As a huge shipping giant, FedEx knows perhaps more than others the need for green construction and energy efficient operations. The company itself has made a commitment to follow green construction standards, and go for LEED certification on new building projects. 

Just recently, FedEx global headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee achieved LEED Gold certification. Built in 2000, the facility itself included water and energy-conservation measures, but it was not until 2008 that the company decided to pursue LEED certification. S.D. Keppler and Company consulted with FedEx and provided environmental standards assistance.

Yesterday's election is notable for many reasons, but one in particular for us in California was the defeat of Proposition 23. If you don't know what Prop 23 was all about, it is important to have some idea. This ballot initiative was sponsored by out-of-state oil companies seeking to suspend the state's landmark climate law enacted in 2006, AB 32, and would only bring it back if unemployment levels reached 5.5 percent, effectively killing it. Assembly Bill 32 called for the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and provided a framework for how to reach that goal. Of course, this meant that the energy Californians receive must transition to cleaner sources, to the dismay of the oil companies.

Results came in from the election, and show that voters rejected Prop 23 wholeheartedly. According to figures, over 93% of precincts reported, and over 61% voted against the measure. This is great news for those of us living in this state, as the clean tech industries we support can continue to provide us with technology and building materials that will take us toward better energy sources. We can't wait to see what this will mean in the years ahead of us for the building industry. One thing we do know however is that it will strengthen the building codes and standards such as CalGREEN and LEED being used today.

Through my work on building efficiency at Pike Research, I am often asked the question, “Which green building certification program is the most stringent?”

In short: It’s a really hard question to answer, and few academics and building scientists—the main groups that would be in a position to answer the question with authority—have investigated it in depth. Essentially, such a comparison would require a complex analysis of the criteria (particularly for energy efficiency) for different buildings in different climates. And with programs and the legislative landscape changing on a regular basis, the green building industry is a kind of "moving target," so it’s hard to know which is the most “stringent” at any given time.

To date, most LEED certifications in the U.S. have covered new buildings. By the end of 2009, about 46% of cumulative LEED certifications were under the LEED for New Construction (NC) program, with an additional 15% under the Core and Shell (CS) program. CS program certifies the “guts” of a new building project if the builder doesn’t have control complete control over the interior spaces.

In contrast, only about 31% of LEED certified space is under the Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance (EB) program. (An additional 6% is under the LEED for Commercial Interiors (CI) program, which certifies spaces within new and existing buildings, as well as another 2% under specific LEED applications for schools, retail, and certain other types of buildings).

North America and Europe are typically viewed as the leaders in the green building marketplace. Collectively, they have thousands of commercial and residential properties certified under an alphabet soup of programs such as LEED, BREEAM, and HQE. However, the Chinese market is catching up quickly—with the force of the Chinese government behind it.

There are two major green building certification offerings in China. About 150 properties in China have registered under the ubiquitous LEED program, the main label for buildings in China to date. However, the China Green Building Design and Evaluation Labels, officially launched by the Chinese government agency MOHURD (Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development) in 2007, cover a similar selection of green building characteristics such as energy, land use, water, materials, and indoor air quality, and are likely to surpass LEED in China. In total, green building certifications in China could total 3 billion square feet by 2015.

In the construction and building industry, the phrase “going green” has for some time now been an essential part of the everyday language of anyone associated with the business. It’s no secret that there is a great demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable building methods and practices.  “Green” is in, and with it comes standards for building environmentally friendly, sustainable structures. The US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) green building rating system has become the standard by which a building’s design, construction and overall environmental performance are measured.  A project earns one of four LEED certification levels by fulfilling prerequisites and credits, for which points are earned. The complete process and certification requirements are explained on the USGBC’s website, www.usgbc.org.

While everyone is anxious to make “Green” a part of their sales pitch and reap the benefits, there are many construction methods that are unable to really walk the “green” walk. Modular construction however, isn’t one of them. Modular construction is not only inherently environmentally friendly; it contributes to LEED™ eligibility in several ways.

1.  Modular reduces energy consumption. Modular units are built from the inside out, allowing the fire caulking and sealing of all air infiltration openings, making the building more energy efficient. (Energy and Atmosphere: LEED™ EAc1: Optimize Energy Performance)
2. Modular uses high recycled content nontoxic steel framing. Structural steel is a high cost primary building component in steel framed modular units, and easily exceeds the required 10% recycled content requirement (based on total project cost). Certain kinds of steel used in modular units contain nearly 100% recycled content (60% post-, 40% pre-). (Materials and Resources: LEED™  MRc4: Recycled Content 10% (post-consumer + 1/2 pre-consumer)
3. Off-site building lessens on-site waste. Small amounts of in-plant waste are generated from modular construction, and are typically managed through a recycling plan which includes recycling materials such as wood and gypsum drywall. (Materials and Resources: LEED™  MRc2: Construction Waste Management: Divert 50% from disposal)
4. Modular improves indoor air quality. Low-VOC materials are typically specified in order to increase indoor air quality for building occupants. (Indoor Environmental Quality: LEED™ EQc4 1-4: Low Emitting Materials (Adhesives & Sealants, Paints & Coatings, Carpet Systems)

The USGBC’s LEED™ rating system is a commendable way to measure sustainable and truly eco-friendly buildings, yet simply obtaining that high LEED™ rating shouldn’t be the objective of any project.  “Going Green” through a building’s design, construction and everyday use should be the goal simply because it’s the right thing to do. Utilizing modular construction methods is one way to reach that goal.

Learn more at www.deluxebuildingsystems.com

Does anyone remember reading about the construction of the largest zero-energy office building in Golden, Colorado? Commissioned by the Department of Energy, this 222,000 square-foot research support facility is located on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory campus and is now complete!

This is the largest zero-energy office building in the United States, and it will hopefully serve as an example to other commercial developers. True to it's name, this building will create as much energy as it uses during the year. Estimates on energy efficiency peg it as consuming up to fifty percent less energy than buildings constructed to current commercial codes. How did they do it?

The American Society of Lanscape Architects (ASLA) announced recently that they would offer classes and workshops at their upcoming annual conference that are applicable towards LEED credential maintenance. For the first time ever the courses and workshops will grant LEED accredited professionals continuing education hours towards maintaining their accreditation. This is a wonderful step forward in terms of organizations coming together and providing for environmental professionals. When all these rating systems and organizations first started they were closed off in terms of their own standards, accreditation systems, etc.

Now that the ASLA is beginning to provide for LEED professionals at their annual conference, let's hope this act filters throughout the green building arena. Continuing education is so desperately needed at this time, to keep us current on issues and present answers to age-old problems with integrated solutions. I know being involved with my local USGBC chapter, we are currently trying to put together an education track for our members. Trying to institute programs that not only are educational, but apply to credential maintenance is a tough battle.

The holiday weekend is now over and the month of June is upon us. Pretty soon the summer season will officially start, and we can continue to focus our efforts on the landscape around us. The Green Building Journal this month will focus on sustainable landscape design, which goes along very well with the start of the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) Pilot Program.

This program first started as separate projects within the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and then in 2005 both groups joined together at a Sustainable Sites Summet in Austin Texas. By 2006 the United States Botanical Garden joined as a major player, and now over 11 other stakeholder groups are involved including the US Green Building Council. SITES is the first rating system for sustainable landscapes, and as I mentioned this month marks the start of the Pilot Program with over 175 projects involved. For the next two years a Super Bowl village, industrial park, and power plant among other locations will be participating in environmentally friendly land development.