Maximizing building performance: through environmental strategies. (People - Projects -...
At every industry event and in frequent conversations, an often-asked question among facilities professionals -- you, the Buildings reader -- is, "How can I get my hands around this whole environmental thing?"
You may not realize it, but you already are.
Every day in your
In other words, it's about performance.
Do you get sidetracked by what appears to be a "mystical" green philosophy? If so, ask yourself: Are you interested in best practices? In reducing costs -- without sacrificing occupant comfort? Do you keep a close eye on energy costs, consumption, and the bottom line?
Of course you do.
Don't underestimate your influence on this legacy of the buildings in which you are involved. Get back to basics. Fundamental values are green, are sustainable, are realizable.
Think about your vantage point. You are already making a difference.
Green: Who Gets It, Who's Got it, and Who's Getting Left Behind
The movement took hold slowly. First there were the rising voices of tree huggers that advocated the importance of saving the rainforest. Then there was Earth Day, giving birth to the recycling center and phrases like, "reduce, reuse, recycle." With an entire universe of existing buildings exceeding 4 million and the certainty of continued development forever on the horizon, the real estate industry has awakened to the importance of being green.
Today, awareness about environmental preservation means smart operations; energy efficiency; preserving the quality of indoor and outdoor air; and meeting local, state, and federal regulations. Building professionals who once thought it seemed too costly or compromised quality are taking a cold, hard look at thc bottom line and starting to unravel those green building myths.
While not everyone is building green, interest in the process is overwhelmingly high. In a survey conducted among building professionals in August 2002 by Buildings magazine and the Corporate Realty, Design & Management Institute, only one percent of respondents noted that green wasn't important.
If only it was as casy as believing. Knowledge is everything when it comes to establishing best practices, and becoming educated on how to lessen the impact of the built environment on our earth, air, and water is a constant challenge. When asked "How well are green design issues understood at your firm?", 63 percent of "Measuring the Success of Green" survey respondents said "Not at All" or "Somewhat." It seems that the road to under-standing is long, and not everyone is making the journey.
On the following pages, you'll read the perspectives of your peers - what they believe about green, what they're doing, and what challenges they're facing. Whether you can be counted among the many that are "Getting It" or those few who've "Got It," you're sure to relate to at least some of the statements you're about to read Enjoy!
Saving Water, Energy, and the Environment.
For the individuals at Trammell Crow Co., a Dallas-based provider of integrated, full-service property management services, making environmentally friendly decisions is just a part of smart operations and development.
"First and foremost, as an industry leader, it's incumbent upon us to continue to show excellence in our concepts and delivery so that we can continue to maintain and demonstrate to our clients and to our users, that we are the developer of choice. And being responsive to all aspects of state-of-the-art design and concepting -- including environmentally friendly practices - is essential to that," says Robert R. Abberger, principal, Trammell Crow Co., Tampa, FL.
Abberger's responsibilities, as one of the company's 15 area directors, have him overseeing all Trammell Crow development activities in the state of Florida. Living in an area that averages summer temperatures of 90 degrees F. puts a burden on cooling systems and makes efficiency imperative. During the recent development of a Tampa hotel for Marriott, Abberger and his team found innovative ways to save the client money, maintain high levels of indoor air quality, and reduce the load of conditioning needed. Rather than letting the mechanical system vent air-conditioned air out of the facility (a process that increases air-conditioning requirements), a system was devised to capture the cooled air as it was exhausted, and then feed it back through the air-conditioning system. "There was a huge and significant reduction in our energy requirement as a result of our ability to recapture and recycle that cool air," says Abberger. "It's something you don't normally think about, but is probably one of the most signifi cant green practices that one can do in the state of Florida."
Other innovative strategies developed by Trammell Crow's Florida group include water conservation initiatives, such as capturing the water collected from dehumidification. "An office tower can generate tens of thousands of gallons of water that are simply dumped into sewer systems. There is a wonderful opportunity to capture that water discharge and we've used it for irrigation," Abberger concludes. Environmentally friendly ideas like these are operational strategies that are both green and lean. According to Abberger, "In some instances, it doesn't cost you a dime."
In looking at the initial costs of environmentally friendly design, Abberger stresses the importance of performing a lifecycle analysis. "By way of example, when you're building a commercial building, it is cheaper to put air-conditioners on the roof in the short term. But in the longer term, it is more energy efficient and it is cheaper to, in fact, use cooling towers. So you always have to go through the cost benefit analysis in making those decisions," advises Abberger.
With a vast network of building professionals just a few keystrokes away, the Trammell Crow Co. takes full advantage of sharing best practices company-wide. For a business that emphasizes the importance of excellence for its clients, it's clear that environmentally friendly real estate is all about efficient operation, smart development, and responsible management.
Awareness: A Global Perspective
Support of environmental initiatives begins with awareness, education, and recognition. This year, Earth Day became an opportunity for many of the professionals involved in Deutsche Bank's U.S. Facilities Management operations to listen, learn, question, and discuss recycling, waste management, environmental standards, and sustainability practices among themselves and with some of New York City's most knowledgeable green practitioners.
Paul A. Magda, RPA, FMA, SMA, CFM, America's head of facilities management for Deutsche Bank, recalls: "Our goal was to educate the people involved in our portfolio - facilities/property management staff, landlords in our leased properties, cleaning companies, etc. -- to share with them an appreciation for sustainability. We're interested in sustainability as an organizational goal, and we're advancing recycling programs and other environmental strategies throughout the buildings we occupy.
As a speaker and organizer of the event, environmental consultant Richard Fuller, president of Great Forest Inc., New York city, brought a real-world perspective to the gathering. "Since 1989, our work for large corporations and landlords on sustainable issues is to help them find environmental programs that, first, do good for their own organizations and, second, are cost effective. We found that we could not be in business if we didn't have the economic incentive -- proving return to the bottom line for clients -- in front of us all the time." Great Forest (www.greatforest.com) provides its services internationally and for the facilities activities in more than 200 million square feet of space in New York city and surrounding areas.
"The purpose of this particular presentation was to get people to sense that sustainability has a very broad reach in its conceptual structure -- to see how recycling or energy-efficiency programs fit in a more global perspective," says Fuller, noting that the Earth Day attendees were able to "find the connection. Much of it is already in place in general building operations. It's just a matter of having that linkage that can make all the difference."
Key building operation practices, according to Fuller, that embrace the issues of sustainability -- many of which "are already in place in well-run buildings" -- include:
* Waste management and recycling -- reducing the amount of materials that go in the wastestream. Think in terms of "avoided costs."
* Energy use and energy management -- managing energy efficiency and reducing the amount of energy use as much as possible.
* Purchasing practices -- examining purchasing decisions to maximize the sustainability index, i.e., materials with recycled content, buying locally, etc. Also, looking at items that might have a toxic nature, such as cleaning materials, chemicals, and inks.
* Water efficiency -- minimizing the amount of water use/wastage through recirculating/recycling.
With Fuller's Australian heritage and Magda's awareness of Deutsche Bank's European roots and green practices, the two are proponents of bringing ISO 14001 -- the voluntary environmental initiative in which companies establish processes and targets for green compliance and work toward continuous company improvement -- to more prominence in the United States. "We've achieved [ISO 14001] in our European operations, so being a global financial institution we're looking to standardize as much as practical," says Magda. "We're going to continue to move in that vein and maybe ultimately set a high goal of achieving ISO 14001 for our operations here in the United States one day."
Federal Mandate, City Initiative
Citizens of Houston are well aware of the city's non-compliance with federal ozone standards. For the professionals providing operations and daily maintenance to the approximately 5.26 million square feet of owned and leased City of Houston facilities, energy consumption and the reduction of [NO.sub.x] emissions is a BIG priority. "We have to report to state agencies the efforts we are taking to reduce energy [consumption] by five percent every year, for the next five years," explains Tanwir Badar, deputy assistant director, Energy & Environmental Division, Building Services Department, City of Houston.
The aggressive goals put in place by the State of Texas' environmental agency, the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Committee, are aimed at bringing the city into compliance by 2007. The environmentally friendly (and energy-efficient) initiatives the city's Building Services Department has undertaken seek to lessen the impact of over 200 city buildings on the environment. Compliance with federal mandates isn't the only motivation for greening city buildings. "We're telling our people that when a firm like Gerald Hines' goes green, then it just makes sense. If commercial developers decide that green is the way to go, then obviously they're looking at the bottom dollar -- and if they can do that, then obviously the city can do that," explains Eugene M. Inouye, assistant director, Selections and Standards Section, Design & Construction Division, Building Services Department, City of Houston.
After discovering the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's) LEED rating system, Inouye is convinced of its usefulness in city buildings. "Nothing really got my attention until LEED came into being. I started attending some of these seminars and immediately saw the value to the city," he says. "We've just recently begun mandating to our project managers that we're going green. That has only been in effect for a couple of months, so not all of our projects are going green initially, but we have asked that all specifications incorporate those requirements."
For two years now, the Building Services Department has been using cool roof technologies. "We are shooting for somewhere around 50- to 70-percent reflectance so that the heat is not absorbed into the building, having a cooler effect," Badar explains.
