Achieving LEED certification for a building is the ideal beginning to sustainability efforts. But, to stop at certification would be akin to an athlete training to peak condition, qualifying for the Olympics, and showing up to compete in a stadium without any spectators. The LEED Certification process “trains” a building to perform at optimal levels. Owners and occupants must put the building to the test and verify levels of performance.

How do owners and occupants account for what is happening within the building to ensure that performance standards are met? How will they extend sustainability principles into the ongoing operations of the building?

LEED Certification – Now What? Listed below are five steps to follow after LEED certification to extend sustainability and performance beyond the plaque on the wall:

• Develop a plan to ensure that the building continues to minimize environmental impact. A long-term sustainability plan must take into account what is happening within the building. Putting a green team in place is a good start to set goals, establish and manage processes, evaluate impacts, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Be accountable to the plan by integrating it into core strategies. Adopt a reporting process to document and communicate goals and results both internally and externally.
• Measure all aspects of building operations on an on-going basis to monitor performance and plan corrective action. Go beyond water and energy management to address waste management, recycling, life cycle assessment, and green purchasing policies.

Building commissioning is a process that seeks to improve the performance of building systems and equipment through planning, documenting, testing, adjusting, and verifying. Major building systems that are typically commissioned include lighting, HVAC, hot water, renewable energy, and building envelope. Although building commissioning is a prerequisite for LEED, this quality assurance-based process can be applied continuously throughout the life of a building.

The USGBC expects to strengthen the guidelines for commissioning in the updated LEED standards that are targeted for release some time in 2013.

At this year’s Greenbuild Conference & Expo, there was a strong focus on making LEED more performance-based. The goal is to close the gap between LEED’s projected energy consumption for a building and its actual performance. Industry leaders were asking, “How can we make it easier to validate performance?” Scott Horst, senior vice president of LEED at the USGBC, introduced a new concept that would give building operators and occupants access to real-time data to indicate how a building is performing at any moment in time. Horst is among those who are supporting the development of a program to install LEED dynamic plaques in LEED-certified buildings. A LEED dynamic plaque would replace the typical LEED plaque in a building with one that displays real-time energy usage of the building. This plaque is currently in development and will validate performance in five categories. It will also serve to alert building operators of any potential problems. Stay tuned for more on this exciting performance monitoring innovation and other changes from the USGBC to promote performance.

• Continuous education and reminders for building operators and occupants are a critical part of any building’s sustainability strategy. As technology advances and systems improve, it is important that users are trained to operate systems to their full potential and address any problems. In addition, occupants must be mindful of their own consumption within the building.
• Maintain the building properly according to system requirements, warranties, regular visual inspections, and test results.

LEED certification sets the foundation for energy efficiency and sustainability but does not guarantee performance. While the USGBC continues to take steps to integrate performance into the LEED process, it is up to building owners and occupants to extend their commitment beyond certification to monitor, maintain, and manage building operations. Establishing a process for continuous performance evaluation and corrective action is key to getting the most from LEED certification. 

Water and energy are intertwined, which leads many to refer to them as the water-energy nexus. Energy production requires water, and supplying water to the general population requires energy. The conservation and proper management of these resources are imperative to maintaining a balance between energy demand and limited resources.

When tasked with finding a solution, one thing comes to mind: energy conservation. The key is to start changing the perception of “green” and “sustainability” by encouraging consumers to view these as strategies aimed at energy efficiency and cost savings.

How does one go about changing people’s perceptions when they have been taught for generations to think about energy the same way? Easy. Begin with setting guidelines. Establish regulations to dictate how every new project can approach sustainability, and educate the general population about the benefits they can reap from energy efficiency and sustainability.

1. Integrate green building strategies into minimum zoning requirements.

Green building techniques benefit the environment, the health of the building occupants, and the investment of the building’s owner. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system offers a comprehensive standard to guide building design and construction. One of the most important credit categories within LEED to help minimize the energy-water nexus problem is the Materials and Resources section. Specifically, the Building Reuse, Material Reuse, and Recycled Content categories would help balance water and energy use. Both Building and Material Reuse require the reuse of construction materials, thus keeping unnecessary trash out of the landfills and decreasing the demand for the purchase of new materials. This represents a cost savings for the project and a decrease in the amount of resources used for the production of new materials.

Teaching the general public about green building options is only part of the battle. We need people to begin implementing these strategies in their own lives. One way to inspire change is to offer financial incentives, such as tax breaks to LEED Certified buildings. These incentives, coupled with potentially lower operating costs, make up for the extra costs associated with sustainable design. Save money and help the environment; it’s a win-win situation. A “no-brainer.”

