LEED Overview
What is Green Design? Design and construction practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants that address: • Sustainable site planning • Safeguarding water and water efficiency • Energy efficiency • Conservation of materials and resources • Indoor environmental quality Historic Drivers: Oil crisis, sick building syndrome, economics, marketing Future: Restorative Design
What is LEED? Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design
Green building rating system
Comprehensive & National
Documentation based
Evolves over time
Site Water Energy Materials Indoor
LEED-NC Structure • 6 categories • 7 mandatory prerequisites • 34 credits • 69 points
Indoor Environmental Quality
Sustainable
23%
Sites 22%
Materials & Resources
• Categories not equally weighted • Points not equal benefit
Water
20%
Efficiency Energy & Atmosphere 27%
8%
LEED-NC Levels Four levels of certification: • LEED Certified 26-32 points • Silver Level 33-38 points • Gold Level 39-51 points • Platinum Level 52-69 points • There is no Bronze level
LEED-NC Scorecard
LEED Process
D/P/S Approach to LEED • Performance first: energy/carbon, water • People (nearly) first: comfort, operable windows, healthy materials • Material conservation
• Streamline the process and paperwork • Support the owner, consultant, and contractors throughout the process
LEED Process • LEED needs to be integrated into the design process • Requires buy-in from entire team • Can be accomplished with any delivery method
Owner
LEED Civil
MEP
General Contractor
Architect Structural
Interiors
Landscape
Subcontractors
LEED Process • LEED needs to integrated into the design process • Requires buy-in from entire team • Can be accomplished with any delivery method Owner General Contractor
Architect/LEED Civil
MEP
Structural
Interiors
Landscape
Subcontractors
LEED Process • Team Composition – Who will manage the LEED effort? – Who will the commissioning agent work for? – Any need for specialty consultants? • Cisterns, daylight, acoustics, energy modeling
– Integrated design • Propose, evaluate, refine strategies • Brainstorming, charettes, reviews • Maximize benefits, minimize risks
– Experience matters • Material knowledge • Process support • Credit strategy overlaps
LEED Process (Students, patients, etc.)
Setting Targets • How do you set reasonable targets, and avoid point chasing? • Efficiency is not a Yes or No question – Code is just the beginning, we need to offer an alternative – LEED is usually a midpoint – Performance is a spectrum
Code
LEED
Zero
Restorative
Water Targets 0%
Code compliant, EPA 1992
10% 20% 30%
30% Jefferson Green Low-flow urinals, faucet sensors
40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
53% Thornburg Waterless urinals, dual flush toilets, faucet sensors Waterless and low-flow fixtures Graywater or rainwater reuse
Energy Targets 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Good glazing , improved roof Packaged air-to-air heat pumps
Energy Targets 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Good glazing , improved roof Packaged RTUs with VAV
Energy Targets 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Improved roof and envelope High efficiency RTUs
Energy Targets 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Improved roof & glazing Underfloor air, evap cooling, lighting sensors, operable windows
Energy Targets 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Improved roof & glazing Underfloor air, evaporative cooling, operable windows
Case Study: Jefferson Green
Jefferson Green • 2 separate LEED projects
• LEED-CS Gold • LEED-CI Gold
Jefferson Green • Speculative building • Multiple tenants • Market rate • Performance • Energy • Water • Tenant amenities • LEED certification
• 85,000sf • 3 stories
Envelope • Respond to solar orientation • Typical R-19 walls, clear low-e glazing • External shading
Envelope • Reflective roof • R-30 insulation • Operable windows
Envelope Iterative design process - Performance - Aesthetics - Modeling/Calcs - Energy vs daylight vs views vs budget
System Design • Underfloor air distribution • Evaporative cooling – Direct/indirect – Free cooling • Refrigerated backup • Rooftop AHUs • Gas boilers • T5 fluorescent lighting • 45% energy savings
System Design Integrated design of UFAD: – Reduced building height by 2’-6” and downsized equipment – Helped offset cost of system – Architectural detailing of walls and penetrations – Coordination of diffusers, flooring, and furniture
Impact on People
Interior Environment
Materials • • • • • •
Natural Recycled Regional Renewable Reused Low-emitting
Materials • Natural linoleum flooring and tackwall: renewable, recycled • War room walls are xorel, a durable recycled fabric product • Low-emitting paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, carpets, and composite wood • Green Guard certified furniture with recycled content
Construction
Site • • • •
Preserve existing trees Direct run-off to planted areas Xeric landscaping Irrigation from the city’s non-potable line • Cutoff light fixtures to minimize light pollution • Bike racks and a designated smoking area
Costs & Benefits – 1st LEED-CS project in NM – 1st LEED Gold commercial office building in NM – 1 of only a handful of “Double Gold” buildings in the world
LEED Costs • National studies say 2%, we estimate 2-5% • Minimizing first cost is not always the best decision • Jefferson Green: 5% premium, 5 year payback • Invested in envelope and systems • Lower bills than previous building (1/3 the size) • Utility cost of $0.70/sf (instead of $2/sf)
• Costs include: • USGBC fees of 3.5 cents/sf • Fees for LEED management, commissioning agent, energy modeling • Additional construction first costs
Costs & Benefits • What does this building save per year? – 6,290,000 kBtu energy – 858 tons CO2 emissions – 222,300 gallons of water indoors
