LEED certification:
A steppingstone to achieving environmental responsibility
Beth Simkanin,
Posted
08/01/2009
With more and
more companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint and gain
green qualities, many building teams are turning to the LEED Green
Building Rating System to showcase their commitment to
environmental consciousness.
An Efficient Foundation
Building projects with the goal of LEED certification are a
natural fit for the use of metal.
"Metal buildings are set up to be LEED certified. They are made of
recycled content, the roofs have twice the life of a standard,
conventional roof and they can be scrapped at the end of their
lives," said Dave MacQueen, LEED AP, an independent green building
consultant from Raleigh, N.C., who has worked in the metal building
industry for more than 30 years. "When considering LEED
requirements, it just makes sense to use metal."
In a very basic sense, metal makes sense because it is a
recyclable material and provides an immediate fit for LEED's
Materials and Resources category. According to credits 4.1 and 4.2,
if the recycled content makes up at least 10 or 20 percent of the
total value of the materials used, the project can be awarded one
or two points, respectively. A metal building provides a solid
foundation for achieving the full two-point credit.
"Metal buildings supply as many or more points as a conventional
building in a more responsible fashion," said David English, P.E.,
LEED AP, corporate accounts and quote manager for Liberty Building
Systems, Memphis, Tenn. "The LEED criteria cover the gamut of
environmentally conscious categories, and the building materials
themselves are a small, yet important, portion that contributes to
the overall picture."
Under LEED's Sustainable Sites 7.2 credit, the implementation of
cool roof technology can be rewarded with one point if the roofing
materials used have a solar reflectance index value equal to or
greater than 75 percent of the roof surface. The intent is to
reduce the heat island effect, which artificially heats the space
around the building and between developed and undeveloped areas. A
metal roof exceeds this requirement and aids in the reduction of
these heat islands to garner one point. Utilizing a metal roof also
reduces energy use and allows for smaller HVAC units as part of the
building team's overall energy rating strategy.
Building teams utilizing existing structures with metal can
qualify for LEED's 3.1 or 3.2 credits under the Materials and
Resources category. The materials reuse credit rewards the use of
salvaged or refurbished materials, such as metal frames, or wall
and roof sheets, in an effort to reduce the demand for virgin
materials and overall waste. If the sum of these materials
constitutes 5 or 10 percent of the total value of project
materials, the project can be awarded one or two points,
respectively.
"When you look at the different types of construction, metal is
one of the most efficient buildings out there," MacQueen said.
"Metal buildings are made of recyclable, long life material, they
are easy to design and assemble and are extremely efficient
structures, having less impact on the environment."
Choosing a Supplier
When considering applying for LEED certification on a building
project, choosing a supplier with a LEED Accredited Professional on
staff speaks volumes about the manufacturer and adds another valued
member to your building team who is passionate about environmental
responsibility.
"Suppliers can play an integral role in this process, whether
officially or as an outside consultant," English said. "In fact,
corporations and contractors are already coming to metal building
suppliers who have the knowledge and expertise to help achieve the
goal of LEED certification."
When LEED certification is the ultimate goal of a project, the
supplier should provide products that meet the criteria and support
true green building.
"With a LEED AP on staff, you know they are committed to green
building from the beginning," MacQueen said. "They can answer
questions for builders, discuss options and serve as a resource and
another advisor for your team."
Good suppliers look to add more green value for the industry and
continually tweak their products to make them more relevant and
efficient.
"I've seen some companies where the only green offering is a cool
roof, and there's so much more to it than that," MacQueen said. "A
savvy builder wants to work with someone who is ingrained and
committed to a green way of thinking."
A Green Way of Thinking
LEED promotes and encourages a collaborative design process
through which owners, builders, architects, contractors and
consultants work with a team approach to construct and maintain an
eco-friendly building. Each person can focus on an area of
expertise that fits into the overall scheme and complement each
other toward achieving the necessary points required to become LEED
certified.
"Many people mistakenly believe LEED is all about buying green
products. They assemble a bunch of high-priced products and say
'Voila, here's a green building,' and that's just not the case,"
MacQueen said. "It's really a different way of thinking
altogether."
With a green mindset, building teams spend more time thinking
about solutions that work together to form a more efficient
building and take advantage of the opportunities available.
"It's not any one thing … it's everything!" MacQueen said. "From
geothermal heat pumps to the orientation of the building, the LEED
certification was born from a holistic approach to environmental
responsibility."
By operating under this holistic approach, every product and
decision can be made within the scope of green thinking. Take an
office building for example-insulation has a significant effect on
the building envelope, but it doesn't stop there. The color paint
used on the walls can reduce the number of light fixtures.
Installing fewer, larger windows increases natural daylight and
constructing the building to face a certain direction can reduce
the overall load on the building. A cooler roof that reflects heat
can make for smaller HVAC units that use less energy and greatly
reduce the overall cost. Buildings are rewarded for these
collaborative reductions in energy by gaining points in LEED
categories.
Beth Simkanin is the marketing manager for Liberty
Building Systems, Memphis, Tenn. She has more than nine years of
experience in the metal building industry. For more information, go
to www.libertybuildings.com.