Green Building 101 Fundamentals
Goals of the Seminar




Learn the fundamentals of sustainable
and green construction
Identify additional mechanical work
inherent in green construction
Use green construction to generate
additional volume and profit
Separate yourself from competitors by
exceeding client expectations
Sustainability
“Everyone talks about sustainability,
but no one knows what it is.”
Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert, founder of
the organization The Natural Step
What is Sustainability?
“Providing for the needs of the
present without detracting from
the ability to fulfill the needs of
the future”
ASHRAE GreenGuide
Sustainable v. Green

Is a sustainable
building a green
building?
• Footprints
Source: www.politicsonline.com
Green Construction

What comes to
mind when I say
‘Green Building’?
What is a Green/HighPerformance Building?

One that achieves high
performance over the full life cycle
in the following areas:
 Minimal energy consumption
 Minimal atmospheric emissions
 Minimal discharge of harmful wastes
 Minimal negative impacts of site
ecosystems
 Maximum quality of the indoor
environment
Green Building

Why is Green
Building an
emerging trend
and not just
another fad?
Environmental impact of
buildings*
• 65.2% of total U.S. electricity consumption
• > 36% of total U.S. primary energy use
1
2
• 30% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions
3
• 136 million tons of construction and demolition
waste in the U.S. (approx. 2.8 lbs/person/day) 4
• 12% of potable water in the U.S.
5
• 40% (3 billion tons annually) of raw materials use
globally 6
* Commercial and residential
Source: DOE1,2,3, EPA4, U.S. Geological
Service5, Lenssen & Roodman6
Water



1% is potable
2% is frozen
97% is salt
water
Source: U.S. Geological Service
Water use

Americans
extract
approximately
3,700 billion
gallons per year
more than they
return to the
aquifers
The Energy Crisis
Source: Uppsala Hydrocarbon Study Group
Business Issues – Future Trends
(Risk)

ASHRAE Improvements
to 90.1
• 90.1 to be 30% more
stringent than 2004
• Develop performance
based 90.1 (2010)
• Develop a water
conservation standard
• Develop a new
standard for
deconstruction of
buildings
Business Issues – Future Trends
(Risk)
90.1
Business Issues – Future Trends
(Risk)

ASHRAE Advanced
Energy Guides
• Complete All 30%
guides by 2008 winter
meeting
• Complete all 50%
guides by 2011 winter
meeting
• Complete all 70%
guides by 2016 winter
meeting
Business Issues - Future Trends
(Risk)

ASHRAE Research
• Develop economically viable applications of
renewable energy systems that produce:
•25% reduction in conventional energy
use (2012 annual meeting)
•35% reduction in conventional energy
use (2015 annual meeting)
•50% reduction in conventional energy
use (2018 annual meeting)
• Develop baseline data for IEQ (2008 annual
meeting
Ultimate Goal

Create ‘Net Zero Energy Buildings’
(NZEB)
A building that, on an annual basis,
draws from outside sources equal
or less energy than it produces on
site from renewable energy
sources.
Business Issues - Future Trends
(Risk)

H. R. 6 – ‘Clean Energy Act of 2007’
• Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)
• Specifies ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and
“future versions”

Energy Policy Acts of 2005, 2007
and Executive Order 13423
• Calls for net-zero energy use in federal
facilities by 2030
It follows………..
Why is ‘Green’ an
Opportunity?
“Clean-tech plays to
American’s strength
because making
things like
locomotives lighter
and smarter takes a
lot of knowledge –
not cheap labor.”
Thomas Friedman, ‘The
Power of Green’, April 15,
2007 International Herald
Tribune
Sustainability Today

Haven’t we always
been employing
“green” building
principles
anyway?
Examples?
History of sustainability