New buildings will also have higher R-value insulation installed. Retrofitting lamps with more efficient technology is another of the city's energy reduction strategies. Paired with occupancy sensors tied into building HVAC, the savings really add up.
According to Badar, "There are continuous improvements being done in the building environment in order to save energy. When you save energy, you get an environmentally green building."
Delivering on Green
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has made a serious commitment to its green building program, established five years ago. According to James Binkley, architect, United States Postal Service, Arlington, VA, the USPS constructs demonstration buildings, tests these structures, and evaluates these buildings to discover which green practices are cost effective and beneficial. "We fold the best results into our ongoing design program," says Binkley.
The USPS has experimented with many green practices, from using plants to filter storm water to using biodegradable materials in construction. In addition to tracking costs and savings, the USPS also measures employee and customer response. Overseeing 40,000 facilities, Binkley's team is continually modernizing and building facilities, and sustainability is an important part of that process. He encourages facilities managers and building owners to consider green design in their own facilities.
"If there was one thing I would say to building owners, it is that green design can be cost effective. It is a chance to create healthy workplaces and contribute to the environment," says Binkley.
Being Green is Green
John Horn, Senior Environmental Specialist, Kansas City, MO-based Great Plains Energy Service/KCPL, on sustainability and environmental practices ...
Q: What does green mean to you?
A: The first thought that comes to mind is money, quite frankly. We found in the early days, the green chemicals cost more. They were green for the suppliers. Now, the suppliers are beginning to fill that market niche and we're finding that those products are no more expensive than anything else. And because of lower disposal costs at the other end, if there's any material left over, we save money. Being green is green for us right now. We're finding that we actually save money rather than spending money. It kind of raises my hackles when I hear somebody say, "Oh, we'll have to budget X number of dollars extra because we're going to go on this green program?" Well, not if you do it right.
Q: Are there certain organizations that you have used in your process of finding information?
A: In the Kansas City area, we have an organization: EEBN (Environmental Excellence in Business Network). It's the result of a not-for-profit organization here called Bridging the Gap. It [received] an EPA grant to start this networking, and it networks environmental professionals and other people in business [on] sustainability ideas; ideas on how to get things, how to handle waste-streams, and right now, we're starting to look at by-product production that can be used as raw material for other industries. We're trying to make matches there rather than having to dispose of these by-products. The whole purpose is to get people together to meet each other, to network ideas, and to just have a face and a name so they can talk.
Q: What initiatives has your company taken in terms of lessening the impact of your facility on the environment?
A: We've had huge initiatives in our power production side. On the office side, we remodeled and rebuilt our service centers and our home office. We went into low-energy lights and electronic ballasts. That allowed us to cut our air-conditioning load because of less heat being put off by the lights and the ballasts; not only the savings in electricity from the lights, you have the savings on the air-conditioning. That was significant. It was over 20 percent on the air-conditioning load. Then, we also went into longer-wear carpet, and we went into better glass and window systems to keep radiant heat from coming into the buildings. We also went to variable airflow in the air-conditioning systems so people could control and be more comfortable without just having to crank up the compressor.
Q: Why is sustainability important to you?
A: In our company, it's a matter of personal integrity. It starts at the very top of the organization with the CEO, and our last CEO made it one of the hallmarks of the administration -- to be a good corporate citizen, both in the community and in the environment. And we're not only thinking green, but we have proactive programs that we have funded to reintroduce endangered species that have died out in the area, and we've built wetlands. But on the commercial side, we do it in a way we can make and save money. It's been very comforting to work here and know that, at the very top, there's a sense of integrity. It's just a moral issue, quite frankly, and it should be for everybody.
Better Choices
Stephen Butterworth, regional energy manager, National Park Service, Seattle, represents energy management and water conservation for the operation, design, and renovation of the national park facilities. He is responsible for the energy management, water conservation, and fuel consumption of park vehicles for 64 national parks. No small feat in a park such as Death Valley, the largest national park in the continental United States, where facilities can be 100 miles apart.
"I do three things. I focus on technologies, I focus on facilities, and I focus on people, because it is getting people to understand they have the power to make choices, better choices, greener choices. That is where we will make the longest-lasting improvements on the programs. You can install all types of technologies, but if people still leave lights burning 24 hours a day, all you have done is cut down your waste," says Butterworth.
For example, at Yosemite National Park, the park service educated its staff on ways to cut energy consumption in addition to installing energy-efficient systems on-site. "The system became a springboard for better employee awareness," says Butterworth.
An ardent advocate of sustainability, he is a member of the Federal Network for Sustainability (www.federalsustainability.org), based in Washington, D.C., a collection of federal agencies from Alaska to Hawaii that share resources to promote sustainable opportunities, training, design, and operations. "Instead of every agency trying to reinvent the wheel, we can share and promote together," says Butterworth.
Butterworth likens his job to running a small city. Adds Butterworth, "Your world is drawn around you with a park boundary, but you realize if you are really into sustainable practices, there are not boundaries. We are part of the larger world."
Energy Efficiency = Productivity
Q: Houston-based Hines has been named ENERGYSTAR Partner for the third year in a row. Why has energy-efficient design been so important to the company?
A: Jeffrey Hines, president, Hines Interests LLC, Houston: Today, our focus is more on the guts of the building. Not that we don't still like great architecture, but in terms of where we're trying to be cutting edge, [we are] more internally focused on building systems, the amount of natural light that comes into a space, whether we use raised flooring, and whether we allow individual people at workstations to be able to control their own environment. It certainly is these types of things that affect energy cost.
We've seen studies where the efficiency or the productivity of people can be greatly increased by a greater percentage of fresh air and more natural light. The systems used to achieve that do cost a little bit more on the front end, but what we are trying to communicate to the brokerage community and the tenant community is that extra cost is peanuts compared to the extra work output that comes from an office with good fundamentals. A one-percent change in productivity dwarfs any other rent aspects or cost aspects. That's an area that we are putting a whole lot of study in to and trying to be pretty innovative in what we do.
An Integrated Approach to Sustainability -- From the Start
Kaiser Permanente is turning green, and its employees don't seem to mind.
Throughout this Oakland, CA-based national healthcare organization, facilities teams are integrating what they call "green building strategies" into all aspects of design and construction activities.
"We weave sustainable practices into our standards rather than viewing this as a separate endeavor," says Kathy Gerwig, Kaiser's director of both Environmental Stewardship and National Environmental, Health, and Safety. "We pursue environmentally responsible practices in alignment with our commitment to build quality and affordable healthcare facilities."
Green building measures being put into place at Kaiser's 29 medical centers and 423 medical offices are wide in scope. The company uses an integrated design process where multidisciplinary teams discuss opportunities and challenges from the earliest stages of planning and design. Teams review such things as site and building massing; water conservation, including water-efficient landscaping; building commissioning; erosion control; and use of recycled content in building materials, where appropriate, among other actions.
Standards also focus on the use of environmentally preferable materials and products that meet indoor air testing criteria, Gerwig says. However, there are challenges in achieving this.
Gerwig believes facilities professionals need to be better educated and more sophisticated in the questions they ask about green products. Products might have certain features that make them environmentally attractive, but you also need to look at the big picture, she says. "We've discovered that many products marketed as environmentally friendly do not meet our criteria," Gerwig says. "The challenge is to take into account the product's entire environmental impact over its entire lifespan."
For example, Kaiser is trying to phase out the use of vinyl because it contributes to dioxin pollution, Gerwig notes. Yet, many vinyl products are marketed as "green." Gerwig cites a few: Vinyl window coverings reduce energy use and are therefore considered green by energy standards. Recycled vinyl-backed carpet is considered green because it contains recycled content.
Gerwig says she and other decision-makers at Kaiser also have discovered that the needs of healthcare facilities limit product suitability. "Stain resistance is critical for us, and some environmentally friendly products do not possess that feature," she says. "This analysis of options requires data and information that are often not readily available, and time and resources are needed to analyze the data that does exist."
All new Kaiser facilities are getting greener product specs, particularly in California, where state-enforced seismic requirements are forcing those in the healthcare industry to renovate existing facilities and build new ones. In the next 10 years, Kaiser will construct between 15 and 20 hospitals and 40 and 50 medical buildings because of these requirements.
"It's an enormous job," Gerwig says. "And in order to have these be green buildings and make the right impact, we need to make our decisions early on. This means working with our suppliers to get the products we want so we can make the right choices for decades to come. And, what we're learning and applying in California, we're applying to all of our other locations, too."
Back to School
"Kent State University has always tried to be a good steward of natural resources by designing buildings that are energy efficient and building heating and air-conditioning systems that will reduce the overall utility needs of the campus, but, according to the current definition of 'Green Building Design,' we are still learning and reacting.
"For example, we have not yet initiated any new building design projects with 'Green Design' as a top priority. Green design is always mentioned as an important goal, but we have not risen to the level of evaluating all building materials and furnishings as is sometimes done.
"We do strive to design buildings that are efficient to operate and maintain. Because we also perform many improvements while the buildings are occupied, we choose materials that can be applied or installed without causing an occupant exposure problems (such as latex vs. enamel paint or water-based duct sealant vs. solvent-based sealant). We also design architectural systems, which will reduce the overall energy usage. Some recent examples are the solar shades on our Student Recreation and Wellness Center and the high-story glass within the power plant to allow natural light within the building.
