Question:

Can you explain how I would obtain a minimum green certification for a new 5000 square foot concrete building. I get conflicting answers but not sure if this is obtained from credit points and who actually issues the certification.

Answer:

Belinda A. Morrow, LEED AP and Leonard Morrow, MPA:

There is a minimal but excellent certification process for a green building. The ENERGY STAR program, whose certificate is issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a system wherein buildings achieving a rating of 75 or higher through professional verification to meet current indoor environment standards, qualify for ENERGY STAR certification and display the ENERGY STAR plaque to convey superior performance to visitors and occupants. Highlighting the ENERGY STAR certified buildings in your portfolio sends a positive message to lenders, appraisers, investors, and potential tenants.

Paul’s decision to use concrete as a building material demonstrates that he is building a sustainable structure which will pass the test of time. Ancient Rome built concrete coliseums and basilicas some of which still stand as testament to its durability, reducing the need to rebuild structures every 50 years as we do in modern society. I prefer building with Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) systems for residential and commercial construction because they are stronger, safer, quieter, energy efficient and environmentally friendlier than stick building. Exceptional results are achieved by some ICF manufacturers such as almost no air leakage, and; elimination of mold, mildew, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in traditional construction.

What makes an ENERGY STAR® certified building?

An ENERGY STAR building uses 30 – 40% less energy for heating and cooling than traditional construction. Common features of ENERGY STAR buildings include:

• Improved insulation with better air sealing
• Energy-Efficient windows with Low-E coating and a U .35 or less
• Tightly sealed air ducts using mastic on seams and joints
• Highly efficient, properly sized heating and cooling equipment

Applying for an ENERGY STAR® certification

ENERGY STAR uses Portfolio Manager software to track and benchmark energy use for approximately one year. The benchmark, called a national energy performance rating, which measures Building Designation, Operating Characteristics, and Energy Data, is expressed on a scale of 1 to 100.

Building Designation

The energy performance rating system compares your building to its peer group of similar buildings in the nation. This peer group is identified through the Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), a nationally representative survey conducted by the Department of Energy. To identify your building's group of peers, more than 50% of the building's gross floor area (excluding parking lots and garages) must be defined by one of the following space types: Bank/Financial Institutions, Courthouses,Hospitals (acute care and children’s), Hotels, K-12 Schools, Medical Offices,Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants, Offices, Residence Halls/Dormitories, Retail Stores, Supermarkets or Warehouses (refrigerated and non-refrigerated).

Operating Characteristics

Portfolio Manager uses data on key operating characteristics for each space in a building. There are minimum and maximum thresholds for these values. These limits are designed to insure that the building falls into an operation pattern consistent with that of the peer group used for comparison. To be eligible for a national energy performance rating maximums and minimums include:

• Gross floor area of the building (excluding garage and parking lot) must be at least 5,000 square feet.
• All buildings, except K-12 School, must be in operation at least 30 hours per week
• All Office, Bank/Financial Institution, and Courthouse spaces must contain one personal computer
• Each space must contain at least one worker during the main shift (excluding Hospitals, K-12 Schools)
• The user must enter at least 11 consecutive months of data for all of the operating characteristics

Energy Data

To receive an energy performance rating, energy meters that account for all energy use (regardless of fuel type) in the building must be included. To insure accurate analysis, EPA applies the following limitations on this data:

• There must be at least 11 full consecutive calendar months of energy data for all active meters. If there are multiple meters, there must be 11 consecutive and overlapping months.
• No individual electrical meter entry can be for a period longer than 65 days

Other Building Certification Programs

Paul gets different answers about certification for high performance buildings because there are several ways of achieving it. A glance at other green building certifications though, reveals processes that are far more expansive than the Energy Star rating system. For example, the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Rating System™ is a complex and detailed system that continually changes to include updates by building type such as: LEED NC (new construction), LEED EB (existing building) and Operation & Maintenance, LEED Core & Shell, LEED ND (neighborhood development) and LEED Homes. The new LEED NC 3.0 Rating System was launched this week with updates that can be found on www.usgbc.org.

Other building certifications include the National Green Building Certification that uses the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines; the Energy Value Housing Award Guide; the EnerQuality's R-2000 Environmental Excellence Award, and; Casaclima-Klimahaus, a combination of the LEED system and the standard energy efficiency certification in Europe. Class C is the minimum performance level. The assessment is not performed on the design, or during the construction phase, rather the inspection takes place at completion, leaving total freedom and responsibility to the designers and builders during construction. The certified building receives a certificate and a plaque.

If you would like more information please contact us at www.2mdesignconsultants.com.

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