizing the value

of a LEED-trained workforce, many public authorities and companies in the

building industry will pay for the course, exam and accreditation fees for

their employees. In other words: your boss will approve, and it might be free!