"In new designs, materials that are environmentally friendly are looked on more favorably than those that are not, despite the fact that environmentally friendly products typically are more expensive. The benefits could include attracting students and staff, which hold green and environmentally friendly design as a high priority.
"The higher price, however, could impact the total scope of the project because a potential cost increase in a poor economy can potentially risk the entire project."
Thomas J. Euclide, PE, Director, Architecture and Engineering, Office of the University Architect, Kent State University, Kent, OH
Sustainable Buildings: Real Costs, Real Value
Facilities managers are often concerned that in trying to achieve "green" or "sustainable" design, they'll have to relinquish their buildings' aesthetic appearance or that their facilities will cost more to build and maintain. With all this talk, what are the real costs and consequences of going after a high-performance facility that is healthy for building tenants and occupants; visually, thermally, and acoustically comfortable; water-, energy-, and materials-efficient; easy to maintain; environmentally friendly; and safe and secure?
Professionals at Madison, WI-based PLANNING Design Build (www.planningdesignbuild.com) wondered the same thing. How can you make reasonable decisions regarding high-performance design if you don't have all the facts? With a long history of designing and building sustainable facilities, they realized that not much research was available regarding the costs of creating a high-performance building. "Our view is that sustainable design is the wave of the future," explains Ken Pientka, PE, COO, PLANNING Design Build. "As we assessed the market, we recognized that there was a lack of hard data regarding how much more it costs to design and construct a sustainable building. We decided that the best way to understand the true cost premiums was to redesign a recently completed building using sustainable design principles."
Using the Madison, WI-based TomoTherapy Headquarters medical technology center, which was completed in 2002, the PLANNING team designed a Concept Building to fit the remaining site space currently used to accommodate the TomoTherapy Building. Near twins, TomoTherapy and the Concept Building are virtually identical. The primary difference between the two: TomoTherapy was designed to be an energy-efficient, Class A office building, while the Concept Building was designed to achieve Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating program. The company wanted to see real results concerning first-cost premiums of a holistically designed, sustainable office building when compared to an energy-efficient office building, and wanted to develop an understanding of the cost differences at a building systems level.
Although it may seem difficult to compare an actual building with one that exists only on paper, PLANNING went to great measures to ensure that the evaluation was accurate. "Fully developed construction documents were used to competitively bid the Concept Building in January 2003, and [we] were prepared to enter into a general contract to construct the building based on the bid results," says Pientka. The team developed construction document-level drawings to make certain that all subcontractors had a clear set of instructions regarding requirements.
"We adjusted certain costs to ensure an 'apples to apples' comparison by accounting for unique differences in the two buildings caused by factors such as differences in the site or changes in building code," Pientka explains. PLANNING analyzed bid results to confirm that inflation wasn't affecting price. The team also met individually with many of the subcontractors to review their bids and confirm that they included all sustainable design features. "[The subcontractors] were generally open to and supportive of the sustainable design concepts, in spite of it being new to most of them," Pientka says.
The results of this comparison are encouraging: Although some upfront costs were higher in the Concept Building, quantifiable energy cost savings compared to ASHRAE Standard 90.1 were approximately $1/square foot/year. Maintenance costs were lower due to high-performance materials that were designed to last.
"The key conclusion from this project is that a USGBC LEED Gold-rated building can be designed and built for about $4/square foot cost premium (compared to the TomoTherapy building), provided that holistic design principles are used," explains Pientka. "A sustainably designed building is affordable, as the $4/square foot cost premium adds about 50 cents/square foot to the annual rent. This appears to be a tremendous value considering the energy savings, reduced storm water runoff and increased groundwater recharge, improved indoor environmental quality and resultant improvements in employee productivity, and overall societal benefits.
"It is hard to quantify the benefits to employers that result from creating a sustainable space with outstanding indoor environmental quality," states Pientka. "There is a growing body of evidence that improved productivity, employee retention, and reduced absenteeism result from a workspace designed for sustainability. With labor costs averaging about $150/square foot/year, it's easy to see how a small improvement in productivity or absenteeism will quickly pay for itself.
"Societal benefits are also difficult to quantify. How does one put a value on capturing rainwater on-site and allowing it to recharge the local aquifer rather than letting polluted rainwater drain into a local lake?"
However, the company made decisions not to pursue a garden roof or raised flooring for the HVAC system while designing the Concept Building, citing that not every high-performance system is suitable for all facilities.
As Pientka points out, sustainable design doesn't come from employing a set of piecemeal changes, which create minor reductions in resource use and total life-cycle cost. It requires simultaneous consideration of all aspects of interlinked issues -- like site and climate, building orientation and form, and visual and thermal comfort -- to optimize all parts of the project. "In the end, an integrated approach often creates multiple benefits, allowing many sustainable buildings to cost minimally more than a standard building, even though some of their components may be noticeably more in cost," emphasizes Pientka.
Comparison Shopping?
TomoTherapy Headquarters
LEED[TM] Scoring 11 points
Storm Water Mgmt. Modest use of low
islands; overland swale;
roof garden
Glazing Higher-performance glass
optimally selected for
each orientation
Lighting 1.5 watt/sq. ft. --
Indirect T5 HO lighting
with dimming ballasts and
standard efficiency
fixtures (88% efficiency)
Water Use Met 1992 Energy
Policy Act guidelines
Site Turf grass
Flooring Principally broadloom
carpet
Concept Building
LEED[TM] Scoring 45 points (Gold)
Storm Water Mgmt. Maximized use of free
green area onsite to
control runoff; silver
reflective roof
Glazing High-performance glass
optimally selected
for each orientation
Lighting 0.75 watt/sq. ft. --
Indirect T5 HO lighting
with dimming ballasts and
high-efficiency fixtures
(93.8% efficiency)
Water Use Reduced base building
water use by 30 percent
vs. 1992 Energy Policy
Act
Site Rain gardens
Flooring Principally carpet tiles
with substantial
recycled content
SOURCE: PLANNING DESIGN BUILD
Office Buildings: More than Marketing at Herman Miller.
In Zeeland, Ml, employees at Herman Miller's MarketPlace can attest to the company's commitment to the environment. They work in a building constructed with "green" in mind. "It's part of our core values as a company to focus on sustainable design, not only in our products, but also in the environments that we occupy. And so it was very key to us that even though this would be a leased facility, that it further an environmental agenda," says Lori Gee, site lead, Workplace Strategy and Facilities, Herman Miller Inc., Zeeland, Ml.
Teaming with the owner/ developer, the Granger Group of Companies of Lansing, MI; Grand Rapids, MI-based Integrated Architecture; IA Interior Architects, Chicago; and contractor, Triangle Associates of Walker, MI, Herman Miller's vision was realized and the two-story, 95,000square-foot office building, MarketPlace, was recently completed. Construction time for the facility was a mere six and-a-half months, due to the intellisys [TM] process (www.thegrangergroup.com/intellisys), a strategy developed by the Granger Group of Companies that delivers flexible and efficient facilities economically, and in short periods of time. Construction costs for MarketPlace were approximately $89 per square foot - one-third less than Herman Miller's typical reference points. Operating costs are running at 41-percent below other Herman Miller facilities as well.
When the facility applied for LEED certification, it was awarded an extra point for exceeding the requirements for recycled content. The steel frame building has a pre-cast concrete facade that included fly ash in the concrete mix. Composite boards composed of agricultural fiber waste cover walls. Carpets, drywall, and acoustical ceilings also contain recycled content.
Ask building occupants if their building is Class A, and they'll undoubtedly answer, "Yes." Architects at Integrated Architecture worked closely with Herman Miller to deliver a facility that lives up to Class A standards -- without the marble and other high-end finishes typical of Class A buildings. "We've basically tried to redefine to some degree what are considered luxuries in the office building environment. We placed a high value on natural light. We placed a high value on healthy interior finishes, [and] healthy products on the inside," explains Michael C. Corby, executive vice president and design principal, Integrated Architecture, Grand Rapids, MI.
It's a win-win situation for occupants and operators. The daylight-infused space (transmitted through 12-foot windows), non-off-gassing materials, intense monitoring for carbon dioxide, and an efficient mechanical system maximize comfort for Herman Miller's MarketPlace employees. Their happiness didn't compromise building performance, either. "We achieved an energy performance level which is about 45to 50-percent higher than ASHRAE 90.1, which is the minimum that LEED sets as a prerequisite. Anybody that knows anything about energy performance will tell you that is a fairly extreme target to shoot for," Corby says. "We're really running at 37-percent below our operating costs at similar facilities. Thirty-seven percent! That's going to be over a million dollars over the life of the building - it's nothing to bat an eye at," Gee concludes.
Waterless urinals, low-flow washroom fixtures, and drought-resistant landscaping were implemented with water conservation in mind. Additionally, Herman Miller is investing in green power. "We have one of the first large [contracts] in the state," Gee explains.
Talk to MarketPlace occupants in their superior environment -- great indoor air quality, views to the outdoors, maximum comfort -- and they'll agree: Environmentally friendly design is the right thing to do.
Industrial Buildings: Driving Green at America Honda Corporation.
