Archive for LEED Credits
Quick and Easy LEED Calculators
Posted by: | CommentsThe most robust online calculators for LEED are within LEED Online, but here are a few ‘public access’ resources that you could consider pointing out to clients for research.
- Concrete and aggregate supplier Holcim Ltd has a LEED calculator for ALL of the credits in every LEED rating system. It’s not for reliance purposes, but a great interactive educational resource for those interested in LEED certification.
- EcoScoreCard powers the environmental calculators for quite a few building material manufacturers. Rather than list each site individually, you can visit this site and click to them all. Excellent for MR reference.
- Walkscore.com is great for estimating community connectivity within the SS division. The limit is that it only has data for the 40 largest cities in the US but, come on, it’s free.
Are there any sites that you think are noteworthy, please share them.
LEED Consulting: How Much Does It Cost?
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A universal question when assessing LEED certification is documentation cost. That is to say, how much does it cost to hire a LEED consultant? Unfortunately, there’s not really a one size fits all answer.
LEED documentation costs are subject to a wide variety of variables such as the level of certification, which credits are being pursued and the complexity of building design and systems.  This makes it nearly impossible to quantify the cost based on a percentage of construction cost or a dollar amount by square footage.
Based on our experience, the best rule of thumb is to use a cost of $600 to $2000 per point, with the higher end for credits that require more documentation effort or calculations, and for larger or more complex buildings. The documentation cost is largely fixed with a slight variable cost component for those credits requiring advanced modeling and significant hours of analysis.
While this might not give an exact number to insert into a financial model this rule should at least give you an understanding of the rationale behind consulting costs.
Please share with the rest of us any formulas you use in your own practice.
IDI for LEED Certified Industrial Buildings
Posted by: | CommentsAtlanta-based industrial real estate developer IDI prides itself on cutting edge facilities and the latest buliding technology.  Their commitment to green building and LEED certication is proof that they deliver what they promise.
A USGBC member since 2006, IDI has completed four LEED certified properties and has sixteen additional properties under development (totalling 5.5 million square feet) that are seeking certification.
“Companies realize that occupying LEED buildings is not only good for the environment but also good for business since these facilities, with their enhanced work environments, help attract and retain employees,” said Jay Mitchell, senior vice president and regional development officer in IDI’s Atlanta development office.
Most recently, IDI earned LEED silver certification on two industrial facilities in Georgia, 744k sf and 502k sf, respectively. Among other credits, these facilities earned points in the following divisions:
- SS: High-albedo roofing and hardscape
- WR:Â A 50% reduction in water usage, with a large amount of savings derived from efficient landscaping and irrigation
- EQ/EA: Strategic use of skylighting to reduce the need for artificial light and more effectively daylight interior spaces
- MR: A consistent focus on regional and high recycled content materials
The additional rent needed by IDI to recoup the additional cost of a LEED certified facility is negligible. The company estimates this amount to be a mere $0.03 per square foot.
“Building a more sustainable and efficient building is the right and responsible thing to do. Coupled with our tenant clients, their employees, and our investor clients now being more interested in sustainability, it’s an easy decision,” said Mitchell.
Using a Light Shelf for EA and EQ LEED Credits
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Photo Credit: AADL.org
Incorporating a light shelf into your building design is a great way to make progress on EA and EQ LEED credits. Basically, a light shelf is an architectural element placed overhead that redirects light deeper into a building than it would otherwise travel, thus reducing the need for artificial light.
Interior vs. Exterior: A light shelf can be placed on the interior or exterior of a building or, ideally, extend on both sides of the window. However, in some urban applications with zero lot line conditions the shelf can only be interior. While this, to some extent, diminishes the benefits it certainly doesn’t negate them. The real loss is not as much in the volume of reflected light into the space as much as it is in the glare reduction on the lower part of the window system.
Limitations: There are, however, some limitations. A shelf generally should be placed on the south elevation to take advantage of maximum sunlight exposure. If your building doesn’t have a southern exposure, the benefits can be significantly diminished, especially on a northern exposure. Also, a relatively high ceiling height is required for optimum benefit. Depending on the source, you’re looking at 9.5 to 10 feet. Lastly, in a geography with a limited number of sunny days, the overall benefit is reduced.
