Archive for LEED 2009
BASF Earns LEED EB O&M Silver
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The USGBC has awarded a LEED EB O&M Sliver certification to the BASF Construction Chemicals - Building Systems headquarters in suburban Minneapolis.
The 50,879 square foot Shakopee, Minnesota facility was originally constructed in 1972 and has since three renovations and one major addition. Highlights of the LEED-approved program include landfill waste reduction, an improvement of IAQ for the 100+ on-site employees and a sustainable purchasing program.
“As a supplier of products and solutions to this market, our decision to certify our building is an outward expression of our commitment, and has allowed us to more fully understand what it takes to participate in green and sustainable construction and renovation projects,” said Doug MacRae, Head of Building Systems.
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 15,000 employees in North America, and had sales of approximately $17.5 billion in 2008.
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Metal Roofing for LEED 2009 Credits
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Metal roofing is an often-overlooked product to help (i) attain LEED credits and (ii) produce a more sustainable building. While the material can’t be used in every circumstance, it does greatly assist when it can.
Specifically Applicable LEED 2009 Credits:
SS 7.2 Heat Island Effect: Roof - High albedo metal roofing can significantly contribute to the 75 requirement of this credit.
MR 4.1/4.2 Recycled Content: 10%/20% - Metal roofing can contain a high percentage of recycled content, assisting in total RC totals.
MR 2.1/2.2 Construction Waste Management: Divert 50%/75% from Disposal - Any excess material is easily recycled, elevating the percentage of recycled construction waste.
MR 5.2/5.2 Regional Materials: 10% / 20% - Properly purchased metal materials assists in the regional materials credit.
MR 1.1 Building Reuse: Maintain Existing Walls, Floors and Roof - Depending on age, it may be possible to reuse the actual roofing material but, given the longer useful life of a properly maintained metal roof vs. a traditional roof, the roof decking may be in better condition.
Other Sustainable Benefits:
There are also some benefits that, while not directly related to LEED, should be considered from a sustainability perspective. First, length of service. Metal roofing materials generally also have a longer warranty (up to 50 years) and, again, useful life than a traditional roof system.  Secondly, at the end of this longer useful life, the roofing materials are more easily recycled than traditional materials. Today, the materials can, in many cases, be hauled off for free.
Special thanks to Adam from GreenIsGlobal.net for the post idea. Be sure to check out his metal and solar laminate roofing blog.
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Review: LEED Green Associate Test Prep Tools for iPhone and iPod
Posted by: | CommentsWhen studying for my LEED NC test, I would have loved to have been able to have instant access to flashcards and practice tests without having to drag my shoebox full of printed flashcards and reams of tests around with me.
Candidates for the LEED Green Associate credential with iPhones or iPods now have access to prep tools they can take with them anywhere in their pockets. They’re perfect for stealing a few minutes to study during commutes, when waiting in line or whenever the opportunity arises.
Today, we’re going to look at two such applications for the iPhone and iPod that have recently been released.
EcoFlash LEED Flash Cards
EcoFlash’s application, priced at $19.99, is a traditional front/back virtual flashcard. Notable features of the application are (i) a choice between automatically shuffling the cards each time you launch the application or remembeing where you left off, and (ii) the ability to tag/bookmark certain cards for a rapid return (they call if Leafmarking). At the time this post was written, the application included 518 flashcards.
GBES LEED Flash Cards
Green Building Education Services’ version, priced at $34.99, has two components. First, a series of front and back flash cards. This app will also remember where you left off, but doesn’t seem to have the tagging feature. With only 200 flash cards at the time this post was written, it falls short of the sheer volume in the EcoFlash app. However, the second component of the application, a 100-question practice exam, makes up for it. The questions are randomly shuffled after each exam session is completed, but the an exam session can be spread out over multiple sittings.
If I’m choosing, it’s a toss up. Having more flashcards (the EcoFlash application) obviously allows you to take more material with you on the go. On the other hand, a practice test in the palm of your hand (the GBES application) is really attractive in the days before taking the test.
It will be interesting to see how these applications look and what additional bells and whistles they contain at their next update. Stay tuned.
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LEED 2009: A Detailed Look at Credentialing Changes
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This year the USGBC is adopting LEED 2009, and with it comes some significant changes in LEED AP credentialing. We’ve written another post about this topic, but felt it necessary to delve into more detail.
Under the new program, there will be three new ‘tiers’ of LEED AP accreditation and a fourth option for existing LEED AP’s. Let’s look at each one:
Tier 1 - LEED Green Associate
- Prerequisite 1: Submit to application audit. 5-7% of all applications will actually be audited.
- Prerequisite 2:Â Agree to the USGBC disciplinary policy.
- Prerequisite 3:Â Employment in a green or sustainable industry or enrolled in a relevant educational program.
- Prerequisite 4:Â Prove affiliation with LEED projects.
- Examination:Â Core competency - 2.5 hours.
- Continuing Education:Â 15 hours every 24 months
Tier 2 - LEED AP+
- Prerequisite 1:Â Submit to application audit.
- Prerequisite 2:Â Agree to the USGBC disciplinary policy.
- Prerequisite 3:Â Relevant, documented experience in at least one LEED project within last 24-36 months.
- Examination:Â Core competency AND specialization (NC, CI, H, etc.) - 4 hours (ouch!).
- Continuing Education:Â 30 hours every 24 months.
Tier 3 - LEED AP Fellow
This level of accreditation is still under development.  The USGBC writes that a ‘major contrubution to the standards of practice and body of knowledge for achieving continuous improvement in the field of green building’ is required. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
Legacy LEED AP
Anyone that is currently a LEED AP will become a Legacy LEED AP. However, in order to remain an ‘active’ LEED AP all current designees must upgrade to the LEED AP+ within 24 months of the roll-out of the new credentialing program. In order to upgrade you only have to (i) agree to the USGBC disciplinary policy and continuing education requirements and (ii) take and pass just the specialization component of the exam.
I’ve heard a lot of grumbling about the new program, but I actually think that it will be a good thing. At a minimum, the continuing education component is a good idea. Our industry changes quickly and professionals need to keep up with new developments.
Plus, making it more difficult to become an AP isn’t necessarily bad - a higher standard makes us all look good.
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