Interest in efficient and low-emission automobiles is nothing new. However, at the Northwest Regional Facility of American Honda Corp. in Gresham, OR, employees are seeing first-hand the company's environmental commitment manifest itself in more than just vehicles and combustion products. "Honda considers its environmental commitment to be one of its most important activities. Honda makes every effort to contribute to human health and the preservation of the global environment in each phase of its corporate activities, its products, its manufacturing, and its business practices. Our products have been on the leading edge of environmentally friendly practices for a long time ... it was a natural progression for Honda to take proactive measures in developing green operational facilities and office spaces," says Anthony Piazza, assistant vice president, HR and Administration, American Honda Corp., Torrance, CA.
The Northwest Regional Facility is a multi-use building, containing 18,825 square feet of office space; a 25,103-square-foot training center; and a parts warehouse that is 168,960 square feet in size. It's rare for industrial facilities to be built with the environment in mind, a fact that the U.S. Green Building Council also recognized when it awarded the facility its Gold LEED rating in September 2002. "We decided to design the building to go for the Gold. Honda's commitment, once we decided to go for the Gold, was 'no turning back,"' explains Robert C. Thompson, principal, Group Mackenzie, Portland, OR. A team approach drove the process, as did sustainability, functionality, and life-cycle costing.
The building team closely examined the site and early on determined a plan to manage storm water runoff. "Here in the Pacific Northwest, especially at this site and in the Portland area, we get a lot of rain. We thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase a rainwater harvesting system. So we designed the building's roof to capture rainwater and run it through a filtration system, and actually store that rainwater in a 100,000-gallon, below-grade tank," Thompson states. The captured rainwater is then used in the building's gray-water systems for flushing toilets and irrigating landscape plants. Additionally, when the annual mandatory flushing of the fire suppression system occurs, rerouted plumbing enables the tank to be replenished during the area's dry season.
To minimize the amount of water needed for landscaping, drought-resistant plants were incorporated into the plan. A drip irrigation system ensures that new plantings receive adequate water to begin a healthy growth cycle and is designed to be turned off once the plants are established. "The concept was to design an irrigation system that would use at least 20-percent less water than a normal broadcast or spray-type of irrigation," says Thompson.
The building's design also takes advantage of strong winds from the east. Thompson explains: "One of the things we wanted to explore was natural ventilation and passive cooling. By putting rotary fans on the roof, we could take advantage of the wind that is blowing out there 80 to 90 percent of the time." The wind blows the turbines, drawing warm air out of the office through large, gravity ventilators on the roof. Office occupants can make adjustments for personal comfort because external vents and raised access flooring draw air from outside, filter it, and adjust it to the proper temperature. The warehouse facility maintains 60 to 72 degrees F. temperatures year-round, due, in part, to heavy insulation. "This building was designed to use less than 40 percent of the normal energy for a building of this type, based on Oregon Energy Code. It's actually functioning higher than that. It's using 46-percent less energy. The payback on this building makes up for any additional costs," says Thompson.
A combination of well-designed artificial light and smart strategies that take advantage of daylight keep light levels up and costs down. The warehouse's 120 skylights render its artificial lighting unnecessary during sunny days, and interior light shelves allow daylight to penetrate deeper into the office area.
The facility is filled with products made from recycled content--from the carpet to the rubberized flooring made of old car tires. "We were able to use many recycled and recyclable materials for the interior finishes--including wallpaper that's made out of Japanese phone books," Thompson says. Conference tables made from pressed sunflower seeds, chairs of recycled car bumpers, recycled steel, concrete with fly ash content--nearly everywhere you turn, the building's construction, its finishes, and furnishings had a past life.
Smart design means sustainable design at American Honda's Northwest Regional Facility. "Since the completion of the Gresham Project, Honda has implemented green finishes at remodels and new construction across the country. A half-million-square-foot warehouse facility in Chino, CA, recently opened for business, and incorporated many green finishes, furniture, and light fixtures," Piazza says. American Honda Corp. has successfully navigated through the challenges of green design and is on the right path to furthering its environmental commitment long into the future.
Government Buildings: Integrating Sustainability at Cambria Office Building
"Solving the environmental issues of the 21st century will require new approaches, not only in the measurement of progress, but also in the means of achieving it. We must improve the way we do business together by promoting teamwork instead of accepting confrontation." Lofty ideals? Not for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which drafted this statement for its Final Report of the Pennsylvania 21st Century Environment Commission.
Pennsylvania, in fact, has been one of the most active states in promoting green design--and it's not just talk. In October 1996, Secretary James Seif of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection, in partnership with Heinz Endowments, challenged his staff and 909 Partners landlord to design and construct a Green Technology Model Project to house the agency's Southcentral Regional Office and set the standard for future Commonwealth facilities. (By extension, the Governor's Green Government Council was formed in 1998 to help the Pennsylvania state government adopt environmentally friendly operation policies and practices.)
Project No. 2--the 34,500-square-foot Cambria Office Building in Ebensburg, PA--followed with similar goals but with a more knowledgeable staff that was able to take lessons learned in the first project and refine them at Cambria. Of particular note: The project was designed utilizing a more focused systems integration process in order to minimize redundancies between systems, maximize their efficiency, and, thereby, downsize or entirely eliminate systems components. Selection criteria for systems and materials were based on life-cycle analysis, including comparisons produced on BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability from the National Institute of Standards and Technology [www.nist.org]) and computer-generated energy simulation models using PowerDOE software.
"In Cambria, we were able to basically retain the same design team," explains Jim Toothaker, former bureau director of the Department of Environmental Protection, Harrisburg, PA, and now practicing as an independent consultant in high-performance green building services in Etters, PA. "As a result, we had performance standards, which established an energy budget for the building, as well as performance criteria: no more than one ton per 653 square feet for the HVAC; relative humidity not to exceed 45 percent during the cooling season and no lower than 25 percent during the heating season; R-30 glazing and outside walls; an R-33 roof, etc."
Since the building's opening in November 2000, energy savings have been measurable--and significant. The team's holistic approach to "the big picture" means energy costs come in at around 81 cents/square foot annually, "compared to the average building in the United States, which costs $1.71/square foot annually for energy," notes Toothaker.
More significant, according to Toothaker, is the building's level of comfort. "What really makes high-performance green buildings [successful] are baseline kinds of things -- indoor air quality and daylighting, for instance, and people have every right to expect them. A building that's well-designed and properly put together -- that focuses on the really important people-oriented issues -- is going to be an extraordinarily comfortable building. Isn't that what we're really after?"
Low-energy Design and Renewable Energy at the Cambria Office Building
Site Selection and Orientation
The building is oriented on an east-west axis to take advantage of north-south solar exposures and minimize east-west windows. Small deciduous trees planted along the south side of the building help reduce a potential heat island effect, as heat emanating from the buildings and pavement can change the temperature in the surrounding area. To further protect the surroundings, the design limited the clearing of vegetation to minimal distances from the building perimeter. Pervious paving allows water to permeate it in order to recharge groundwater and reduce storm water runoff. Cut-off fixtures cast light downwards; low-wattage lamps are used in parking areas. This reduces power usage and light pollution.
Daylighting and Lighting
Innovative light shelves on south-facing windows reflect natural light deep into interior spaces, while at the same time, shading lower windows from direct sun, reducing cooling loads and glare. Integral roof overhangs shade second-floor, south-facing windows. Reflective ceiling tiles -- made from mostly recycled materials -- increase lighting levels. Daylighting is combined with overhead dimming light fixtures for ambient lighting. Occupants have access to task lighting in work areas. The lighting scheme reduces electrical energy use and cooling loads.
Energy
The building's utility bills are predicted to be low in part because it was designed with a highly efficient thermal envelope. Exterior walls are made from R-30 insulated concrete forms. High-density fiberboard roof decking laminated with an interior reflective surface and four inches of rigid insulation provide a composite roof insulation of R-33.
Premanufactured aluminum-clad wood, triple-paned windows filled with argon gas and coated by a low-emissivity (low-e) coating provide a full unit U-value of 0.29. Low-e coatings are thin, transparent layers of metal oxide that cover glass to suppress radiative heat flow. Raised access flooring provides an under-floor supply air plenum for displacement heating and cooling through floor-mounted diffusers.
A ground-source heat pump (GSHP) provides heating and cooling, as well as domestic hot water. A GSHP was selected based on simulations and evaluating criteria, such as lowest operation cost and net present value. A 14-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) array, mounted on the south-facing roof, and two sun-tracking PV panels also provide the building with renewable energy.
Materials
Building materials were selected based on several criteria: environmental impact and energy consumption of the product's production process; percentage of substantial recycled content or recyclability of material in each product; and whether the product came from a renewable resource.
Material systems use modular dimensioning -- standard dimensions for flexibility and variety -- which minimized construction waste. Some examples of materials selected for this building include recycled structural steel, fly ash-content concrete, high-density fiberboard roof decking made from 100-percent post-consumer recycled waste paper, a heatwelded thermoplastic olefin (TPO) roofing system fastened mechanically to reduce the use of solventbased adhesives, recycled nylon carpet tiles, recycled rubber floor tiles, sustainably harvested maple flooring, and solvent-free paints. Roughsawn hemlock wood siding on the exterior was harvested sustainably and allowed to weather, eventually coming to resemble some of Pennsylvania's century-old barns.
