With the trend toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification in the construction business in recent years, and as private companies and public entities embrace sustainable construction, or “green” building, the true meaning of LEED and how businesses benefit still might prove elusive for some. Getting the lowdown on LEED, however, could help businesses save energy - and money.
In the United States, buildings account for 36 percent of total energy use, 65 percent of energy consumption, and 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Luckily, breakthroughs in building science, technology, and operations are now available for owners who want to go green and maximize both their environmental and economic performance. They do it through sustainable design and construction. Sustainable, in this context, means that the resources used are renewable or recyclable.
The LEED Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for green buildings. It promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by emphasizing performance in five key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
A building can achieve various levels of LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Buildings earn points for using environmentally friendly products that reduce long-term operating costs and ultimately benefit building occupants. USGBC also awards points for purchasing local materials rather than materials requiring long shipping distances. Additional points may be awarded for inclusion of cafeterias, courtyards, gymnasiums, child care, and other on-site benefits that reduce employees’ needs to leave during the workday, thus reducing their use of gasoline.
Green construction also encourages deconstruction of existing structures rather than demolition. Reusable materials are recycled for use in other structures rather than sent to the landfill. Such materials include concrete, wood beams and lintels, masonry, windows, and fixtures.
Typically, a LEED building is registered during the design phase as seeking a particular certification level. Once completed, the building is reviewed by the USGBC, and certification is awarded. Certification levels are based on building type, energy-saving systems employed, and the offering of environmentally friendly amenities.
Stellar, a fully integrated firm focused on design, construction, engineering, and mechanical services worldwide, constructed for PHH Mortgage the first building in Jacksonville, Fla., to achieve LEED certification. Other construction projects that are registered or are in the process of being certified in northern Florida include a building for the City of Jacksonville, two buildings for the Jacksonville Electric Authority, and several privately owned projects. For example, the University of North Florida in Jacksonville has joined other universities across the Sunshine State in requiring their new buildings to be designed for LEED certification.
Stellar doesn’t stop there, however. The firm is LEEDing by example focusing on a building addition to its own corporate campus in Jacksonville, which has been registered for LEED Silver certification.
The 25,000-square-foot facility exemplifies the company’s commitment to environmentally sound construction. In order to construct this new facility, the company has torn down and recycled an existing campus building. Stellar remains centralized, reducing the need for employees to commute between locations.
Other significant benefits include lower energy consumption; improved facility and equipment performance; higher employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity; and a valuable corporate image. While these benefits are long-term, the cost savings they bring will outweigh the initial cost of sustainable design and development.
Stellar is also working within other sustainable models, including “lean” for its processing/manufacturing clients and “SPiRiT” for its military clients. “Lean” is a production-management based approach to design and construction. The facility and its delivery process are designed together in a management philosophy focused on reducing waste and increasing value. One example is to feature an open floor plan arranged into manufacturing cells in one central working line instead of the traditional compartmentalized plant design.
SPiRiT is a rating tool with a checklist, strategies and scores that enables the Army to successfully plan sustainable design and development projects. Sites receive points for water efficiency, materials, indoor environmental quality, and more.
With sustainable design and construction, the front-end costs are typically 3 to 5 percent higher. These costs include design, registration and certification of the project, construction management, and first cost of building systems, such as the roof, windows, and HVAC. But with education, sustainable design and development can expand throughout the public and private sectors.
Owners must consider their commitment to sustainable construction and the environment before they even begin design. They must assess the benefits of going green to their particular project, their corporate image and values, and their willingness to invest. The challenges on the front end are substantial. As with any building, considering first cost vs. costs over the life expectancy of the systems is crucial. Reflective roofs that help reduce power demand, energy-saving air conditioning systems, hands-free faucets, sensor flush valves, and waterless urinals all cost more to initially install — some cost substantially more in the beginning — but those costs will be recouped over time. As stakeholders scrutinize these costs at the beginning, they will require a return-on-investment analysis before committing.
But if a LEED certified or green building is justified, owners usually will invest — and this is a positively changing trend. In the past, construction cost preferences have typically favored lower first-cost totals. But with recent steep increases in energy and other resource costs, owners are looking for ways to reduce those long-term operational costs.
Whether it be through official certification processes, such as LEED, or merely the incorporation of sustainable concepts in everyday building design, green construction is here to stay. The need for resource conservation combined with the spiraling cost of fuels, power, and construction materials will undoubtedly drive more owners to implement green concepts.
INFO: Stellar (www.stellar.net)