What can LEED-EB do for your building
What can LEED-EB do for your building?
Here is a scenario – You manage/own a (or a few) 10 year old building(s) in Central Florida. You have already heard everybody talk about how their new building is LEED certified. You already know sustainable design is the new industry buzz word with BOMA, ASHRAE, SMACNA, AEE, NEBB and other professional organizations all singing the same tune. Your tenants, building owners and property managers are all asking you what you are doing to ensure your existing building is sustainable……
LEED Green Building Rating System™
To help answer this question, the USGBC developed the LEED Green Building Rating System™. This system allows you to evaluate your buildings performance based on four levels of certification:
An existing building can earn LEED certification levels by satisfying all the prerequisite requirements & must attain a certain number of points. All first-time certification applicants go through what is called Initial Certification. When a building previously certified under a LEED for New Construction rating pursues a LEED – EB rating the process is known as recertification. Based on the first scenario I presented, you being the owner/manager of 10 year old building and given the fact that LEED NC is relatively new, your building in all probability is heading for initial certification. Pretty easy so far……..right?
The credit rating system consists of five (5) different categories, namely, Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy & Atmosphere (EA), Materials & Resources (MR) and Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ). As mentioned earlier each of these categories has prerequisites which have to be addressed if a LEED-EB certification is pursued. So what does each of these categories mean?
Sustainable Sites (SS)
The category for Sustainable Sites (SS) addresses site related issues. Important prerequisites in this category are soil erosion control and using the age of the building to determine LEED-EB eligibility. Credits to be earned in this category range from site connectivity, choice of alternative transportation for employees/residents, storm water management, reducing heat island effect (in simple terms – reducing thermal gradients between developed and underdeveloped site area) and reduction in light pollution.
Water Efficiency (WE)
To quote LEED-EB reference guide – US Buildings consume a total of 5 billion gallons of potable water per day just to flush toilets. The Water Efficiency (WE) provides clear cut guidelines of how you can preserve this valuable resource. Prerequisites in this category involve meeting certain minimum water efficiency in all plumbing fixtures combined with responsible discharge water compliance. Credits in this category could be won through effective landscaping and irrigation practices combined with innovative waste water strategies.
Energy & Atmosphere (EA)
Energy & Atmosphere (EA) is the category considered to be a low hanging fruit in the LEED-EB process. Providing existing building commissioning, minimum energy performance and ensuring the use of the eco-friendly refrigerants are the prerequisites in this category. Minimum energy performance requires the building achieving an ENERGY STAR ® EPA rating of at least sixty seven (67). The credits to be earned are through building operations and maintenance, performance measurement, additional ozone protection, use of on-site and off-site renewable energy and documenting sustainable building cost impacts.
Materials & Resources (MR)
LEED-EB also gives importance to the Materials & Resources (MR) you use in the construction, operation and maintenance of your buildings. Through source reduction and waste management coupled with toxic material source reduction you can achieve prerequisites in this category. Credits in this category include optimize use of alternative and IAQ compliant products, applying sustainable practices to construction, demolition and renovation and use of sustainable cleaning products.
Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ)
Finally, another low hanging fruit in LEED-EB is the Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) category. Prerequisites in this category include proper ventilation and exhaust systems, tobacco smoke control, asbestos and PCB removal. Asbestos, PCB and PCB combustion products are carcinogenic (cancer causing) in nature. LEED-EB ensures their complete removal from the building to ensure healthy indoor air quality. Use of day lighting, optimized ventilation, green cleaning, indoor chemical and pollutant source control are some of the available credits in this category.
We hope this blog will serve as an introduction to the LEED-EB process. LEED-EB is also coming out with the guideline which specifically targets operation and maintenance in an existing building. Watch out for a future blog for information about LEED-EB O& M practices. LEED-EB serves as a guideline to sustainable existing buildings. The LEED- EB Checklist (available on the LEED-EB page) provides a quick check for a list of available credits. With a little help from your friends at MSI, Inc. you will be able to quickly determine which credits are within your reach. And even if LEED-EB certification is not your goal – our experts will be happy to suggest energy efficient, sustainable practices which will bring you one step closer towards greening your building.