Educational Buildings: Learning to LEED at Third Creek Elementary School
How do you teach young people the importance of environmental stewardship? You build a school based on smart, sustainable design principles. That's just what Iredell County NC, did when it opened the doors of Third Creek Elementary Statesville, NC, on Aug. 5, 2002.
With the population of the metro Charlotte area growing rapidly, it became imperative that construction begin on a new K-12 school--a facility to replace two 60-year-old-plus school buildings. When the discussion commenced on the topic of the new building, the community, parents, and faculty became involved. Even some of the school board members had distinct ideas about the new school--one individual in particular, Mary Bruce McKenzie Serene, a Statesville citizen and mother. "I think it's important that we use every teaching method that we can for children to make them better citizens and certainly being in a building that is an environmentally friendly building is a good thing for students for a lot of different reasons. If it can be done within the same dollars that you would spend on conventional buildings, I don't see any reason not to," Serene says. With sustainability in mind, the team used the USGBC's LEED rating system as a guideline.
An effective storm water runoff program was initiated at the school, and includes a constructed wetland that filters suspended solids in rainwater before it leaves the site and goes into Third Creek, keeping the school from polluting water downstream. Grant applications have gone Out in order to increase the size of botanical gardens on-site. "The teachers are just amazed. They are integrating into the standard course of study ecology issues, recycling issues, or garden issues," says Rob Jackson, construction manager, Iredell/Statesville Schools, Statesville, NC.
The environmental commitment is obvious from the investment in sustainable building products at Third Creek Elementary. Materials containing recycled content accounted for 50 percent of the dollars spent on building materials. "The ceramic tiles, the carpets that were selected, [and] the fabrics that covered sound panels and operable partitions all had high recycled content," says Chris Venable, vice president, Moseley Architects, Raleigh, NC. The building's envelope incorporated an insulation product with a high R-value that is made from recycled newspapers. "The casework is made from wheatboard substrate rather than particle board, and the benefit of that is the wheat is a rapidly renewable material," Venable explains.
Water conservation was a priority at Third Creek Elementary. "To save water, we used low-flow fixtures, metered-type faucets, and waterless urinals," says Venable. These strategies and systems will reduce water consumption at the school by more than 30 percent. Systems that maximized efficiency, including highly reflective glazing, light shelves, and daylight optimization strategies, helped the building reduce the amount of energy consumed. "We have occupancy sensors in each room and if someone goes out of the room for more than 10 minutes, the lights go out," says Jackson. Additionally, classrooms have two sets of lighting, giving instructors the options to turn off banks of light when the daylight is sufficient. "The daylight comes in on a light shelf, it projects the light onto a highly reflective ceiling, and then broadcasts [light] throughout the room," Jackson explains. The school is expected to exceed ASHRAE 90.1-1999 requirements by approximately 25 percent.
The creation of a Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan ensured that indoor air quality would not be compromised during the construction process. "During construction, we had the contractor do things to protect the ductwork from being contaminated," says Venable, "[so that] the dust and dirt generated from construction would not be in the system and eventually blown out and into the lungs of occupants." Low- or no-VOC materials and installation processes were selected to maintain a superior learning environment for the school's 800 students.
Productivity enhancing, environmentally friendly, operational efficiency--the building definitely makes the grade. And that's not just rhetoric either.
Processes: Compliance is Everyone's Responsibility
Arnold, MD-based BOMI Institute (www.bomiedu.org), a leader in professional development and continuing education among professionals involved in commercial buildings, is bullish on environmental health and safety. So much, in fact, that the organization has developed a detailed course on the subject as part of its programs for obtaining the Real Property Administrator[R] (RPA[R]), Facilities Management Administrator[R] (FMA), and/or Systems Maintenance Administrator[R] (SMA[R]) professional designations.
Process begins in the learning environment, and is further developed, tweaked, and refined through real-world experiences and continuous input. It seems fitting, therefore, to excerpt the following from the Environmental Health arid Safety Issues coursework BOMI Institute provides to its students. Begin here, and then move forward ...
Today, environmental quality and health and safety are important to the quality of life and in creating an acceptable living and working environment. Building owners, managers, and employees must be aware of the conditions and circumstances that can adversely affect the environment of any building and its tenants and visitors. Problems arising from these conditions will have a negative effect on tenant satisfaction and occupancy, lead to extra costs, and have potentially serious legal ramifications--all of which could contribute to substantial economic costs and a lower bottom line.
Familiarity with environmental and occupational health and safety law is critical for owners and managers. Statutes and ordinances require attention by responsible persons, such as owners or managers. Failure to comply with the law can result in fines and enforcement actions. Compliance with these laws can also help to maintain building values, because clean, well-repaired facilities are more attractive and salable.
While rules dealing with the environment, health, and safety have long antecedents, increased awareness over the past 30 years of the effect of human activities on the local, national, and worldwide environment resulted in an enormous increase in laws, rules, and regulations that affect every facet of our lives. These are ignored at one's peril.
The quality of life is, in part, measured by a pleasant, healthful, and safe working environment. Almost everyone spends more time at work, shopping, and play in buildings managed by third parties than at home. To be successful, those managing these buildings must comply with the many laws and regulations that seek to protect the land and the buildings in which we live, work, and play.
So, you haven't heard of LEED?
Whenever there is a discussion about green design in commercial buildings, the U.S. Green Building Council and its programs are mentioned. Here's the skinny on the organization and its standard, which is changing the building industry:
Who makes up the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)?
Council membership represents nearly 3,000 leading organizations, including building owners; architectural, interior design, and engineering firms; product manufacturers; contractors and builders; environmental groups; professional societies; developers; financial and insurance firms; utilities; universities and technical research institutes; building control service contractors and manufacturers; and federal, state, and local government agencies.
What are they getting out of this?
The USGBC's mission is to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to work. Council members collaborate to develop Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) products and resources, policy guidance, and educational and marketing tools that support the adoption of sustainable building design.
LEED what?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a leading-edge system for designing, constructing, and certifying green buildings. The full program offers training workshops, professional accreditation, resource support, and third-party certification of building performance. LEED 2.0 was launched in March 2000 following review by the entire USGBC membership and a national pilot testing program. LEED 2.0 is designed for rating new and existing commercial buildings; however, active member committees are developing criteria addressing new project types. The USGBC website offers a free download of the detailed checklist for LEED 2.0 and LEED 2.1 for new construction and major modernization projects. The site also provides a free summary and pilot versions of the LEED standard of building operations for existing buildings (LEED-EB) and commercial interiors (LEED-CI).
Does LEED cover inside the facility?
The LEED Green Building Rating System for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) addresses performance areas, including: selection of sustainable tenant space; efficiency of water usage; energy performance optimization, including lighting; resource utilization for interior building systems and furnishings; and indoor environmental quality, including comprehensive emissions criteria. LEED-CI was designed to complement the LEED for Core & Shell (LEED-CS) Rating System currently under development by USGBC member committees. Together, LEED-CI and LEED-CS will establish green building criteria for commercial office real estate for use by developers, designers, and tenants. The pilot program for LEED-CI runs through October 2003.
How does this work?
The first step toward earning LEED Certification is project registration. Registering during the early phases of project design will ensure maximum potential for achieving certification. Registration also establishes contact with the USGBC and provides access to essential information, software tools, and communications. LEED Certification distinguishes building projects that have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability by meeting the highest performance standards. The organization outlines the required steps of the application process and it reviews building project applications.
Who is eligible?
Commercial buildings, such as offices, retail facilities, institutional buildings, libraries, schools, museums, churches, hotels, and multifamily buildings of four or more habitable stories are eligible.
Why should I bother?
The USGBC offers these advantages (and more) to adopting green design under their auspices:
* Validate achievement through a third-party review process.
* Qualify for a wide array of state and local government incentives.
* Contribute to the growing green building knowledge base.
* Receive marketing exposure through the USGBC website, case studies, and media announcements.
But the biggest advantage is saving the planet one building at a time. The USGBC website (www.usgbc.org) offers much more detailed information on the benefits of green design.
Water $en$e
How much water does a typical hospital use?
Ask Thomas C. Gormley, vice president of design, construction, equipment, and engineering at HCA, the Nashville-based healthcare leader with a 60 million-square-foot portfolio of hospitals and surgery centers, and you'll discover that the answer is, "a lot." For example, Gormley points to one of HCA's hospitals in Tampa, FL, with annual water usage of approximately 37.5 million gallons and sewer costs exceeding $300,000 per year. It is in instances such as these where HCA's water conservation program makes sense. "Our goal is to reduce our cost and water usage by 20 to 30 percent without impacting the quality of care at our facilities," says Gormley.
However, given the challenges that all hospitals are facing with capital needs, facilities professionals have to find creative ways to finance such ventures. "One size doesn't really fit all, as far as the approach you need from a financing standpoint," explains Gormley. "In a large capital project, we're looking for a net present value of maybe 1.1 to 1.2. With something like this--water that really isn't our core business--hospital management wants a fairly quick payback and turnaround. Do we put in a new MRI that's going allow us to treat more patients and generate earnings and admissions, or do we put in water conservation? There's always that press for capital."
