At a time when there is growing awareness of the effects of the environment on human health and safety, business leaders are taking a closer look at their physical plants and buildings. “Going Green” is becoming a key focus and central to many issues management is facing.
Surging Demand
FMI addressed green building in their 2008 U.S. Construction Overview, projecting $21.2 billion of all new nonresidential construction will employ the use of green-building principles—a 58 percent increase.
Some key factors that may be contributing to this growth include the unprecedented level of government initiatives, heightened residential demand for green construction, and improvements in sustainable materials.
Consumption of resources is an important consideration. According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings in the United States alone are responsible for:
• 39 percent of energy use
• 12 percent of water use
• 40 percent of raw stone, gravel, sand, and steel use
• 25 percent of virgin wood use
The USGBC also notes that buildings generate about 35 percent of municipal solid waste and 39 percent of carbon dioxide.
Green Building
Clearly, the built environment has a significant impact on our natural environment. Green building design principles apply environmentally-sensitive construction practices, healthy building materials, native landscaping, and energy- and water-efficient electrical and plumbing equipment. Thus, green buildings can lower operating costs, improve return on investment, and enhance occupant health and productivity. Recent studies indicate that green buildings cost premium of about two percent more to construct, but this amount is quickly recovered due to the associated operational savings generated. With potentially escalating energy costs, green building is recognized as both a smart business decision and a demonstrated commitment to community and environmental stewardship.
What is LEED Certification?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s (LEED) Green Building Rating System is a nationally accepted standard for measuring the effectiveness of green strategies used in buildings. Developed by the USGBC in 1999, LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health. They are:
· Sustainable site development
· Water savings
· Energy efficiency
· Indoor environmental quality
· Materials selection
LEED is a performance based system with four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Certification is achieved by earning credits in each of the five key areas.
ESIS Green Building Consulting Services
ESIS provides consultative services to clients working toward USGBC certification. Elements of the LEED Building Accreditation process that ESIS is qualified to offer include:
• Outside Air Introduction and Exhaust Systems
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
• Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring
• Increased Ventilation
• Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan
• Documenting Productivity Impacts
• Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control
• Controllability of Systems
• Thermal Comfort
• Daylighting and Views
• Contemporary Indoor Air Quality