2009-2010: New Challenges and New Ideas

By Ed LeBard, Associate AIA | LEED AP+
With one of the most trying years in the construction industry officially in the books, the USGBC announced significant marks and changes throughout the LEED community. This article summarizes these points that will greatly impact the rapidly growing green construction arena.

- 27,373 people attended the GreenBuild conference in Phoenix, Arizona on November 11-13, 2009.*

- From 2000 through 2008, according to USGBC, there were 2,238 LEED-certified projects. A record 2,090 projects achieved certification in 2009. That translates to 49% of all certifications in LEED's 9 year history occurring during the last 12 months with the overall tally now at 4,238 certified projects. *

- As of December 5th, 2009, 4,238 LEED projects out of 26,385 registered achieved certification, a success rate of 16.0% . This is an improvement over the 12.6% success rate achieved from 2000 - 2008.*

1) LEED project registration fees will double by January 11, 2010:(from www.gbci.org)**
Current Registration Fees: Effective through January 10, 2010
- USGBC Members: $450
- Non Members: $600

Project Registration Fees:
Effective on January 11, 2010
- USGBC Members: $900
- Non Members: $1,200

2) LEED project certification fees will increase substantially by January 11, 2010:
(from www.gbci.org)**
Green Building Certification Institute - LEED Registration and Certification Fees

3) The US Green Building Council also introduced the latest LEED rating versions - LEEDv3 for the following ratings:
- LEED - BD+C (New Construction, Core & Shell, Schools, Healthcare*, Retail*)
- LEED - EBO&M (Existing Building Operations and Maintenance, Existing Schools*)
- LEED - ID+C (Commercial Interiors, Retail Interiors*)
- LEED - ND (Neighborhood Development -release date sometime in 2010)*

*under development or in pilot

4) For LEED APs accredited since 2000 (version 1.0 through version 2.2), they are given several options:
1) Do nothing and automatically become a Legacy LEED AP without specialty in the LEED Professional Directory
2) Sign up onto the new Credential Maintenance Program requirements (CMP) by 2011 (or 2 years after your exam) and fulfill roughly 30 continuing education units in 24 months. Enrollment must occur during your enrollment window,
3) Become a LEED AP with Specialty by passing one of the new specialty exams. Current LEED APs would only take 1 exam (specialty part of the exam). When applying for the exam, you will need to sign onto the disciplinary policy and agree to the CMP. Once you pass the exam, you may use one of the new specialty designations (BD+C, EBO+M, ID+C) after your name.
4) If your enrollment window expired without updating to LEED AP with specialty, and you decided to update, you must apply and take both the LEED Green Associate (LEED GA) exam as well as the specialty exam. The fees for both exams, plus 2 year CMP fee, can total over $800.

5) LEED APs and the Credential Maintenance Program (CMP)
According to the USGBC and GBCI (Green Building Certification Institute), as of Jan 1, 2010, roughly 11.1% of 135,000 LEED APs worldwide have signed onto the new CMP program and will take the specialty exam to become LEED AP+. The low number of signees indicates that current LEED APs are uncertain of the direction of the USGBC's credential program and many blogs / social sites are filled with LEED APs protesting the increasing exam fees, 2 year maintenance fees, multi-layered requirements. There seems to be a minor backlash brewing in that regard.

If a LEED AP wants to add a specialty, the requirements are that to earn 30 continuing education hours (CEUs) in 2 years, those 30 are split into 7 specific categories. Each category has a minimum number of required hours. For instance, "project site factors" requires 4 hours, "project systems & energy impacts" requires 6 hours.

Once the LEED AP pick from the categories, the format then requires them to be specific as to what sub-category the hour focused on. These categories were briefly touched upon in the CMP guide but not explained in more depth. They do not mention the LEED AP would be forced to earn credits in all of these categories. Also, the GBCI allows some CEUs earned to satisfy professional licensures (i.e. AIA, ASLA, CID) rollover to satisfy LEED AP CMP requirements.

