Building on LEED Improving the evaluation of ‘green bulidings’

Building on LEEDImproving the evaluation of ‘green bulidings’ Erika Larsen Kathryn King Likwan Cheng Alp Esener

Residential and commercial buildings are key contributors to energy use and environmental damage • Buildings are a key source of US energy use • 5 Billion gallons of potable water are used to flush toilets. • Typical jobsite creates 2.5 pounds/sf of solid waste. • 20% of fresh water species faced extinction over the last several decades. • Sourced from: www.dcp.ufl.edu/ckibert/Lectures/LEED_Intro_Spring04_042704.ppt and http://dls.state.va.us/groups/HousingCommission/Documents/2007documents/GreenBldg.pdf

LEED point system was develop to add greater transparency and structure • LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design • A point based site/design/construction certification system • Designed by US Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998 • Intended to be a “whole building approach” to take into account interactions in energy use/emissions within the building design • Define “green” by providing a standard for measurement • Prevent “greenwashing” (false or exaggerated claims) • Stimulate green competition • Reduce building’s impacts on the Environment • Raise consumer awareness Background Goals

LEED is a “menu-driven” system with 6 categories and 69 possible points

There are several benefits of the LEED model Overall (across building types) Economic • Initial premium is estimated under 5%, less with proper education • In one case study, market value increased $4 for every $1 invested in green improvements • In another case study, waste management and cleaning costs decreased from $1.87 to $1.16/sq. ft • Also linked to retail sales and workplace productivity increases (2-16%) Health & Safety • People on average spend 90% of time indoors • Contaminants indoors can be 2 to 5x worse than outdoors • Sickness as a result of improper cleaning estimated to cause more than $60-400 bn annually in productivity losses • Sourced from: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/users/groups/Facilities/HTML/departments/custodial/Sustainability-01-15-2007.ppt#273,10,Examples of Customer Value

As a result, LEED projects and USGBC memberships have steadily increased LEED Projects have increased steadily across all type of buildings And USGBC membership growth has reflected this expansion • Sourced from: http://dls.state.va.us/groups/HousingCommission/Documents/2007documents/GreenBldg.pdf

CurrentCritiques of LEED 2.2 • Inequitable points: • The LEED point system awards 1 point for most project items. • Does not weigh more cost-effective or energy efficient schemes more heavily. • Administrative drawbacks: • Can take up to 300 days to become certified. • Documentation can take up to 225 hours to fully complete and be verified. • LEED was initially designed to be a helpful tool, not a mandate

LEED 3.0 • A new version has been released for • public comment. • Our project will evaluate the energy and atmosphere section looking at : • Point distribution • Labs

LEED 3.0 Energy and Atmosphere LEED 2.2 LEED 3.0

LEED 2.2 Energy and Atmosphere Percent Energy Savings = Performance Baseline – Predicted Performance 100 x ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Performance Baseline

LEED 2.2 Energy and Atmosphere

LCC Method • Calculate costs based region, type of fuel used, over the life of the product. • Discount by a 4% rate. • Calculate the savings on an energy efficient product compared to a conventional product. • Sourced from : Energy Star Savings Calculator

LCC comparison • Two products that are both designed to provide an 18% energy efficiency. • However have very different economic impacts. • Sourced from : Energy Star Savings Calculator

LCA Method • The LCA method is calculated by looking at the all necessary inputs during the life of a product. • This number can is calculated by different software such as BEES TRACI or GABI. • The software is able to trace out different areas of interest such as energy input or GHG emissions over the life of the product. • Sourced from : BEES software. NOTE: A lower score is better

LCA Case study: PV solar panel • The energy used during the life cycle of the BOS is not included in the current LEED point structure. • Sourced from : GABI software

LCA Case Study: PC solar system • The GHG emission created during the life cycle of the BOS is not included in the current LEED point structure. • Sourced from : BEES software

LCA LEED point • The most sustainable LEED point system would weight according to the LCC (economic Impact) and the LCA (environmental impact) • Sourced from : BEES software

Costs and Benefits of LCC and LCA Costs Benefits

LEED For Laboratory Buildings? 85 16 14 Lab Office School Electricity Usage by Building Types (kWh/sf) • Laboratory buildings – • Energy intensive • More complex • Greater variability in operation schedules • LEED-Application Guide for Laboratories…under development.

Savings-Based LEED Point Allocation: Lab Fume Hood Energy Use as Function of Sash Position and Fan Power Based on LNBL Model

QUESTIONS?

Building on LEED Improving the evaluation of ‘green bulidings’