The most valuable aspect of the light shelf is that it is a passive solar technology, requiring almost no maintenance and has zero moving parts. As with any ‘green’ technology or design element, the simpler the solution and the less ongoing occupant interaction required, the better.
Energy Modeling for Determining Improvement ROI
Posted by: | CommentsUsually when we see an energy model, it is filled with high efficiency equipment, a well-insulated envelope and several other goodies to make a building as efficient as possible. However, most projects have real budgets and it is critical to understand not only the overall system, but to calculate the return on investment from each component.
An energy model is most simply explained as a computer-based simulation designed to predict building energy consumption given a predetermined set of variables and assumptions. This model is not designed to simulate the exact building characteristics, but rather to give the design team a set of reasonably accurate parameters from which to make informed decisions.
One project we are working on is a 60-unit residential conversion of an older loft warehouse building here in Chicago. This architecturally landmarked building features oversized windows and existing exposed brick walls – nice assets for the end use, but challenging from a standpoint of budget and energy efficiency. The project is targeting LEED Silver under NC 2.2 with a large emphasis on EA in achieving the same.
Performing the analysis with an emphasis on the financial return of each improvement enabled us to quickly develop a hierarchy of improvements for the client to select from; thereby maximizing the energy savings from each available project dollar.
In this instance, we were able to determine that a $100,000 investment in windows with a higher U value had a far greater impact on the efficiency of the building envelope than a similar investment to upgrade the exterior wall insulation.
Solutions for the Challenges of LED Lighting
Posted by: | CommentsCompared to traditional florescent and incandescent lighting systems, LED lighting provides a low-energy (as low as 10 input watts), mercury-free, almost zero-maintenance (up to 50,000 hours per bulb) and low-heat solution. This can help significantly in achieving EA credits.
But, the average LED also presents several application issues. Among these problems are the warmth of the light, lack of adjustable brightness and difficulty converting existing lighting systems to LED. Cree LED Lighting has developed a great line of LED products that addresses these issues.
Warm Light: Clustering red and yellow LED’s result in a great warm-toned light.
Dimmable: The output of the fixtures is adjustable fully adjustable to 5% at the wall.
Conversion: Cree’s LR6 product (see photo) installs directly into existing downlight housings.
Also in the product line is are two great lay-in options for ceiling grids and two additional downlight options for full fixture replacement. If you’ve had a positive (or negative) experience with another LED manufacturer, please share your thoughts with us.
Agrifiber for Structural Building Elements
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The obvious benefits of of traditional structural insulated panels include faster build time (3-4 time faster than traditional wood and metal framing), off-site fabrication and potential cost reduction. But, by using agrifiber-based SIPs, these benefits are augmented by contributing towards the following LEED NC 2.2 credits:
EA 1 - Optimize Energy Performance:Â Agrifiber SIPs generally have a very high R-value and produce a building envelope that up to 5-7 times tighter than traditional wood construction.
MR 5.1 & 5.2 - 10% / 20% Harvested within 500 miles: Obviously this requires proper purchasing but, given the typical amount of structural material relative to overall material, the volume goes a long way.
MR 6.0 - 2.5% Rapidly Renewable Materials: It’s possible to satisfy your entire MR 6.0 requirement with one building component.
EQ 4.4 - Low-Emitting Materials: Most agrifiber SIPs exceed ASTM standards and some use a soy-based adhesive resin.
Additionally, there’s a potential for two Innovation & Design points:
ID 1.1Â - Minimize Construction Waste: SIPs are manufactured off-site to exact specifications, including most openings, which can result in vitually no waste.
ID 1.2 - Regionally Harvested Materials: Exceeding 20% of the total materials.
If you’ve had any experiences with agrifiber SIPs, please comment. We would love to hear from you.