2. Conduct energy efficiency audits on existing buildings to determine ideal retrofitting recommendations.

The easiest way to help minimize the energy-water nexus problem is to optimize the performance of residential and commercial buildings.

An energy auditor evaluates the building as a whole, takes into account how all systems interact, and provides a room-by-room assessment of a building’s energy use in order to make recommendations for improvement. Retrofitting a building for energy efficiency can provide a 5% to 30% savings on energy bills and reduce its overall energy use.

3. Implement sustainable practices in business models.

The novel idea of corporate sustainability stems from a business need to establish cost efficient practices that complement social responsibility. Recently, a U.S.-based organization launched the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) to push businesses to strive for sustainable practices and hold them accountable.

SASB will provide sustainability reports from publicly traded companies to investors. In the near future, this will help investors make smart business decisions by highlighting the companies that are committed to optimizing processes and reducing environmental impact. Corporate sustainability is a key component to changing the general population’s perception of energy use.

Implementing these three concepts into everyday practice will significantly help the water-energy nexus problem and highlight the need to plan for the future now. The earth’s precious resources are quickly decreasing, and it is imperative to start drafting regulations that encourage sustainable practices and promote environmentally friendly agendas.

This post is participating in the Engage: The Water-Energy Nexus Blogging Contest hosted by Masdar in honor of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability week.

Humanscale London welcomed 60 guests to their ergonomics showroom for a panel discussion to debate international green building standards: LEED, BREEAM and Ska for commercial interiors. The debate was organized and moderated by Kurt Fernandes, Humanscale London A+D Manager.

James Parker of BSRIA, the Building Services Research and Information Association (UK), presented an overview of BREEAM, the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method. BREEAM is the oldest of all three rating systems as BREEAM for New Construction of Offices was first launched in 1990. Since that time, BREEAM has developed many different rating systems for a variety of building types including courts, data centers, and prisons. Other “schemes” exist for refurbishment, in-use and communities. Bespoke or custom versions of BREEAM were created for the London 2012 Olympic Park and its venues. Mr. Parker concluded his remarks by stating that BREEAM has borrowed the innovation category from LEED, to reward projects that take green building to the next level.

Elina Grigoriou presented Ska, developed by RICS, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. The Ska Rating helps landlords and tenants assess fit-out projects against a set of sustainability good practice criteria. It is estimated that 11% of UK construction spending is on fit-outs and that buildings may have 30-40 fit-outs during their lifecycle. Ska has made available a free and open-to-all software tool for designers to design, specify, rate and certify. Ms. Grigoriou emphasized that the Ska rating is different than LEED for Commercial Interiors because Ska is not tied into LEED’s Location and Transportation credits. Ska is based upon industry feedback that indicated attempts to use whole building systems for certification of fit-out were unsatisfactory both in terms of high costs and low relevance.

Joan Mahon of Everblue presented LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is utilized in 135 countries and over 50% of LEED projects are international – outside the US. Ms. Mahon discussed the LEED to BREEAM equivalency under development. According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), this initiative is to better serve projects teams working globally and using multiple green building rating systems. Therefore, the USGBC is exploring commonalities between LEED and other systems that share the same mission, intent, effort and demonstration of leadership. A BREEAM project which maximizes points in Energy Efficiency: zero net CO2 emissions, will earn maximum points in LEED for categories in Energy and Atmosphere: Optimize Energy Performance, On-Site Renewable Energy and Green Power. Both standards inspire project teams to design for carbon footprint reduction.

From left to right: Joan Mahon, Everblue; James Parker, BSRIA; and Elina Grigoriou, designer and Ska Development Partner at the Humanscale London showroom.

BREEAM vs. LEED – The Debate

Earlier in the week Humanscale hosted a two-day LEED Green Associate class taught by Everblue. Design professionals from London and Paris attended along with Humanscale Account Managers.

The Everblue LEED Green Associate class offers a two-day intensive overview of LEED including the core concepts and the process of LEED certification. Humanscale Account Manager Natalie Hodson shared with the class an Innovation in Design credit known as the Comprehensive Ergonomics Policy and Program. Humanscale developed this Innovation in Design credit for the Commercial Interiors LEED rating system. Humanscale has also worked with the USGBC to develop a LEED Pilot Credit for an Ergonomics Strategy. The purpose of this credit is to promote the health, comfort and productivity of occupants by improving the fit between the worker and the work environment through workstation enhancement and training. If you are interested in hosting a corporate class, call (800) 460-2575.

