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Finally, it has arrived!  The long awaited redistribution of points for Core & Shell projects pursuing EAc1 was issued.  The USGBC finally acknowledges that “energy neutral” does not benefit projects under the LEED-CS v2.0 rating system. 

The tenant’s components in the energy model, such as lighting and plug loads, is kept the same in both the proposed and baseline building.  This “dilutes any energy cost savings percentage the developer is able to attain by at least 40% to 60%.”  The developer could only push the envelope so much.  Really, the only option for achieving points under EAc1 was if the developer mandated specific energy usage thresholds through a tenant sales/ lease agreement.  Even in good markets, you rarely see a developer willing to restrict future prospective tenants.

Now, projects registered prior to April 24, 2009 can use a new Excel spreadsheet tool that provides the updated reporting methodology and is now a submittal requirement for LEED-CS v2.0 EAc1.  Trying it out, it looks like a project can easily achieve, if not too easily, all the energy credits under EAc1 and is no longer penalized.  For more information visit “LEED Resources & Tools” for LEED-CS v2.0 at www.usgbc.org.

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Tags:Building, LEED, USGBC

I’ve been considering opting into the new LEED AP program. See my previous post that explained my process of evaluation and final decision… for now. Part of the evaluation included figuring out what was needed to maintain my credentials. If I became a LEED AP BD+C (aka LEED AP with Specialty) I’d have to participate in the Certification Maintenance Program. There are two options in the program:

1. Collect 30 hours of continuing education hours, over a two year period
2. Retake the LEED AP BD+C exam

After spending what felt like 30 hours sifting through what counts towards the 30 hours of continuing education hours needed and trying to figure out what would qualify for me, I’ve come to a quasi-decision.  But first, here’s what I found out:
1. There’s two variables:
• Activities [8]
• Categories [7] – only needed the first time you opt in
2. There are a lot of restrictions.
3. Requires self-reporting online - more paperwork.
4. GBCI likes to keep things complicated.
5. Spending my working hours and a lot of my spare time on sustainable work doesn’t equate to 30 hours over two years unfortunately.

It boils down to the limits the GBCI puts on some of the activities that qualify for hours.  These are my notes on the activities.  For the full document, “How to Earn Continuing Education (CE) Hours”, (https://www.gbci.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3675) visit the GBCI site.

*Hours earned as an instructor cannot exceed 50% of your total CE hours.

For me, I already have some of the hours, or plan to in the next two years. These are the items highlighted in green. But doing the math, I’m still short 6 CE hours. Unfortunately my PE doesn’t count as I’ve had it for awhile. The good news is that IES is already an approved provider and will be offering ERB approved trainings later this year. So this can count for you if you plan to attend one of our approved trainings, or are one of the presenters.

For me, I could work on my professional development and take a few ERB-approved courses ($). Or I could publish two articles (time). Or I could take advantage of living in Boston, “the Athens of America” with its 100 plus college and universities and just take a college course (time and $). Or I could just take the test. I like tests. Note: in case you don’t do well on tests, be forewarned, you only have up to three tries per calendar year.

For now, I’m waiting to see where the market goes in the coming years. I’m leaning towards the test taking option. Did I mention I like tests? In the meantime, I can sleep soundly knowing that my “LEED AP without specialty credential is held in perpetuity and does not have any credential maintenance requirements or fees.”

Next Time: LEED AP: What to Study and How to Study.

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Tags:Boston, LEED

 Well not really, but it’s potentially been usurped.  The GBCI unveiled the new three tiered LEED-AP program last year, and since then, those in the building profession world have been waiting to see how the market responds to figure out what to do next.  Myself included.  I’ve finally buckled down and figured out what I should do and I thought I’d share my process with you.  Here’s the CliffNotes version.

First, I had to figure out what’s what in the world of LEED-AP with this latest tiered program. 

• Pre May 2009, there was simply LEED AP.
• The new version keeps the LEED AP, now known as LEED-AP without Specialty or Legacy LEED AP.
• LEED Green Associate: usually students or manufacture representatives.
• LEED-AP with Specialty (i.e. LEED-AP BD+C): core exam for those who work on LEED projects. 
• LEED Fellows: are the gurus and the exam has yet to be created.

Here’s my frankensteined diagram trying to explain this:

Second, I figured out what options I had.  When I took the exam eons ago, there was one exam.  The choices were:
1. Take the LEED-AP exam
2. Don’t take the LEED-AP exam

Over time it has grown more complicated, not to mention more expensive and there’s more paperwork. (Click Image to open PDF)

** All dates are based on my personal Enrollment Window: 10/5/2009 – 10/4/2011.  Check “My Credentials” on www.gbci.org for your dates.

