http://www.leeduser.

com/rating-systems/NC-
2009/leed-new-construction-2009
http://www.leeduser.com/search?as_q=checkl
ist+for+new+construction+site
USGBC study says green building is
outpacing overall construction growth

The green building sector is outpacing overall construction growth in the U.S. and will account
for more than 2.3 million American jobs this year, according to a new U.S. Green Building
Council study from Booz Allen Hamilton.

The 2015 Green Building Economic Impact Study, released today by USGBC and prepared by
Booz Allen, finds the green building industry contributes more than $134.3 billion in labor
income to working Americans. The study also found that green construction's growth rate is
rapidly outpacing that of conventional construction and will continue to rise.

By 2018, the study finds, green construction will account for more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs–
more than one-third of the entire U.S. construction sector–and generate $190.3 billion in labor
earnings. The industry's direct contribution to U.S. Gross Domestic Product is also expected to
reach $303.5 billion from 2015-2018.

"Green building is playing a massive role in the U.S. construction sector, the clean and efficient
energy sector and the U.S. economy as a whole," said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair,
USGBC. "More than 2.3 million U.S. workers are taking home $134 billion annually in large
part because of green building programs like LEED. Demand for green building will only
continue to grow as individuals, businesses and institutions continue to prioritize sustainable
approaches to the design, construction and operations of our built environment."

The new USGBC analysis also explores the multifaceted economic contribution of green
construction to the U.S. economy and individual U.S. states, quantifying the economic impact of
green building and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

"Our research shows that green building has created millions of jobs and contributed hundreds of
billions of dollars to the U.S. economy, with the construction of LEED-certified buildings
accounting for about 40 percent of green construction's overall contribution to GDP in 2015,"
said David Erne, a Senior Associate at Booz Allen. "This industry is certainly on the rise, and
aggressive growth in the green building sector is anticipated over the next four years."

In addition to national jobs, GDP and labor earnings from green building, the study projects
significant growth in green building's contribution to individual states' tax contributions and
environmental asset indicators at both the national and state levels.

Total state earnings related to LEED building construction projects are estimated to total $8.4
billion by 2018. In Texas alone, almost 1.26 million jobs in the green building sector are
projected between 2015 and 2018. As a result, green building will also contribute to significant
savings across energy, trash, water and maintenance costs.

- See more at: http://plumbingengineer.com/content/usgbc-study-says-green-building-outpacing-

overall-construction-growth%E2%80%8B#sthash.wr0XQfTo.dpuf
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, opened in October 2015, is the greenest Skyrise ever built and exceeds
the current criteria for a LEED Platinum certified building.

The Gold and Platinum rating of David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, is the first
convention center in the world to have such certifications.[1]

1225 Connecticut Avenue, in Washington, D.C., is the first redeveloped office building on the U.S. East
Coast to receive LEED Platinum status.[2]
Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh has multiple LEED certifications, including the
world's only Platinum-certified greenhouse[3] and a Platinum-certified and net-zero energy Center for
Sustainable Landscapes.[4]

The University of Texas at Dallas Student Services Building is the first academic building in Texas to
receive LEED Platinum status.[5]

Shearer's Foods plant in Massillon, Ohio is the first food manufacturing plant to receive LEED Platinum
status.[6]

Grapevines and photovoltaic panels (r.) rely on the sun at Cooper Vineyards in Louisa, Virginia, the first
winery on the East Coast and the second in the country awarded the fourth and highest, Platinum
certification by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is one of the most popular green
building certification programs used worldwide.[7] Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green
Building Council (USGBC) it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction,
operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods[8] that aims to help
building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently.

Contents

 1 History
 2 Rating systems
o 2.1 LEED 2009
 2.1.1 Certification level
 2.1.2 Goal of the credit system
 2.1.3 Prerequisites
 2.1.4 Credit Weighting Process
 2.1.5 LEED for Homes
o 2.2 LEED Canada
o 2.3 Process
 2.3.1 LEED energy modeling
 2.3.2 LEED for Homes
 3 LEED Performance
o 3.1 Energy performance research
o 3.2 Water performance research
o 3.3 IEQ performance research
o 3.4 Sustainable Sites research
o 3.5 Materials and Resources research
o 3.6 Innovation in Design research
o 3.7 Other related research notes
o 3.8 Directory of LEED-certified projects
 4 Professional accreditation
 5 Benefits and disadvantages
 6 Incentive programs
 7 Notable LEED buildings
 8 See also
 9 References
 10 External links

History

From 1994 to 2015, LEED grew from one standard for new construction to a comprehensive
system of interrelated standards covering aspects from the design and construction to the
maintenance and operation of buildings. LEED also has grown from six volunteers on one
committee to 119,924 staff, volunteers and professionals.[9] LEED standards have been applied
to approximately 83,452 registered and certified LEED projects worldwide, covering around
13.8 billion square feet (1.28 billion square meters).[10]
Many U.S. federal agencies and state and local governments require or reward LEED
certification. However, four states (Alabama, Georgia, Maine, and Mississippi) have effectively
banned the use of LEED in new public buildings, preferring other industry standards that the
USGBC considers too lax.[11]

Unlike model building codes, such as the International Building Code, only members of the
USGBC and specific "in-house" committees may add, subtract, or edit the standard, subject to an
internal review process. Proposals to modify the LEED standards are offered and publicly
reviewed by USGBC's member organizations, which number almost 12,216.[9]

USGBC's Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) offers various accreditation to people
who demonstrate knowledge of the LEED rating system, including LEED Accredited
Professional (LEED AP), LEED Green Associate,[12] and since 2011, LEED Fellows, the highest
designation for LEED professionals. GBCI also certifies projects pursuing LEED.