About the author: Jason Alphonso is a professional mechanical engineer in the State or Florida, a certified energy manager registered with the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), and a LEED Accredited Professional. He can be contacted at jalphonso@msifla.com.*LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System
Here is a scenario – You manage/own a (or a few) 10 year old building(s) in Central Florida. You have already heard everybody talk about how their new building is LEED certified. You already know sustainable design is the new industry buzz word with BOMA, ASHRAE, SMACNA, AEE, NEBB and other professional organizations all singing the same tune. Your tenants, building owners and property managers are all asking you what you are doing to ensure your existing building is sustainable……
LEED Green Building Rating System™
To help answer this question, the USGBC developed the LEED Green Building Rating System™. This system allows you to evaluate your buildings performance based on four levels of certification:
- Certified: 32 – 39 points
- Silver: 40 – 47 points
- Gold: 48 – 63 points
- Platinum: 64 – 85 points
An existing building can earn LEED certification levels by satisfying all the prerequisite requirements & must attain a certain number of points. All first-time certification applicants go through what is called Initial Certification. When a building previously certified under a LEED for New Construction rating pursues a LEED – EB rating the process is known as recertification. Based on the first scenario I presented, you being the owner/manager of 10 year old building and given the fact that LEED NC is relatively new, your building in all probability is heading for initial certification. Pretty easy so far……..right?
The credit rating system consists of five (5) different categories, namely, Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy & Atmosphere (EA), Materials & Resources (MR) and Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ). As mentioned earlier each of these categories has prerequisites which have to be addressed if a LEED-EB certification is pursued. So what does each of these categories mean?
Sustainable Sites (SS)
The category for Sustainable Sites (SS) addresses site related issues. Important prerequisites in this category are soil erosion control and using the age of the building to determine LEED-EB eligibility. Credits to be earned in this category range from site connectivity, choice of alternative transportation for employees/residents, storm water management, reducing heat island effect (in simple terms – reducing thermal gradients between developed and underdeveloped site area) and reduction in light pollution.
Water Efficiency (WE)
To quote LEED-EB reference guide – US Buildings consume a total of 5 billion gallons of potable water per day just to flush toilets. The Water Efficiency (WE) provides clear cut guidelines of how you can preserve this valuable resource. Prerequisites in this category involve meeting certain minimum water efficiency in all plumbing fixtures combined with responsible discharge water compliance. Credits in this category could be won through effective landscaping and irrigation practices combined with innovative waste water strategies.
Energy & Atmosphere (EA)
Energy & Atmosphere (EA) is the category considered to be a low hanging fruit in the LEED-EB process. Providing existing building commissioning, minimum energy performance and ensuring the use of the eco-friendly refrigerants are the prerequisites in this category. Minimum energy performance requires the building achieving an ENERGY STAR ® EPA rating of at least sixty seven (67). The credits to be earned are through building operations and maintenance, performance measurement, additional ozone protection, use of on-site and off-site renewable energy and documenting sustainable building cost impacts.
Materials & Resources (MR)
LEED-EB also gives importance to the Materials & Resources (MR) you use in the construction, operation and maintenance of your buildings. Through source reduction and waste management coupled with toxic material source reduction you can achieve prerequisites in this category. Credits in this category include optimize use of alternative and IAQ compliant products, applying sustainable practices to construction, demolition and renovation and use of sustainable cleaning products.
Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ)
Finally, another low hanging fruit in LEED-EB is the Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) category. Prerequisites in this category include proper ventilation and exhaust systems, tobacco smoke control, asbestos and PCB removal. Asbestos, PCB and PCB combustion products are carcinogenic (cancer causing) in nature. LEED-EB ensures their complete removal from the building to ensure healthy indoor air quality. Use of day lighting, optimized ventilation, green cleaning, indoor chemical and pollutant source control are some of the available credits in this category.
We hope this blog will serve as an introduction to the LEED-EB process. LEED-EB is also coming out with the guideline which specifically targets operation and maintenance in an existing building. Watch out for a future blog for information about LEED-EB O& M practices. LEED-EB serves as a guideline to sustainable existing buildings. The LEED- EB Checklist (available on the LEED-EB page) provides a quick check for a list of available credits. With a little help from your friends at MSI, Inc. you will be able to quickly determine which credits are within your reach. And even if LEED-EB certification is not your goal – our experts will be happy to suggest energy efficient, sustainable practices which will bring you one step closer towards greening your building.
About the author: Jason Alphonso is a professional mechanical engineer in the State or Florida, a certified energy manager registered with the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), and a LEED Accredited Professional. He can be contacted at jalphonso@msifla.com.*LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System
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