At HCA, several steps were taken to reduce water and sewer costs. Among them were:
* Installing water control systems on gravity and vacuum sterilizers to reduce water used to create vacuum and temper steam condensate.
* Recovering and reusing air-handling condensate and other water used for cooling equipment in cooling towers to supplement make-up water requirements.
* Installing water control systems on X-ray film processors.
* Replacing old water-cooled ice machines with new air-cooled efficient units.
* Installing water flow control devices on kitchen equipment, such as dishwashers and disposals.
* Providing spigot flow restrictors on all sinks in patient rooms and public and staff restrooms.
* Providing new 1.6-gallon-per-flush toilets with new flushometer valve diaphragms.
* Recycling or reusing reverse osmosis reject water.
Gormley points to several factors that impact the potential return for investing in a water conservation program. These include:
* Water sewer rates--generally these need to be above $5 per 1,000 gallons.
* Significant water usage--generally it needs to be greater than 15 million gallons of water per year.
* The age and type of HVAC and other systems--generally they need to be greater than five years old; systems with a cooling tower are more appropriate, notes Gormley.
* The demographics of the community--generally high-growth areas have increasing demand and rates.
* The local climate--coastal or desert environments generally provide opportunities due to limited water supply and/or sewer water disposal issues.
Odell on LEED
Taking the proverbial feet first jump into the U.S. Green Building council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is the easiest way for building professionals to get involved in sustainable design and good environmental stewardship.
Bill Odell can't reiterate this point enough.
Odell, sustainable design principal at HOK's St. Louis headquarters and co-author of The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design, one of the industry's sustainability "Bibles," says he finds that many of his clients want to shy away from LEED, fearing that it isn't user-friendly.
Odell, who helped write a portion of the LEED system, is the first to admit the system appears a bit daunting to newcomers. But, he says, it's the "best thing that's out there.
"It is the one sure way you can compare one project to another and measure your own progress."
Simply put, LEED gives facility design and management teams a benchmark from which to base their sustainable building plans, giving them a touch point to compare product specifications and other environmentally friendly decisions.
Odell recalls a scenario in which he met with a provost of a university who proudly showed him literature about the school's newest "green" building. In presenting the literature, she noted that the university constructed the project without using LEED. In fact, she said, it was better than LEED.
"I said, 'Let's evaluate it right now in terms of LEED,"' Odell recalls. "This 'very green' building in her mind got maybe 11 points based on LEED. She was a little devastated."
The best advice Odell says he can give to building professionals is to not be intimidated by the LEED system.
"LEED is so easy from the process point of view. But you have to think through the issues, and that's a new way of thinking," he says, adding that you don't have to meet every point on the checklist.
"There are so many products out there and so much of it is just smart design," he says. "Think beyond the short term and look to the future of your building. It makes a heck of a lot of sense."
Reading, 'Riting, and Renewable Energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that America's schools spend more than $6 billion each year on energy costs alone. Through better design, energy-efficient technologies, and operations and maintenance improvements, the DOE believes schools could save 25 percent of that amount across the country. "That's $1.5 billion! Imagine how many books, computers, and teachers we could have with that kind of money," says Daniel Sze, national program manager, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Washington, D.C.
To reach that admirable goal, the DOE formed the EnergySmart Schools program in 1998 for K-12 educational facilities. EnergySmart Schools helps school officials save money and energy by developing energy-efficient programs. The program is part of DOE's Rebuild America that promotes energy saving in communities across the nation.
A vast network of community-based partnerships nationwide, Rebuild America is dedicated to:
* Saving energy.
* Improving building performance.
* Reducing air pollution.
* Enhancing the quality of life through renewable energy.
"You can have the best technologies in the world, but if the market is not ready or people do not understand it, the technology does not get used," says Sze. Rebuild America, based in Washington, D.C., strives to lower information barriers for the building community so that effective cutting-edge techniques can become everyday practices.
K-12 schools are a high priority for EERE processes and technologies, because of the educational market's growth. According to the Council of Educational Facility Planners, Scottsdale, AZ, about 50 percent of schools are in need of modernization. The DOE is hoping to promote energy awareness among school children while creating healthier and more productive learning environments.
The EnergySmart Schools program has a two-pronged approach. The program first works with school districts to introduce energy-efficiency improvements to the physical environment. Second, it promotes energy education in schools to encourage future generations to consider renewable energy technologies.
The DOE's initiative focuses on reducing energy costs, increasing the clean energy usage, providing hands-on energy-efficiency lessons to students, and improving the educational environment. EnergySmart Schools' partners include non-profit organizations, government agencies, trade associations, business partners, and community groups. The program was created in response to questions from school officials, teachers, and parents.
"We listened to what they wanted and came up with seven high-performance climate specific guidelines for schools," says Sze. The guidelines were completed last summer and can be downloaded for review. The EnergySmart Schools' guidelines feature a technical document for the building team and general educational guidelines for lay-people. Many schools are already leveraging their energy savings to pay for much-needed school improvements.
Rebuild America is channeling the growing interest in green design by setting its sights on additional markets, including universities, office buildings, government facilities, and multi-family housing. Adds Sze, "I think colleges and universities are a very powerful potential market because they are at the leading-edge in adopting practices that will translate into how America can live in the future and use green practices."
For additional information on energy-efficient schools, check out these resources: (www.energysmartschools.gov), (www.rebuild.gov), and EERE's Clearinghouse at (800) DOE-3732.
Resource Tools
Most likely, you don't spend a week at work without hearing something about a "green building," "sustainable design," or "high-performance facilities." By now, everybody has heard the hype - you know that these practices are good for the environment, good for your tenants, and good for the future. But what steps can you really take to incorporate these procedures into your own buildings? They may seem hard, out of reach, or just too expensive.
That's where the Washington, D.C.-based Sustainable Buildings Industry council (SBIC) comes in. Starting out as the Passive Solar Industries council over two decades ago, the group has changed its name to reflect the reach of its efforts across architecture, building systems and materials, energy analysis, and "whole building" design and construction. The SBIC continues to be a strong supporter of passive solar strategies, such as thermal mass, shading, and daylighting, but the work covers all aspects -- energy efficiency, renewable technologies, healthy indoor environments, resource conservation -- all the things that come together to make a building environment what it is.
The council also stresses that sustainability and high performance be thought of in broad terms -- not merely about materials, systems, people, and products; rather, how they are inter-reliant and how they can be integrated. comfort doesn't need to be sacrificed for safety; productivity doesn't need to be sacrificed for cost; and environmental impact doesn't have to be sacrificed for ease of maintenance.
Although the council focuses primarily on new design and construction, "many of our resources have been used by professionals to rehab or renovate an existing building," explains Doug Schroeder, associate director, SBIC. Providing resource and strategy guides such as those found in the High Performance School Buildings publication, SBIC works with industry professionals and government agencies to create tools for building owners. The goal? To change the market through education. "There are other organizations out there that have very similar missions," explains Schroeder, "and basically, we're all about building and designing better buildings. But our approach is different. There are other tools, other standards, and other rating programs that form the hub of what a lot of other organizations are doing. We applaud that. We think it's great. There are different ways to condition the market and get people to be thinking about this."
Schroeder admits that sustainability is easier to obtain early on in the pre-design phase. "We believe that 80 percent of the efficiency you can build into a building or design into a building occurs very early on. If it doesn't get done early, it becomes much more costly to do it later. Improving the performance of buildings that are already built is more of a different challenge, but many professionals have found [our] tools useful in planning their retrofit and rehab projects."
If you're currently working on a new construction project, now is the time to consider what organizations like the SBIC have to offer. Schroeder identifies some building owners' mentality toward first-cost as one of the biggest hurdles. "In general, I think the costs for designing and building a sustainable building are comparable or a little bit more. But, when you look at life-cycle costs over a 30- or 40-year plan, the life-cycle costs of that better-designed, better-performing building will be significantly less than a building that's not taking these measures into account," he explains.
The process guide is a key element in the High Performance School Buildings manual -- a tool to guide owners through the sustainable building procurement process. Although the SBIC doesn't currently offer process guides for every marketplace, Schroeder says that many elements from High Performance School Buildings can be applied to areas other than educational facilities. He emphasizes that building owners just need to make sure they're considering the many facets of sustainable building design (addressing the specifics that make their buildings different from an educational facility in terms of design). The process guide helps decision-makers understand their role in the process of designing and maintaining a high-performance facility, and helps them be productive and efficient in that role.
Other elements of the manual describe the 16 "building blocks" of constructing a high-performance educational facility. It explains why topics such as acoustic comfort, environmentally responsive site planning, and safety/security are important to consider; how you can realistically implement these "building blocks;" what impact they may have on other systems and technologies throughout the building; and other places to check for more information. It also provides examples of facilities that are taking action and implementing these practices. Lists of questions to ask regarding these "building blocks" are also included so building professionals can use them throughout the design and construction process. "They have to know the simple questions to ask," explains Schroeder.
The SBIC also provides software, educational workshops, and other publications regarding these topics. To learn more about sustainability and high-performance design, or to become a SBIC member, check out (www.sbicouncil.org).