Left: Joan Mahon, Everblue and Kurt Fernandes, Humanscale London A+D Manager. Right: Tony Knight and Gill Parker, Joint Managing Director of BDG. Mr. Knight attended the two-day LEED Green Associate class held earlier in the week.

As the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks takes place this week, development on the new World Trade Center site continues to move forward, with rebuilding processes in perpetual motion. One World Trade Center, along with Towers 2, 3, and 4, are all being developed with the goal of achieving LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The inclusion of sustainable features in the design of these buildings will not only ensure energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact but will also serve as an example of American ingenuity and progress toward the future. Planned features for the buildings include:

• Outside views from more than 90 percent of occupied spaces (Environmental Quality Credit 8.2 – Daylight & View)
• High-efficiency plumbing that will reduce water use by a minimum of 30 percent (Water Efficiency LEED Credit 3.2 – Water Use Reduction, 30% Reduction)
• Low VOC paints (Materials & Resources LEED Credit 4.2 – Low Emitting Materials, Paints & Coatings)
• Rainwater harvesting systems (Can be applied to numerous credits under the Water Efficiency credit category)
• Preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles (Sustainable Sites LEED Credit 4.3 – Alternative Transportation, Low Emitting & Fuel Efficient Vehicles)
• The use of sustainably harvested wood (Materials & Resources LEED Credit 7 – Certified Wood)
• Facilities for employees that choose to bike to work (Sustainable Sites Credit 4.2 – Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms)*
• Renewable energy power sources (Several LEED credits under the Energy & Atmosphere credit category)*

*Applicable only to One World Trade Center

Once these buildings are completed, New York City will once again become a city that embraces progress and innovation, while simultaneously serving as a beacon of inspiration in the United States and the world. For more information about the rebuilding effort, visit the official World Trade Center website, which provides up-to-date images, videos, and news.

LEED Certification is an in-depth process that requires building owners and project managers to follow rigorous standards for green building and design. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a process that universally applied this detailed outline to more than one project? Enter the LEED Volume Program.

In the past, some organizations that worked hard to design and build green buildings opted not to pursue LEED Certification. They often used LEED credit categories as a checklist for developing a green building but found that the LEED Certification process was too costly and too reliant on paperwork.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has since created the LEED Volume Program, which is a smart solution for organizations planning to certify a large number of design and construction projects or existing buildings. According to the USGBC, this new program will dramatically reduce the costs associated with LEED Certification and still preserve the integrity of these well-known building standards.

The LEED Volume Program has three main goals, which include:

• Preserve the integrity of the LEED Certification system,
• Leverage uniformity in building design, construction, and management, and
• Encourage building owners to integrate LEED practices and documentation into organization-wide practices.

Before this program was developed, building owners had to decide if the LEED Gold, LEED Silver, and LEED Platinum certifications added value to their projects or if constructing edifices to LEED standards was green and noble enough. It seems the USGBC has made the decision easy by streamlining the process.

Additional benefits of the LEED Volume Program include increased asset value, a demonstrated public commitment to environmental stewardship, important opportunities to benefit from financial incentives, and reduced operating costs through lower resource consumption.

To Get Started

Interested organizations must apply to be a part of the LEED Volume Program by completing an application and submitting supporting documentation to assess readiness and compatibility with program requirements. The application is available on the USGBC website.

Upon acceptance into the program, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) will review the submitted prototype and ensure that plans are technically accurate, consistently implemented, and safeguarded by robust quality assurance measures.

After the prototype has been approved by the GBCI, project managers may begin working on all the volume projects. They must work on the projects for a minimum of three months following this approval. The GBCI will conduct random audits of a percentage of volume projects to ensure continued compliance.

Who Will Benefit?

Since LEED Certification has become the recognized and accepted standard for green building, this LEED Volume Program is likely going to have a large impact. More and more retailers are pursuing LEED Certification in an effort to lower expenses associated with construction, operations, and maintenance, while also attempting to garner support from environmentally-minded consumers.

I suspect organizations like Kohl’s, Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Lowe’s will all benefit from the LEED Volume Program. These nationwide retailers have constructed LEED certified stores in the past and may find this program to be an incentive to open more.

It looks as though there will be an explosion of projects seeking LEED Certification because of this program. Now is the time to be an accredited LEED AP! If you haven’t yet earned your accreditation, visit our LEED training page and find out how you can participate in the LEED Volume Program. Everblue also provides corporate training, so if you believe your organization could benefit from the LEED Volume Program, and you need knowledgeable LEED APs to manage the project, we can assist you with group training as well. We’re excited to see how many new projects will pop up as a result of this program!