LEED-NC version 2.2 rating system applications of common structural materials

Maher, J.E., Kramer, K.W.. LEED-NC version 2.2 rating system applications of common structural materials. 2007. Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies, Taylor and Francis Group.Comprehensive understanding of building materials has been the basis of structural engineering. The rising environmental concern is making sustainability a crucial issue in our society. In creating a sustainable built environment, the architect usually takes the lead role with the mechanical engineer having the key responsibility for energy and water savings. Only recently have structural engineers and civil engineers begun to see the real potential of their contributions. This paper contains information pertaining to the four most common structural materials: reinforced concrete, reinforced masonry, steel, and timber. For each material, the sustainability of the material as defined by the LEED-NC Version 2.2 rating system is discussed. Information is provided on how to attain LEED points for a specific material. Whether the LEED-NC Version 2.2 rating system accurately portrays sustainability of common structural materials or needs further development is discussed in the conclusion. A comparison is provided of the four common structural materials in relation to the rating system

Is a Green Building an Energy Efficient Building?

Is a “green building” an energy efficient building? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is “not necessarily.” As the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) notes, green building rating systems are flexible, and buildings with poor energy efficiency may be certified “green.” Accordingly, how do green rating systems address energy efficiency and what rating system is best suited to controlling operating costs in affordable housing projects? To answer this question, I will examine three rating systems commonly associated with green building and affordable housing. First, I will examine the U.S. Green Building Council’s (“USGBC”) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”) rating system, which is arguably the industry standard for green building. Second, I will look at Enterprise Incorporated’s Green Communities program. The Green Communities program is a private sector initiative dedicated to providing funding for green affordable housing. Third and finally, I will discuss the federal government’s Energy Star program

The Research on Sino-US Green Building Rating System

AbstractThis paper describes the more commonly used domestic and international green building rating systems and details of the evaluation of U.S. LEED, its old and new versions, the trend of improvement in LEED; Compared Chinese “Evaluation Standard for Green Building” (GB/T 50378-2006)with the LEED2009, the paper points out their shortcomings, and identify the existing differences between them. Then comes out the conclusion that LEED2009 is still target to the U.S. buildings, Chinese engineers should learn from its advantage, make use in our evaluation of green building, which is suitable for China's actual conditions. But we make full use of Chinese buildings of the LEED rating system is not appropriate. Finally, we make a suggestion for “Evaluation Standard for Green Building” that we should add incentives for new energy sources can effectively develop our new energy, give a positive role in environment protection

Can We (Anti)Trust LEED?: An Analysis of the Antitrust Implications for the Green Building Movement

Sustainable construction and energy efficient structures are en vogue, and a “green building movement” has produced buildings all over the country and the world that are constructed from sustainable, energy efficient materials meant to minimize the building’s impact on the environment. A leader in this movement is the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a private, non-profit organization that stresses sustainability in all areas of construction. The USGBC’s flagship work is a rating system called Leadership in Environmental Design (LEED) that measures and endorses the sustainability of a building. The success of this movement in general and the LEED rating in particular could be compromised, however, by the possibility of antitrust liability deriving from the widespread adoption of the LEED standard. This Note examines the green building movement and relevant antitrust case law and recommends ways that the USGBC can avoid antitrust scrutiny and continue its important work

Influence of insulating materials on green building rating system results

This paper analyzes the impact of a change in the thermal insulating material on both the energy and environmental performance of a building, evaluated through two different green building assessment methods: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Istituto per l'innovazione e Trasparenza degli Appalti e la Compatibilità Ambientale (ITACA). LEED is one of the most qualified rating systems at an international level; it assesses building sustainability thanks to a point-based system where credits are divided into six different categories. One of these is fully related to building materials. The ITACA procedure derives from the international evaluation system Sustainable Building Tool (SBTool), modified according to the Italian context. In the region of Umbria, ITACA certification is composed of 20 technical sheets, which are classified into five macro-areas. The analysis was developed on a residential building located in the central Italy. It was built taking into account the principles of sustainability as far as both structural and technical solutions are concerned. In order to evaluate the influence of thermal insulating material, different configurations of the envelope were considered, replacing the original material (glass wool) with a synthetic one (expanded polystyrene, EPS) and two natural materials (wood fiber and kenaf). The study aims to highlight how the materials characteristics can affect building energy and environmental performance and to point out the different approaches of the analyzed protocols

The Application of LEED Green Building Rating System in Indonesia

Abstract: This paper aims to presents the evaluation of the applicability of LEED green building rating system to certify green building projects in Indonesia. This paper will present the detailed analysis of LEED for New Construction (LEED NC) using LEED 2009 as a reference. LEED NC version 3 includes seven main categories i.e. sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, material and resources, and indoor environmental\ud quality, innovation and design process, and regional priority credits. However, only the first five categories are evaluated here. This is because the 6th category is only the extension of the five categories and the 7th category only applied for projects located in the United States. Each category, it has at least one prerequisite, which has to be satisfied by the project in order to be eligible for the certification. The analysis shows that the application of\ud LEED NC in certifying projects in Indonesia will be very challenging task. Because the LEED system was design for the U.S., consequently all standards and guidelines refer to the U.S. system. It is also based on the U.S. building design and construction practices. This will make very hard for the buildings designed and constructed according to Indonesia condition to adopt this system. For example, in the energy efficiency, the building should be designed according to ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007. Therefore, the author suggests the green building council of Indonesia to develop a new green building rating system based on the local context (e.g. design and construction practices and regulations in Indonesia) and involved all stakeholders??? participation

Greening Historic DC: Challenges and Opportunities to Incorporate Historic Preservation into the District\u27s Drive for Sustainable Development

This paper focuses primarily on the District of Columbia, a city with a robust past and a bold agenda for a sustainable future. However, it may not be obvious why historic preservation - a movement typically concerned with aesthetics - can play an integral role in a city\u27s sustainability initiative. Therefore, this paper first sets forth the basic argument why historic preservation can be a tool to promote sustainable development. Part II examines the scientific data indicating that historic preservation is a green building practice. Next, Part III posits that investment in historic districts is an investment in sustainability. Then, Part IV gives an overview of the recent efforts by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to bolster this argument, including the National Trust\u27s collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council, which has yielded significant changes to the LEED rating system. The remainder of this paper focuses on the efforts of the District. This paper identifies challenges and opportunities for the city\u27s historic preservation program as the city commits to a sustainable future