T &M Environmental Services, Inc. is a proud member of the
United States Green Building Council (USGBC)
In our 50 years of business, we have always understood and valued the importance of a clean
environment and the impact this has on everyone’s health. This is why we are an active
member of the U.S.G.B.C.
Our team of highly trained Consultants brings skills from many different disciplines; we will
act as your guide and steward in understanding and transitioning to a LEED (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design) compliant building. As a member of your “Project Team”
we will assist you with every step of the process, from education, registration and
documentation all the way through certification.
Introduction
What Does “Green” Mean?
“Green” has become the shorthand term for the concept of sustainable development as applied to the building industry. Also known as high-performance buildings, green buildings are intended to be
environmentally responsible, economically profitable, and healthy places to live and work.
Why Make Your Building Green?
The building sector has a tremendous impact on the environment. Buildings in the United States consume more than 30% of our total energy and 60% of our electricity annually. They consume 5 billion gallons of potable water per day to flush toilets. A typical North American commercial construction project generates up to 2.5 pounds of solid waste per square foot of floor space. The industry appropriates land from other uses such as natural habitats and agriculture. These are just a few examples of the environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of buildings. Green building practices can substantially reduce these negative environmental impacts and reverse the trend of unsustainable building activities. As an added benefit, green performance reduces operating costs, enhances building marketability, increases worker productivity, and reduces potential liability resulting from indoor air quality problems. For example, energy efficiency measures have reduced operating expenses of the Denver Dry Goods building by approximately $75,000 per year. Students in day-lit schools in North Carolina consistently scored higher on tests than students in schools using conventional lighting fixtures. Studies of workers in green buildings reported productivity gains of up to 16%, including reductions in absenteeism and improved work quality, based on “people friendly” green design. At a grocery store in Spokane, Washington, waste management costs were reduced by 56% and 48 tons of waste was recycled during construction. In other words, green performance has environmental, economic, and social elements that benefit all building stakeholders, including owners, occupants, and the general public.
Foreword from the USGBC
The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, communities, economy, health and productivity. Breakthroughs in building science, technology and operations are now available to designers, builders, operators, and owners who want to build green and maximize economic and environmental performance, as well as occupant well-being.
The U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is leading a national consensus to produce new and existing buildings that deliver high performance inside and out. Council members work together to develop industry standards, design practices and guidelines, operating practices and guidelines, policy positions, and educational tools that support the adoption of environmentally sustainable design and building practices. Members also forge strategic alliances with key industry and research organizations, federal government agencies, and state and local governments to transform the built environment. As the leading organization that represents the entire building industry on environmental building matters, our unique perspective and collective power provides our members with enormous opportunity to affect change in the way buildings are designed, built, operated and maintained.
USGBC Membership
The Council’s greatest strength is the diversity of our membership. USGBC is a balanced nonprofit association representing the entire building industry, consisting of companies and organizations in the following member categories:
Architects
Architect/Engineers
Attorneys
Builders/Contractors
Commissioning Providers
Consultants
Corporate & Retail
Engineers
Federal
Finance
Interior Designers
Landscape Architects
Nonprofit Organizations
Planners
Press
Product Manufacturers
Professional Societies
Real Estate
State and Local Governments
Universities
Utilities
Since its inception in 1993, USGBC has played a vital role in providing a leadership forum and a unique, integrating force for the building industry. Council programs are:
❑ Committee-Based
The heart of this effective coalition is our committees in which members design strategies that are implemented by staff and expert consultants. Our committees provide a forum for members to resolve differences, build alliances, and forge cooperative solutions for influencing change in all sectors of the building industry.
❑ Member-Driven
The Council’s membership is open and balanced and provides a comprehensive platform for carrying out important programs and activities. We target the issues identified by our members as the highest priority. We conduct an annual review of achievements that allows us to set policy, revise strategies and devise work plans based on members’ needs.
❑ Consensus-Focused
We work together to promote green buildings and in doing so, we help foster greater economic vitality and environmental health. The various industry segments bridge ideological gaps to develop balanced policies that benefit the entire industry.
Contact the U.S. Green Building Council
1800 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
202 828-7422 Office
2028-5110 Fax www.usgbc.org
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Green Building Rating System™
History of LEED
Following the formation of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1993, the membership quickly realized that a priority for the sustainable building industry was to have a system to define and measure “green buildings.” The USGBC began to research existing green building metrics and rating systems. Less than a year after formation, the membership followed up on the initial findings with the establishment of a committee to focus solely on this topic. The diverse initial composition of the committee included architects, realtors, a building owner, a lawyer, an environmentalist, and industry representatives. This cross section of people and professions added a richness and depth both to the process and to the ultimate product. The LEED Pilot Project Program, also referred to as LEED Version 1.0, was launched at the USGBC Membership Summit in August 1998. After extensive modifications, the LEED Green Building Rating System Version 2.0 was released in March 2000. This rating system is now called LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations. As LEED has evolved and matured, the LEED program has undertaken new initiatives to address the many different stages and sectors of the U.S. building market aside from new construction. Owners, tenants, property managers, designers and building teams who wish to certify their buildings should choose the appropriate LEED Rating System for the scope of their project. Currently, the LEED product portfolio is being expanded to include the areas shown in the organization chart.