FSC Certification: Forester Commitment to Social Responsibility
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Most people now what the Forest Stewardship Council does and why it is in existence, but I was curious about the specifics of what steps a forester must take become certified. I decided to do some research and turned up some impressively stringent criteria.
Briefly, there are 10 principles and 56 criteria to which a lumber harvester must adhere and an audit is performed by a certifying agency to ensure the same. The 10 principles act as divisions for each of the criteria and they range from a forest management plan, to indigenous people’s rights to ecological preservation.
The real interesting points come up in the 56 criteria. Clearly, the FSC’s commitment to forestry and ecological management is impressive, but their social responsibility mandate is equally important.
Here are the 3 social criteria I found most notable:
- Indigenous peoples shall control forest management on their lands and territories
unless they delegate control with free and informed consent to other agencies.
- Management planning and operations shall incorporate the results of evaluations of
social impact. Consultations shall be maintained with people and groups (both men
and women) directly affected by management operations.
- Sites of special cultural, ecological, economic or religious significance to indigenous
peoples shall be clearly identified in cooperation with such peoples, and recognized
and protected by forest managers.
If you would like to read the full list of principles and criteria, you can download it here.
Using Furniture To Achieve MR Credits in NC 2.2
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Accounting for (and getting credit for) refurbished, recycled or otherwise ‘green’ furniture in material reuse calculations is one of the most simply explained, and often confused, components of the MR credit division.
Simply put, the furniture must be consistently applied in all calculations in MR 3-7. Which is to say there are areas where you will realize a gain in percentage and areas where have a loss in percentage.  To make things more clear, I’ll run through each credit in MR 3-7 using a refurbished/recycled, traditional-material product (with no rapidly renewable or FSC-certified components) and a new, ‘green’ product toward the calculation.
MR 3.1 & 3.2 - Use salvaged, refurbished, or reused materials such that the sum of these materials contains at least 5% (for 3.1) or 10% (for 3.2), based on cost, of the total value of materials on the project.  A refurbished/recycled product will result in an increase of the percentage, while a new ‘green’ product will result in a reduction.
MR 4.1 & 4.2 - Use materials with recycled content such that the sum of post-consumer recycled content plus one-half of the pre-consumer content constitutes at least 10% (for 4.1) or 20% for (4.2), based on cost, of the total value of the materials in the project. Both furniture product types should yield an increase in percentage.
MR 5.1 & 5.2 - Use building materials or products that have been extracted, harvest or removed as well as manufactured within 500 miles of the projects site for a at least 10% (for 5.1) or 20% (for 5.2), based on cost, of the total material value. Provided at the furniture is selected and purchased properly, both the new and refurbished furniture should result in an increase in the percentage. Considerations would be the distance to the manufacturer and the percentage of furniture cost that can be counted under this credit.
MR 6 - Use rapidly renewable materials and products (made from plants that are typically harvested within a ten year cycle or shorter) for 2.5% of the total value of all building materials and products used in the project, based on cost. The refurbished/recycled product will bring this percentage down. Provided that the new ‘green’ product is composed of more than 50% rapidly renewable materials, it will increase this the calculated percentage.
MR 7 - Use a minimum of 50% wood-based materials and products, which are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, for wood building components. Given that the refurbished product we’re using in this example has no FSC-certified components, it would reduce this percentage. Provided that the new ‘green’ furniture is composed of more FSC-certified wood than non-certified, it would increase the percentage.
You may have thought of this already, but the ideal product to use may actually be a refurbished/recycled AND ‘green’ furniture product. But, its availability in the marketplace today is somewhat scarce.
Any questions?
LEED Plumbing Credits Using Revit
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re not familiar with using BIM to model possible WE credits, this video is a great intro to the process as well as the capabilities of Revit (which is short for Revise Instantly) MEP. In this instance, a grey water system is introduced into a standard system.
What makes this great for LEED is the real-time information modeling. Being able to instantly see the impact on water usage saves an incredible amount of time and let’s you gauge how effective or worthwhile certain changes are.
If you’re had any success or challenges with using Revit and BIM, we’d love to hear about it.