Which civilization made it a point to
layout whole cities to take advantage of
passive heating? In what direction did
the city streets run?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Greece
Rome
Egypt
Persia
Babylonia
Sustainability
What amazing improvement
did the ancient Romans
make to Greek architecture
so their homes (called
heliocaminus, i.e. house
furnaces) were far more
energy efficient?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Used cavity walls
Made domed roofs
Insulated the walls
Put transparent mica in the
windows
E. Honeycombed the floor
Sustainability
What clever “green”
concept did the Romans
utilize in their bathroom
layouts?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Recycled organics as compost
Used holding tanks instead of rivers
for disposal
Used stormwater run-off to flush
Used aqueducts for flushing
Used flow control devices to conserve
water
U. S. Green Building Council
(USGBC)
 A national, nonprofit organization
founded in 1993
“To promote the design and
construction of buildings that are
environmentally responsible,
profitable, and healthy places to
live and work.”
U. S. Green Building Council
 Developer and administrator of the
LEED® (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) Green Building
Rating System
 Voluntary, consensus-based national
standard for developing high-performance,
sustainable buildings.
 Pilot program in 1998
 Version 2.0 released in 2000
 Version 2.2 is current
 Version 2009 (Due in January)
LEED® Products

LEED-NC: LEED for New Construction and Major
Renovations/Additions
•
•
•
•
•

LEED-EB: LEED for Existing Buildings: Operation
and Maintenance
•
•

Originally released in 2000
New release early in 2009
LEED for Schools
LEED for Retail (Pilot)
LEED for Healthcare (under review)
Originally released in 2004
Newest version released on Sept. 1 2008
LEED-CI: LEED for Commercial Interiors
•
Originally released in 2004
LEED® Products

LEED-CS: LEED for Core and Shell
•

LEED-H: LEED for Homes
•

Originally released in 2005
Originally released in 2007
LEED-ND: LEED for Neighborhood
Developments
•
Originally released in 2007)
Why Was LEED® Created?



Facilitate positive
results for the
environment,
occupant health and
financial return
Define “green” by
providing a standard
for measurement
Prevent
“greenwashing” (false
or exaggerated
claims)
Source: New York Times
Why Was LEED® Created?






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Use as a design guideline
Recognize leaders
Stimulate green competition
Establish market value with
recognizable national “brand”
Raise consumer awareness
Transform the marketplace!
Promote whole-building, integrated
design processes
Integrated Design

An integrated design produces a
cost-effective, high-performance
building wherein all systems and
components work together to
produce overall functionality and
environmental performance while
meeting the needs of the owner.
LEED® Certification


Performance-based rating system
to measure how “green” or
“sustainable” a building has been
designed and constructed
Points are earned by complying
with environmentally friendly
requirements
LEED®-NC Categories

Points divided into six categories
• Site Selection (SS)
• Water Efficiency (WE)
• Energy and Atmosphere (EA)
• Materials and Resources (MR)
• Environmental Quality (EQ)
• Innovative Design (ID)
LEED®-EB Categories

Points divided into six categories
• Site Selection (SS)
• Water Efficiency (WE)
• Energy and Atmosphere (EA)
• Materials and Resources (MR)
• Environmental Quality (EQ)
• Innovation in Operations (IO)
LEED-NC® Point Distribution
Proposed 2009 LEED-NC® Point
Distribution
ID 10%
EQ 15%
MR 14%
110 Points
EA 35%
WE 10%
SS 26%
LEED-NC v2.2 versus LEED
2009
LEED-EB® Point Distribution
IO 7%
EQ 21%
92 Points
MR 15%
EA 33%
WE 11%
SS 13%
1
LEED-EB v 2.0 versus
Operation and Maintenance
LEED NC Certification Levels
LEED NC – 7 Prerequisites and 69 Total Points
LEED-NC 2009 Certification
Levels
80
60
80
70
60
50
40
50
40
30
20
10
0
Certified
Silver
Gold
Platinum
LEED 2009 – 7 Prerequisites and 110 total points
LEED-EB: OM Certification
Levels
90
68
80
70
Points
60
50
51
43
34
40
30
20
10
0
Certified
Silver
Gold
Platinum
LEED EB – 9 Prerequisites and 92 Total Points
LEED Online Registration
and Certification
LEED®-NC/EB Credits
Site Selection
Handout 1
LEED-NC® Point Distribution

Fact:
•

For NC, 42 of the 69 possible points
are directly related to mechanical
systems or mechanical construction.
For EB, it is 55 of 92 possible points.
Conclusion:
•
LEED construction represents a
tremendous opportunity for our
industry
A Commitment to Focus on
Opportunity