Air First
"Indoor air quality has become a front burner issue," says Ira Whitman, president, The Whitman Cos. Inc., East Brunswick, NJ. The Whitman Cos., a professional environmental consulting firm, has seen a sharp increase in the interest in indoor air quality (IAQ) in the last 10 years.
With 18 years of experience dealing with air quality, hazardous waste site clean-up, groundwater engineering design, and water pollution, The Whitman Cos. serves private-sector businesses, school districts, and municipalities. According to Andrew Port, the firm's director of environmental health and safety, originally IAQ was an issue concerning tight, energy-efficient buildings where normal gasses and odors are concentrated. Currently, that concern has shifted to toxic and hazardous chemicals in the built environment.
"Recently, the concern has also shifted because of publicity on mold and microbiological problems inside of buildings generating from water intrusions," says Port. The firm has also addressed the rising concern of IAQ in the redevelopment of contaminated facilities on brownfield properties. "[Regulatory agencies] are concerned about vapors from contaminated properties that spread laterally through utilities or other avenues into the building. We are doing more and more testing of brownfield buildings," says Whitman.
In addition to pressure from regulatory agencies, such as the EPA, and complaints from end-users, one of the primary drivers for addressing air quality is building owners themselves. "Building owners are beginning to initiate environmental quality programs to prevent issues," says Port. Increasingly, building owners are becoming proactive to prevent damages and health issues.
By regularly testing facilities and creating effective maintenance programs, building owners are maintaining good relations with their tenants and employees. "The best way to maintain environmental quality is being proactive. It is maintenance programs that work and training the maintenance personnel and tenants as well," says Port. In addition to providing training and raising awareness levels for employees, personnel, and tenants, The Whitman Cos. is planning to join the U.S. Green Building Council and becoming trained in their methods.
Flooring choices are increasingly being considered as a factor in maintaining indoor air quality. "The USGBC considers carpet to meet indoor air quality issues if it meets the [Carpet & Rug Institute] CRI Green Label program and that also goes along with the green label program for adhesives," says Dave Stafford, vice president, Commercial Carpets of America, Alexandria, VA. Adhesive manufacturers are producing water-based, lowor no-volatile organic compound-emitting products to address IAQ concerns. "The trend now is to go to no- or low-VOC adhesives and that applies to resilient flooring also," says Stafford.
Floor maintenance also factors into preserving environmental quality. For carpet, it is important to use the right cleaning agents. For example, doing spot removal or area cleaning in an occupied facility with traditional dry-cleaning fluid can negatively impact some occupants. The trend is toward cleaning with water-based compounds that are combed into the fibers and later vacuumed. For hard-surface floors, neutral cleaners are more commonly used, or spray buffing. "If you are using very few chemicals, you are not stripping the floor and you are not flushing stripping compound down the sewer," says Stafford. Floor maintenance has become more responsive to the environment than practices in the past.
"There is more and more interest in the green issue because it is being pushed from the building owner at the top looking for a more valuable building that will cost less to maintain long term," says Stafford. The General Services Administration (GSA), for example, is pushing sustainable design principles in all of its building processes in both new and modernized facilities.
The change in the building industry regarding green design and the focus on improved air quality is remarkable. Adds Stafford, "It is not like you mention green and people think you are a tree-hugger. It is serious business now." Stafford encourages flooring contractors to be informed on green practices and indoor air and to bring that expertise to facilities and design professionals.
Carpet Myths
A growing number of people in the flooring industry want facilities professionals to sidestep years of misinformation and give carpet high marks as a viable option in their commercial building installations.
"There are a lot of urban myths in the marketplace," says Werner Braun, president of the Dalton, GA-based carpet & Rug Institute (CRI). "They get in the way of folks making the appropriate flooring choices. If you don't have the right information, if it's outdated or erroneous, you might not make the best choice you can for floorcovering in your area."
CRI (www.cri.org) and its members and another grassroots industry group, Carpet is Good, want to set the record straight with their message: If properly maintained, carpet is as viable a flooring choice as hard-surface options for nearly any commercial facility.
"We feel strongly about making sure soft textiles stay in schools, as well as other commercial buildings," says Alison Woolford, market segment manager, education and government, at DuPont Antron in Wilmington, DE, and a founding representative of Carpet is Good. "There are so many scare tactics, like the news reports you see on TV. We know the facts and sometimes things unfortunately get twisted and turned."
While the use of carpet in school buildings has garnered the most attention, representatives from both CRI and Carpet is Good note that the same arguments in favor of carpet in schools can be carried over into any commercial facilities segment.
Carpet and IAQ
Over the years, the carpet industry has worked very closely with academic institutions, the government, and independent laboratories to evaluate carpet's role in the indoor environment. And, according to CRI, scientific evidence throughout those evaluations has indicated no links of adverse human health effects to VOC emissions from carpet.
First, it's time to put the off-gassing myth to rest, Braun says, noting that of all things installed in an indoor airspace, carpet has the lowest amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and -- contrary to popular belief -- contains no formaldehyde. "We see that myth reported all of the time," Braun says. "Carpet does not emit formaldehyde. Period."
According to CRI, new carpet's emission level will drop significantly within the first 24 hours of installation, and with fresh air ventilation, the emission level will dissipate to an undetectable level within 48 to 72 hours.
Second, "the reality is that carpet creates a healthier indoor environment because it acts like a filter and sweeps particles from the air," Braun says. "We have measured the air concentration of allergens between carpeted rooms and non-carpeted rooms and there are 10- to 100-times more particles in rooms without carpeting."
Why does this occur? Because with carpet, the particles get trapped down in the fibers and don't get stirred up, Braun says.
A 2001 study at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, supports this claim. Researcher Alan Hedge, a professor of design and environmental analysis at Cornell, determined concerns that carpet in schools is contributing to an increase in respiratory problems, allergies, and asthma in schools are unfounded. "As long as schools keep floors clean and use high-efficiency microfiltration vacuum bags, carpets can be a healthy, safe, and economical floorcovering in schools and daycare centers," Hedge says. "Microfiltration bags will trap very small particles, such as dust mites and feces, so that these will not become airborne."
Next target: Mold. Simply put, properly maintained carpet will not sustain mold growth, experts say. "Mold can grow on any surface," Woolford points out. "All it needs is a food source and moisture."
If you look at clean, properly maintained carpet, there is no component within the synthetic that mold can use for food, Braun says. Keep the carpet clean and dry, and you won't have mold.
In fact, Braun notes, because clean carpet offers nothing organic, it is one of the "very last places" where mold grows in a stricken building.
Preventive Maintenance is Key
It all comes down to proper maintenance, carpet industry experts say.
"Building owners and managers must take responsibility for maintenance and quit blaming IAQ issues on the finishes," Woolford says. "If you are maintaining your building, it keeps the allergens out of the breathing zone for the students or the workers. Anything that gets trapped in the carpet gets vacuumed up, and you have a clean surface again."
Cornell's Hedge concludes both smooth floorcoverings and carpets have advantages and disadvantages.
Smooth floors can provide an easy surface for cleaning up spills, but some chemical cleaners can provoke asthma symptoms, and reused bucket water (which accumulates biological contaminants that are then spread on the floor) can contribute to air quality problems. And dust and allergens on the floor get airborne very easily. Microbial growth can occur under smooth floorcoverings if the floor stays wet, and this can cause problems.
"We've had this problem even in our own department at Cornell," Hedge says. Synthetic carpets are easy and economical to clean in the long run, and, like any other floor surface, providing they are kept dry and clean, they will not promote microbial growth."
Another benefit is carpet's life-cycle cost benefit. A 2002 study performed by Jeff Bishop, certification board chairman of the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification in Vancouver, WA, provided life-cycle cost analysis between carpet and vinyl composition tile (VCT) floor over a 22-year time period in school facilities.
Bishop's study reveals that hard-surface floors require two-and-a-half times more cleaning time than carpet, while cleaning supplies cost about seven times more for vinyl floors than those covered in carpet.
"Upfront purchase and installation costs for VCT are actually less than those for carpet, but at the end of the 22-year time period, carpet expenditures prove to be more cost effective than VCT," Bishop concludes.
Ethics and Efficiency
"When you operate in national parks -- some of the most beautiful places in the world -- there has to be an environmental ethics," says Chris Lane, director of environmental affairs, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Denver. Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates lodges and restaurants in national parks, from the Everglades to Yellowstone. The company has always had an interest in sustainable design and formalized these environmental programs in 1999. Adds Lane, "In the last four years, we put our program on steroids."
The first thing the company did was to instruct all of its properties to seek out the low-hanging energy fruit by performing energy audits. After using consultants and in-house auditing, Xanterra focused on energy-efficient lighting. Starting in Death Valley, Xanterra partnered with GE, Fairfield, CT, and Southern California Edison in retrofitting its facilities with compact fluorescents. "In Death Valley where the temperature gets up to 128 degrees F., what you can save on heat generated from lamps you are also saving on your air-conditioning load, too," says Lane.
From that auspicious beginning, the company has continued its lighting retrofits, replacing 23,000 lamps across the country. The company works with GE software to calculate its return on investment. Xanterra is estimating saving 1.5 million kilowatt-hours a year. "[The software] is tremendous. It includes labor savings, disposal costs, replacement savings, and energy savings. It is really sophisticated and simple at the same time," adds Lane.