Features of LEED
The LEED Green Building Rating System ™ is a voluntary, consensus-based, market-driven building rating system based on existing proven technology. It evaluates environmental performance from a whole building perspective over a building’s life cycle, providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a “green building.” LEED is a measurement system designed for rating new and existing commercial, institutional, and high-rise residential buildings. It is based on accepted energy and environmental principles and strikes a balance between established practices and emerging concepts. LEED is organized into the five environmental categories of Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Indoor Environmental Quality and Materials & Resources. An additional category, Innovation in Upgrades, Operations, and Maintenance addresses building measures not covered under the five environmental categories, as well as sustainable building expertise. It is a performance-oriented system where points are earned for satisfying criteria. Different levels of green building certification are awarded based on the total points earned. The system is designed to be comprehensive in scope, yet simple in operation.
LEED for Existing Buildings
LEED for Existing Buildings provides the existing building stock an entry point into the LEED certification process, and is applicable to:
❑ Building operations, processes, systems upgrades, and minor space use changes.
❑ Buildings new to LEED certification as well as buildings previously certified under LEED for New Construction. LEED for Existing Buildings is a method for building owners and operators of existing
buildings to implement sustainable operations and maintenance practices and reduce the environmental impact of a building over its functional life cycle. Specifically, it addresses exterior building site maintenance programs; water and energy use; environmentally preferred products for cleaning and alterations; waste stream management; and ongoing indoor environmental quality. LEED for Existing Buildings is targeted at single buildings that are 100% owner-occupied as well as multiple-building projects and single, multi-tenant buildings, which can potentially qualify under certain conditions (see the USGBC Web site for more information). LEED for Existing Buildings is a whole-building rating system; individual tenant spaces are ineligible.
LEED for Existing Buildings Registration
Project teams interested in obtaining LEED certification for their projects must first register with USGBC. Registration is an important step that establishes the primary contact between the project and USGBC. This connection allows a project team to receive periodic errata and other updates, access LEED-Online, and access to the LEED for Existing Buildings v2.0 project resource page on the USGBC Web site. The project administrator should also send the project access code to other members of the project team to give them access to the online projects resources. The project resources include access to the LEED for Existing Buildings Letter Templates, an electronic document that contains pre-formatted submittal sheets for each prerequisite and credit, and includes integrated calculation tables when necessary. The Letter Templates and Reference Guide are to be used as companion documents.
LEED for Existing Buildings Submittals and the Certification Application
Once a project is registered, the project team begins to collect information and perform calculations to satisfy the prerequisite and credit submittal requirements. It is helpful to identify an individual who will champion LEED goals, facilitate communication, track progress and compile the components of the final LEED submittal for certification. Submittal documentation should be gathered throughout the process.
To earn LEED certification, the applicant project must satisfy all of the prerequisites and a minimum number of points to attain the established LEED for Existing Buildings project ratings as listed below.
LEED for Existing Buildings projects will need to comply with the version that is current at the time of project registration.
LEED for Existing Buildings Certification Levels:
❑ Certified 32-39 points
❑ Silver 40-47 points
❑ Gold 48-63 points
❑ Platinum 64-85 points
Project teams apply for certification using one of two methods. All projects that registered for LEED after November 2005 are required to use the USGBC’s LEED Online Web-based project management and documentation system. Teams that registered before November 2005 may use the older method, which requires sending USGBC two copies of project documentation either in one three-ring binder with a CD-ROM, or entirely on CD-ROM (note: please check USGBC’s Web page describing the certification process for the most up-to-date instructions). Regardless of which method is used, all certification applications must include the following:
❑ The completed LEED for Existing Buildings v2.0 spreadsheet Letter Templates (old method) or Submittal Templates (LEED-Online)
❑ Overall project narrative including all requirements listed below
❑ LEED for Existing Buildings Project Scorecard indicating projected prerequisites and pursued credits and the total desired score for the project
❑ Drawings and photos illustrative of the project:
Site plan
Typical floor plan
Typical building section
Typical or primary elevation
Photo or rendering of project
To begin the certification process, the project team submits a complete application to USGBC for review that includes all of the above items. The review process cannot begin until the application is complete and the project has paid the certification fees.
Project Narrative
LEED for Existing Buildings v2.0 requires the submission of an overall project narrative with the completed Submittal Templates. The outline below is intended as a guide for project teams in compiling this brief description of the organization, building, site, and team. This narrative will assist the LEED for Existing Buildings Review Team in understanding core elements of the project and building performance, and will also aid USGBC in highlighting aspects of projects in future communications efforts. Project teams must address all the required elements listed below, providing details and clarifications where appropriate, and may include any of the optional elements that are helpful in telling the project’s story.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that certifies sustainable businesses, homes, hospitals, schools, and neighborhoods. USGBC is dedicated to expanding green building practices and education, and its LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™.
Contact:
Rick Macher
Director of Development, Green Initiatives Consultant (GIC)
T & M Environmental Services, Inc.
rick@tmservices.net, rick.macher@gmail.com
954-942-8768 (Office)
954-270-2407 (Cellular)
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