If the LEED AP wants to have more than 1 specialty, the LEED AP would have to fulfill CMP for each specialty. The LEED AP would select the primary specialty and maintain 30 hours of CEUs, while the secondary specialty would be fulfilled by an additional 6 hours of CEUs, which would bring the total of CEUs to 36. The CMP fee would still be $50 per specialty.

For people interested in becoming a new LEED AP candidate must have experience in the form of documented professional experience on a LEED project, within the last 3 years, with verification through LEED Online or employer verification. Candidates are also required to agree to the Disciplinary and Exam Appeals Policy and Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) and submit to an application audit.

6) The Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) and Continuing Education Units (CEU)
GBCI approved CEU courses are few and far between. More courses will become available as the CMP system evolves. Some ways to earn CEU hours are to view USGBC webinars, author published reports, and work on a LEED registered project. GBCI specified that for each credit you personally complete and upload documentation for, you can get 1 CEU hour, and get up to 10 hours using this method.

Other methods listed by the GBCI are: Professional development/continuing education courses, college courses, self-study (up to 5hrs), committee and volunteer work at events, and authorship.

So between project work, volunteer work, and study hours, the LEED AP can get some free or cheap CEU hours over the 2 year time period.


7) The Numbers Behind the LEED AP Directory:
The GBCI directory listed the following as of Jan 1st, 2010:
- Everyone (GA, AP, and AP w/ Specialties): 126,939
- LEED APs without specialty: 109,249
- LEED APs with specialty 'only': total of 13,680 (11.1% of all LEED APs have a specialty)
- LEED AP BD+C : 11,839
- LEED AP ID+C: 1,078
- LEED AP O&M: 583
- LEED AP for Homes: 180
- LEED AP ND : Beta Exam currently underway
- LEED Green Associates: 3,550


Citations
* www.usgbc.org (US Green Building Council)
** www.gbci.org (Green Building Certification Institute)

Sustainability in the News

1) Austin Climate Protection Conference & Expo (January 15 & 16, 2010) http://www.austinclimateexpo.com/


2)USGBC Maryland - 5th Annual Awards Celebration (January 28, 2010)
http://chapters.usgbc.org/baltimore/index.html


3) China adapts law to boost energy renewable industry (Article dated Dec 26, 2009)
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/


BEIJING: China's national assembly Saturday signalled the country's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by adopting a law supporting its renewable energy industry.

The new law, an amendment to one on renewable energy adopted by the National People's Congress standing committee, obliges electricity grid companies to buy all the power produced by renewable sources.

It also empowers the State Council's energy department, the electricity regulatory agency and its finance departments to determine the amount of renewable energy available in the country's overall power generating capacity.

Power companies will be obliged to take up all of that capacity, and those refusing to do so will be fined an amount up to double that of the economic loss of the renewable energy company, Ni Yuefeng, vice-president of the assembly's environmental affairs commission, told reporters.

The law was adopted after China was criticised for obstructing the adoption of a treaty on climate change during last week's international summit in Copenhagen.

The new law in fact showed China's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Ni said.

"The new law will help China reduce its emission of greenhouse gases in a voluntary manner," Ni told a briefing.

Green Tip of the Month

With the Christmas shopping season over and the country recovers from retail overload, it’s time to see how our favorite brands stack up when it comes to emissions, energy efficiency, and avoiding harmful ingredients and chemicals.

National Geographic has their own buying guide that’s extremely user friendly: www.thegreenguide.com, as well as my personal favorite and one of PC Magazine’s Top 100 Web Sites of 2009, the Good Guide, focuses on food, personal care, and toys. www.goodguide.com

Case Study: Claire's on Cedros - Solana Beach, CA

Image: Claire's on Cedros - The Solana Beach, California located restaurant is currently on target for LEED Platinum.
Copyright: JLC Architecture


By Jill Bellenger, CPH | ASLA

JLC Architecture is enjoying their new home in Solana Beach, California. The firm, formerly located in nearby downtown San Diego, recently moved into the site of one of their newest and greenest commercial projects. The Claire's on Cedros property at 246 N. Cedros includes 2,500 square feet of restaurant space, 810 square feet of residential use and the 674 square feet retail/office space where Jean-Louis Coquereau and Tyler Van Stright of JLC Architecture now occupy. We recently interviewed the architects about the unique circumstances surrounding the Claire's project, including their decision to become its neighbor.