Finally, I came to a decision: I’m waiting.  I’m not convinced the market will require anything more than a LEED AP which I have and will always have.  Maybe I’m wrong.  Maybe we’ll start seeing “LEED AP with specialty” requirements in RFPs.  Maybe I’ll change my mind next summer.  But until then, I’ll forgo the paperwork and save my money.

Check out www.gbci.org for more information.  And if you’re working on LEED projects, your old LEED AP still counts for IDc2.

Next Time:  LEED AP: Continuing Education
LEED AP: What to Study and How to Study.

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Tags:Building, LEED, students

Who knows where we are in this recession, but some interesting changes are being made in response to it.  The USGBC recently announced that the minimum occupancy rate for buildings pursuing LEED-EBOM has been lowered from 75% to 50%.  This is in light of the “current market realities that have disqualified an unprecedented number of properties from pursuing LEED certification.”  This means that if a building is only half full, it can still pursue certification under LEED for Existing Buildings: Operation and Maintenance (aka EBOM – a much funnier way to refer to the standard – say it out loud, it’s one of those funny words like gazebo). 

This is a fairly big move as the way a building operates at full occupancy compared with half occupancy is very different and is reflected in how several of the credits will be achieved.  For instance a majority of the energy credits are based on the buildings performance in the Energy Star Portfolio Manager program from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The Energy Star rating is based on your buildings energy performance compared with other similar types of buildings.  But this is based on buildings that are usually fully occupied.  There is a potential of over-inflating the energy performance of the partially occupied building.  Interestingly enough, this is “expected to be a permanent change”. 

The shift in vacancy rates is good news for one of our clients who was considering LEED-EBOM for some of their recent developments. They are now able to qualify.  Recently, we’ve seen an increased amount of request for assistance in the Existing Building market, using both LEED and/or energy savings as the major goals.  I’ll save for another blog posting the approaches we have for helping clients in the existing building market realize energy savings and reaching sustainability goals.  Instead, I’ll share with you the list of common LEED-EBOM questions (and our abridged answers) we see from clients investigating the feasibility of LEED for their building.

Q1.  What is the length of performance period for energy consumption (EAp2, EAc1) for both versions of LEED-EBOM:�
• LEED-EBOM 2009   [A: 1 year]
• LEED-EBOM 2008 [A: 1 year]

Q2.  What is the maximum percentage of renovation that is allowed to occur during the performance period for both versions of LEED-EBOM:
• LEED-EBOM 2009 [A: 50% by floor area]
• LEED-EBOM 2008 [A: 50% by floor area]

Q3.  Can retail on the first floor of the office building be excluded from the LEED-EBOM process since they are on separate energy systems?
• [A: No for both versions of LEED-EBOM]

Q4.  How much of the building floor area needs to be considered during the LEED-EBOM certification process?
• LEED-EBOM 2009   [A: 90% based on total gross floor area]
• LEED-EBOM 2008 [A: 90% based on total gross floor area]
 To view the news release issued by the USGC, visit www.usgbc.org/News/USGBCInTheNewsDetails.aspx?ID=4190
 The image is “borrowed” from http://nopolymon.blogspot.com/

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Tags:Building, LEED, Sustainability, The Energy Star rating, USGBC

Reviewing the new Green Building Design and Construction LEED Reference Guide (aka LEED 2009) I found it ‘interesting’ how EQc8.1 Daylight 75% of Spaces has been revamped.  I’ve entered the arena of air quotes as I’m torn on whether this latest change will benefit the industry or create a roadblock.  First, though, some context:

Back in the day when it was just LEED-NC (New Construction), there were three main options for meeting the requirements for EQc8.1, Daylight 75% of Spaces:
 Option 1: Glazing Factor Calculations
 Option 2: Daylight Simulation Model
 Option 3: Daylight Measurement

I would hazard a guess that the majority of projects pursued Option 1.  Although not so simple, it was still a glorified excel spreadsheet that you filled out, room by room, using the long equation provided that incorporated room and window areas, window properties and locations.  It was something simple enough that anyone could learn.

However, I remember one lab building I worked on where we ended up trying out all three options.  The daylight simulation (Option 2) and field measurement (Option 3) results were relatively similar but the glazing factor calculations (Option 1) was that strange outlier that started to reveal the gross limitations that occur when reducing a dynamic situation such as daylighting into a linear equation with only a few variables.

Then came along LEED-CS (Core and Shell) and a fourth option was added, geared mainly for the generic office building that would use the rating system – simple rectangular floor plate with a central core:
Option 4: Prescriptive

This was the simplest calculation that replicated the good old rule of thumb used in bygone days – i.e. for a building with floor depth X you need Y for window area.