Inspired by the rapid return on its investment in lighting, Xanterra has embraced natural capitalism, running the organization in a manner that is good for the environment and its bottom line. "We are protecting the natural capital of the earth by using resources more efficiently," says Lane.
Xanterra has an ongoing, aggressive environmental initiative at Mount Rushmore, including: programs to protect water quality and conserve water and energy; environmental education programs targeting employees and visitors; and the establishment of specific environmental responsibilities for each employee. At its facilities in the Grand Canyon National Park, the company is expanding its recycling program, increasing the number of alternative fuel vehicles, and using programmable thermostats at a lodge in a pilot program.
The company is one of the first hospitality companies to receive the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard Certification. The goal of ISO 14001 is to support environmental protection and pollution prevention. Other Xanterra national park operations are expected to receive certification shortly. The organization has also been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior, and the Travel Industry Association for its environmental programs.
Xanterra has evaluated the lighting throughout its facilities; for example, lowering lumen levels in back-of-house areas has lead to significant energy savings. "A lot of times you hear you can't change lighting in a retail situations because lighting sells, but we partnered with Technical Consumer Products and now we are using these compact fluorescents;" says Lane, who is impressed with Aurora, OH-based Technical Consumer Products' lamps.
Overall, Xanterra's experiences with sustainability have been an overwhelming success and a shining example of how green design equals good business.
Lights, Camera, Energy!
California has a long history of exploring its energy conservation. created by the California Legislature in 1974, the California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, Sacramento, is the state's primary energy policy and planning agency. The Commission was formed under the Warren-Alquist Act.
With the signing of the Electric Industry Deregulation Law, the Commission's role includes overseeing funding programs that support public interest energy research, advancing energy technology research, and providing market support to existing and emerging renewable technologies.
The California Energy Commission has five major duties:
* Forecasting future statewide energy needs, keeping historical energy data, and evaluating electricity resource acquisition plans.
* Licensing thermal power plants of 50 megawatts or larger to meet statewide energy needs.
* Promoting energy efficiency through a wide range of energy conservation programs and regulations, such as appliance and building standards, and developing renewable energy resources and alternative energy technologies.
* Developing and implementing California's energy policy.
* Directing state response to energy emergencies.
In addition, the Commission has been directing energy research programs and renewable energy programs in the wake of the state's electricity industry deregulation. The commission's website (www.energy.ca.gov/commission) offers an overview of energy statistics in California, the history of the commission itself, and related energy conservation links.
Green Products: Asking the Right Questions
There are a lot of manufacturers marketing green products right now. But just how many of them are really "selling" green products? That can be a difficult question to answer. To help you determine whether a manufacturer's claims are fact vs. fiction, you need to be savvy enough to know what to ask.
The good news is that you don't have to compromise performance in order to be environmentally friendly. If you're ready to make a major commitment to environmentally friendly purchasing, then get ready to roll up your sleeves, do some research, and start asking the tough questions. Review the questions at right and evaluate which are more of a priority for your company; attribute more value to those responses. Remember -- it's not easy being green.
* How much recycled content (post industrial and post consumer) does the product contain?
* Is the disposal of the product after its useful life harmful to the environment? Will it break down safely in a landfill or can it be recycled?
* How is the product transported and packaged?
* Is it made of rapidly renewable materials?
* Does the product use water and energy efficiently or reduce the amount needed? Does the product generate energy?
* Will the installation require the use of adhesives or other materials that will off-gas and emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air?
* Does the product minimize the creation of waste?
* Is the product sustainable and durable enough to have a long life, lessening the frequency of disposal?
* Is the product manufactured with environmentally sensitive processes?
* Can the supplier provide a cost benefit or life-cycle cost analysis?
Modernizing with Copper Fire Sprinkler Systems.
The need for installing all-copper fire sprinkler systems when renovating high-value residential and commercial properties was underscored at a seminar held recently at the Restoration & Renovation conference in Baltimore. Invited speakers from the copper Development Association (CDA), based in New York City, cited numerous reasons why copper systems are critical for remodeling or restoring structures with historic value and for buildings that contain furnishings or collections that cannot be replaced following a disastrous fire.
"Copper is not just the preferred material for fire sprinkler systems in structures with particular importance, it's often the only plumbing material that should be used," explained Andrew Kireta Jr., CDA's national program manager for Tube, Pipe & Fittings. "Copper is flexible and lightweight, so it's less intrusive than steel pipe systems, which are ugly to look at, difficult to work with, and can result in considerable structural and interior damage during installation. And when fires do happen, copper systems deliver clean water, even if the system has never been flushed -- unlike the rusty, sometimes black water from steel pipe systems that can ruin interiors and furnishings. For valuable or historic buildings or museums, that can be a disaster in itself."
Kireta also stressed another copper advantage, noting that it is not vulnerable to open flame and will not emit toxic fumes when exposed to fire. All-copper systems can withstand heat up to 2,000 degrees F., and copper has a long-standing record of reliability in commercial and industrial fire safety, he added.
For a variety of CDA resources and references, visit the association's website, (http://piping.copper.org).
Research: Continuous Commissioning of Building Systems.
Avoidance of poorly installed HVAC systems is best accomplished at the close of construction by having a building and its systems put "through their paces" with a well-conducted commissioning process. Methods For Automated And Continuous Commissioning Of Building Systems, a new research report released from Arlington. VA-based Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute's 21st Century Research (ARTI 21-CR) program, is focused on developing key components to enable the development of tools that will automatically detect and correct equipment operating problems, thus providing continuous and automatic commissioning of the HVAC systems throughout the life of a facility.
A study of pervasive operating problems revealed the most benefit would be gained from automated and continuous commissioning to address:
1) Faulty economizer operation.
2) Malfunctioning sensors.
3) Malfunctioning valves and dampers.
4) Access to project design data.
Methodologies for detecting system operation faults in these areas were developed and validated through "bare-bones" form within standard software such as spreadsheets, databases, statistical programs, or mathematical packages. Demonstrations included flow diagrams and simplified mock-up applications. Techniques to manage data were demonstrated by illustrating how test forms could be populated with original design information and the recommended sequence of operation for equipment systems.
Proposed tools would use measured data, design data, and equipment operating parameters to diagnose system problems. steps for future research are suggested to help practical application of automated commissioning and its high potential to improve equipment availability, increase occupant comfort, and extend the life of system equipment.
This final report can be downloaded at no charge from the ARTI website (www.arti-21 cr.org).
Have You Considered Network Thermostats?
Michael Richardson had a problem that was driving him and everyone else in the Raytown School District maintenance department crazy.
"It was the science wing of one of the high schools," recalls Richardson, the district's director of Buildings and Grounds. "There are 10 classrooms in that wing and we were getting six or seven calls a day complaining that it was too hot or too cold."
Raytown, MO, a suburb of Kansas City, supports 18 schools. The building wing in question was fairly new, built in 1992, but the zone control system had never worked right since the HVAC contractor had installed it.
"It operated on pneumatics, opening and closing the vents to the individual rooms on demand," explains Steve Atkin, head HVAC technician. "But the contractor had never gotten it to work right. So we were always sending maintenance guys to the rooms. If it was too hot, all they could do was turn off the heat. Then they'd have to return two or three hours later to turn the heat back on. The same with air-conditioning. In the spring and fall, we were averaging six to seven calls a day. We had one rooftop unit for every two classrooms. We looked into replacing them, but the cost was prohibitive."
A Solution for Light Commercial Applications
Then the school board approved a three-year plan to replace old systems with heat pumps in 15 buildings, and the science wing became priority one.
"We checked out several alternatives," notes Richardson. "Everything we found cost between $35,000 and $40,000. It was just too much money to spend on a relatively new system. Then we asked our HVACR distributor for his opinion and he recommended network thermostats."
Fred Schoen, the branch manager for distributor Geo Enterprises in Buffalo, MO, adds, "Raytown schools didn't need to replace their rooftop units in that wing. They just needed to be able to control them. I suggested instead of controlling the vents, why not control the heating and air-conditioning systems themselves. I had been carrying a line of network thermostats and had supplied them to another school district in Cameron. They had used them successfully to remotely manage geo exchange systems in two buildings, one existing and one new."
"It looked like the ideal solution to our immediate problem in the science wing." says Richardson. "Fred explained that we could install them ourselves and the price for thermostats, sensors, and controllers was only $4,500. That was a significant savings over the other options. We decided to treat the science wing as a beta site for the rest of the project and went ahead with the thermostats to determine how well they worked."
System Fills a Need
The idea of network thermostats is relatively new. Grapevine, TX-based XCI Corp. (www.xcicorp.com) introduced its first product in 1995. Currently, the company offers four lines of network thermostats, a variety of remote sensors, and three network controllers for any size installation. Recently, XCI has added Internet and LAN access to its systems.
Notes XCI Founder and CEO Jerry Drew, "There was a serious need for something that could fill the void between individual thermostats and expensive building automation systems. I reasoned that there had to be a market out there in high-end residential and light commercial like schools, banks, retail, churches, and so fort