The town of Solana Beach is in many ways a model for sustainable practices, with a commuter and regional rail station located just across the street from the Claire's site, and adjacent walking paths all the way to the beach. Jean-Louis told us of the town's plan to create a "green" Chamber of Commerce, to include all its eco-friendly businesses. So it's no doubt a viable spot to design a cutting-edge green restaurant, complete with its own edible garden on site, where chefs routinely step out for fresh ingredients to add in their daily creations.

From the beginning, JLC Architecture's client had green features in mind, but the original plan did not include a LEED certification, let alone what is scheduled to be the first freestanding restaurant in the US to have the LEED Platinum designation. It is registered under the LEED-CS and LEED-CI categories and the firm hopes to have a USGBC ruling by early January 2010.

"We wish every client we work with would have the same vision," Jean-Louis says. He further explains that there is a bit of "tunnel-vision" involved when clients only consider the first-time costs of energy efficient building and site design. But with guidance from the project team, which in Claire's case included the locally-based LEED Consulting firm Drew George & Partners, they soon become committed to the long-term goals of conservation and human well-being. Jean-Louis feels that LEED Consultants have a unique role of "holding the hand of the architect" to keep all LEED elements in check.

While the original construction cost for Claire's on Cedros was about 6-8% higher than traditional construction, many of the more pricey components quickly provide energy savings. The total of fifty-four solar panels line the carport may be a high-ticket item, but they immediately cover 40% of the restaurant's power load. High reflective roofing brings in another huge energy savings overhead, while pervious concrete covers the parking lot, walkways, and patio space for no additional cost. Another creative green feature of the complex is the recycling of fryer grease, which cuts down on waste while crediting the restaurant.

Jean-Louis hopes that beginning with this month's first college tour by the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), more groups will see the Claire's project as a teaching tool. There so much to learn here, as well as being an excellent combination of sustainable architecture and horticulture. When asked whether they have any plans to continue the trend of moving onto their newest project site, he says no, "We like it here very much."

For more information, see www.clairesoncedros.com or www.jlcarchitecture.com

Send suggestions of case study projects to Jill Bellenger at: jbellenger@3designconsulting.com

Renewable Energy Connecting LEED with International Climate Policy

Above: Offshore wind farm off the coast of Denmark.
Copyright: http://green.venturebeat.com


By Ed LeBard, Associate AIA | LEED AP

With the upcoming United Nations sponsored Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, several countries are lining up with memorandums of understanding in developing policy designed to lower dependence on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions.

The best way to reduce reliance on fossil fuels is to harness renewable energy either on-site or off-site via green power. Renewable energy is one of the major principles of the US Green Building Council's LEED program as well as the Architecture 2030 Challenge adopted by thousands of firms in the A/E industry.

In the United States, for instance, there is enough geothermal energy to provide the nation's energy needs 2,000 times over; as a result, there are at least 132 geothermal power plants currently being developed in 12 states. With the addition of these new plants, the nation's geothermal capacity would triple. Also, the United States has more than 12 solar power plants currently under development.*

The state of Texas is providing an alternative to its oil and gas production by leading the nation in generating wind-powered electricity. As of now, Texas has about 9,000 megawatts of wind-powered capacity online with more than 40,000 megawatts under way. The roughly 50,000 megawatts total of wind provided energy will be enough to power approximately a quarter million to half million homes annually (between 1,000 and 5,000 megawatts powers 10,000 homes per year).* This will result in Texas leading the world in producing wind-power electricity when completed.