Now fast forward to today and LEED 2009.  There are really just three main options: Options 2 - 4 listed above.  Say goodbye to the glazing factor calculations (Option 1). If you consider most buildings are not simple rectangles and project owners don’t want to gamble and wait to see if they qualify for the daylight credit, you’re really just left with one option – daylight simulation model.

For a public comfortable with a simple spreadsheet to show compliance, the thought of using a computer model is, well, like night and day.  Most will initially think of daylight modeling as something outside their ability.  The good news is that this isn’t the case.  We’ve been seeing an increase in engagement with daylighting software to inform design, especially in the architectural field – be it through purchasing IES software to use directly or subbing it out and using our consultancy services.

Will this be seen as moving LEED away from streamlining and simplifying the process?  Or will it be perceived as encouraging a more informed and iterative design process?  One conclusion we can all agree on is that at least it’s one less long equation to memorize when studying for the AP exam!

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Tags:daylighting, Green Building, LEED, LEED 2009, LEED AP, LEED NC

Have you heard the latest?  Just issued at the end of last month, the USGBC announced that as part of LEED v3, they will be requiring all projects pursuing LEED certification to comply with a new performance requirement.

They provide three options for fulfillment:

- Recertify the building on a two-year cycle with their existing buildings program - LEED-EBOM

- Provide the building’s energy and water usage data annually

- Building owner allows USGBC to access data directly from the utilities provider

So, what do you think?  Me, I think this is huge.  But in a positive way or a worrying way?

Initially LEED v3 seemed like it would completely revamp the building certification program and really get to the bottom of critical items – add new credits, drastically edit existing ones, add new categories. 

In the end, LEED v3 was mainly a realignment of the existing LEED rating systems to set up for the next big move.  And that’s what it looked like, until this latest requirement associated with LEED 2009 was issued.

On paper, I couldn’t agree more, there is a big disconnect between building design/construction and building operations.  Very few architectural design firms perform a Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) or something similar to inform and improve future design.  Same goes for engineers, contractors and others in the field.

As someone in the field of analyzing the real or virtual performance of a building, I fully recognize the importance of this dataset.  The question is how will this information be shared so that the general public can benefit?  Will the USGBC be making public this new database similar to what the Department of Energy does with the CBECs database of commercial energy uses and costs? 

The reaction I’ll be curious to see is from the owners.  Is this request just too much?  Will it discourage some owners from pursuing LEED?  Especially those that are new to the arena and still unsure.  I’m not sure, based on my experience and having worked with the full spectrum of owners: developers complying with regulations (i.e. Boston’s Article 37) to non-profits pursuing sustainability regardless (i.e.  The Audubon Society).

In the end, this is the right move forward.  USGBC is about market transformation.  This will start changing the norm.  However, critical at this juncture is the execution, dissemination and utilization of this new measure and the information collected.  If not handled properly, it may be perceived by the general public as a way for the USGBC to make more money through LEED-EBOM.

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Tags:building energy analysis, building performance, Green Building, LEED, performance data, Sustainable design, USGBC

Being home for the holidays last month I was struck by how familiar friends and family had become with terminology from our profession. In particular, I was surprised to find I didn’t have to explain what LEED was when talking about projects.

This just goes to show how far LEED has come since it was introduced in 2000 as one of the first green building rating systems. And, it raises the question if LEED is on the path of world domination. But this is a topic for another post.

However, the introduction of LEED 2009 last fall raises another common question I hear from clients and colleagues, “How does LEED 2009 affect me?”

The goal of LEED 2009 is to align the various LEED rating systems as part of LEED v3.0. The credits have been reweighted to provide a 100 point score basis (something easy to remember finally). An extra 10 bonus points are up for grabs in the form of the regular Innovation credits and the new Regional points. The Regional points are not new credits but allow additional weighting of challenging but critical credits for the region. And my favorite, water, which in the past had been short changed, now has a prerequisite and additional target levels.

“So”, you ask, “how does LEED 2009 affect me?” The USGBC has provided this schedule to help;

LEED 2009 will affect you, if:
1. Project not registered with LEED.
If a project is considering LEED, register the project now, before LEED 2009 goes live in March. The cost is minimal - $600 or less. In the past, projects have been able to upgrade to the newer version of LEED. This provides two options and more flexibility for the project.
2. Registered project hasn’t submitted for review.
Due to the reweighting of certain credits, LEED 2009 might provide a project with a higher certification level. It’s worth checking and you can submit under LEED 2009 in May.
3. LEED AP exam.
The current exam for LEED-NC v2.2 is only available until March 31, 2009. Be forewarned that seats are filling up fast. In the past, the exam has become progressively more challenging with each new version.

It will be interesting to see how this new structure works. More information on LEED 2009 can be found on the USGBC website.

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Tags:LEED, USGBC