Iceland receives 78 percent of its primary energy from renewable resources, with 62 percent coming from geothermal.27 percent of Iceland's electricity are provided from geothermal power plants, powering up to 90 percent of the country's homes. The country has been leading the world on geothermal power for energy use since 1755.**

Germany is the world leader in solar photovoltaic panel installations with 5,300 megawatts - enough to power roughly 15,000 to 50,000 homes annually depending on the average home user.* The country also has a 15 year advantage in solar panel technology over other countries due to its rigid requirements of natural gas and oil use. For instance, the German government imposes a renewable energy tax on oil, thus raising the cost per gallon to $8. This results in Germans driving less as well as adding renewable energy investments for the country to funnel out - such as increasing the number of solar panel installations, and developing wind power generators.

Relating to the U.S. Green Building Council, renewable energy is one of the leading principles of the various LEEDv3 ratings. For instance, wind power, solar, hydro power, and geothermal, biomass, and biogas energy can all be provided via either a 3rd party facility supplying green power or by on-site provided power. In LEEDv3 New Construction, renewable energy contributes to Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Credit 2-On-Site Renewable Energy as well as EA Credit 6 - Green Power. Both credits intend to encourage use of on-site renewable energy to supply a portion of the building's overall energy load.

EA Credit 2- On-Site Renewable Energy provides up to 7 points (New Construction & Schools) towards LEED. One percent of overall building energy that's provided by renewable energy tallies 1 point while 13 percent of overall building energy provided by renewable energy would result in 7 points. Building commissioning is required to measure and verify the performances of the renewable energy sources.

The objective of EA Credit 6 - Green Power is to include at least a 2-year renewable energy contract to provide up to 35% of the building's electricity from renewable sources. The contract must be based on the quantity of energy used, not cost. In a state with an open electricity market, building owners can pick a Green-e certified power provider. The power provider must be certified and licensed to provide green power in the state. In a closed electricity market, the government controlled utility company must have a Green-e certified program.

Lastly, the renewable energy race has powerful economical implications as well. Using on-site renewable energy technologies can result in cost savings. Rebates in utilities are available to lower the impact of first costs for equipment. The initial costs of installing and providing renewable energy on-site can be offset by life-cycle savings. In some cases, excessive energy provided by renewable sources can be sold back to the utility facility, thus providing profits to the homeowner or landlord. Also there are government-provided incentives for using renewable energy - like tax breaks for purchasing solar photovoltaic panels. Also to encourage development of on-site renewable energy systems, renewable energy certificates (RECs) are available.

By reducing funds needed for fossil fuel power and maintenance, the United States' government and private agencies can divert cash flow to other infrastructure needs such as upgrading the aging power grid, providing net-zero electric car lots powered by solar PV carport canopies, and funding renewable energy research. There is a ripple effect as return on investments on renewable energy would lessen the United States' dependence on foreign resources like oil, thus the dollars would stay in the US. When a nation re-invests in itself through renewable energy and green infrastructure, the return on investment will lead to a booming green economy and at the same time, lower our carbon emission.

Citations

*Washington Post, 11/22/09 (Earth Policy Institute)

**http://www.energy.rochester.edu/is/reyk/index.htm

Sustainability in the News

Copyright: http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-6078-ashrae-targets-bim/


1) States Adopt BIM for Energy, Cost Savings
http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2009/10/30/States-Adopt-BIM-for-Energy-Cost-Savings/


2) Brownfield Developer Jim Jacoby Is Aglow Over Alternative Energy Business
http://nreionline.com/brokernews/greenbuildingnews/news/brownfield_developer_jim_jacoby_1013/


3) Green Broker 2010 Conference (Seattle, WA)
http://www.cascadiagbc.org/green-broker/09

Green Tip of the Month

Wonder how a business in the heart of the bustling D.C. neighborhood of Georgetown can be powered entirely by wind? Or how your company can harness solar power without a single PVC panel on your roof?

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) or Carbon Offsets can be purchased for any home or business, allowing them the energy savings they want without requiring on-site systems that may not be otherwise available or feasible. They can even be purchased to combat the electricity used by those clicking through your company's website, which facilitate a computer's carbon emissions.

http://www.epa.gov/grnpower/gpmarket/rec.htm
http://www.carbonfund.org/


- Jill Bellenger, ASLA | CPH