Rating systems

LEED has evolved since 1998 to more accurately represent and incorporate emerging green
building technologies. The pilot version, LEED New Construction (NC) v1.0, led to LEED
NCv2.0, LEED NCv2.2 in 2005, and LEED 2009 (previously named LEEDv3) in 2009.
LEEDv4 was introduced in November, 2013. Until October 31, 2016, new projects may choose
between LEED 2009 and LEEDv4. New projects registering after October 31, 2016 must use
LEEDv4.[13]

LEED 2009 encompasses ten rating systems for the design, construction and operation of
buildings, homes and neighborhoods.[8] Five overarching categories correspond to the specialties
available under the LEED Accredited Professional program. That suite currently consists of:

Green Building Design & Construction

 LEED for New Construction

 LEED for Core & Shell
 LEED for Schools
 LEED for Retail: New Construction and Major Renovations
 LEED for Healthcare

Green Interior Design & Construction

 LEED for Commercial Interiors

 LEED for Retail: Commercial Interiors

Green Building Operations & Maintenance

 LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance

Green Neighborhood Development

  LEED for Neighborhood Development[8]

Green Home Design and Construction

 LEED for Homes (The LEED for Homes rating system is different from LEED v3, with different
point categories and thresholds that reward efficient residential design.[citation needed])

LEED also forms the basis for other sustainability rating systems such as the Environmental
Protection Agency's Labs21.

To make it easier to follow LEED requirements, in 2009 USGBC helped BuildingGreen develop
LEEDuser, a guide to the LEED certification process and applying for LEED credits written by
professionals in the field.[14]

LEED 2009

Abad Nucleus Mall, at Maradu, Kochi, is India's first LEED certified gold-rated green mall.
Taipei 101, the tallest and largest green building of LEED Platinum certification in the world since 2011.

After four years of development, aligning credits across all LEED rating systems and weighting
credits based on environmental priority, USGBC launched LEED v3,[15] which consists of a new
continuous development process, a new version of LEED Online, a revised third-party
certification program and a new suite of rating systems known as LEED 2009.

Under LEED 2009, there are 100 possible base points distributed across six credit categories:
Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor
Environmental Quality, Innovation in Design. Up to 10 additional points may be earned: four
additional points may be received for Regional Priority Credits, and six additional points for
Innovation in Design (which includes exemplary performance credits for existing credit
categories).

Certification level

Buildings can qualify for four levels of certification:

 Certified: 40–49 points

 Silver: 50–59 points
 Gold: 60–79 points
 Platinum: 80 points and above
Goal of the credit system

The LEED 2009 performance credit system aims to allocate points "based on the potential
environmental impacts and human benefits of each credit." These are weighed using the
environmental impact categories of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Tools
for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI).[16]
and the environmental-impact weighting scheme developed by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST).

Prerequisites

To participate in LEED 2009, a building must comply with environmental laws and regulations,
occupancy scenarios, building permanence and pre-rating completion, site boundaries and area-
to-site ratios. Its owner must share data on the building's energy and water use for five years after
occupancy (for new construction) or date of certification (for existing buildings).[17]

Each of the performance categories also have mandatory measures in each category, which
receive no points.

Credit Weighting Process

The weighting process has three steps:[18]

1. A collection of reference buildings are used to estimate the environmental impacts of any
building seeking LEED certification in a designated rating scheme.
2. NIST weightings are used to judge the relative importance of these impacts in each category.
3. Data regarding actual impacts on environmental and human health are used to assign points to
individual categories and measures.

This system results in a weighted average for each rating scheme based upon actual impacts and
the relative importance of those impacts to human health and environmental quality.

The LEED council also appears to have assigned credit and measure weighting based upon the
market implications of point allocation.[18]

From 2010, buildings can use carbon offsets to achieve Green Power Credits for LEED-NC
(New Construction Certification) :[19]

LEED for Homes

Additional performance categories in the LEED for Homes rating system are Locations and
Linkages (recognizing the importance of transportation access, open space, and physical activity
outdoors) and Awareness and Education (recognizing the need for buildings and settlements to
educate occupants).
LEED Canada

In 2003, the Canada Green Building Council received permission to create LEED Canada-NC
v1.0, which was based upon LEED-NC 2.0.[20][21] Many buildings in Canada are LEED certified
in part due to their Rainwater harvesting practices.

Process

LEED certification is granted by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), which
handles the third-party verification of a project's compliance with the LEED requirements.

The certification process for design teams is made up of two consecutive applications: one
including design credits, and one including construction credits. All of the LEED credits in each
rating system are assigned to either the design application or the construction application. The
design credits include those that are the purview of the architect and the engineer, and are
documented in the official construction drawings. The construction credits include those that are
predominantly under the purview of the contractor, and are documented during the construction
and commissioning of the building.

A fee is required to register the building, and to submit the design and construction applications.
Total fees are assessed based on building area. Fees range from a minimum of $2,900 to over $1
million for a large project.[22] "Soft" costs, i.e., added costs to the building project to quality for
LEED certification, range from 1% to 6% of the total project cost. The average cost increase was
about 2%, or an extra $3–$5 per square foot.[23]

The application review and certification process is handled on LEED Online, USGBC's web-
based service that employs a series of active PDF forms to allow project teams to fill out credit
forms and upload supporting documentation online. The GBCI also utilizes LEED Online to
conduct their reviews.

LEED energy modeling

Design teams have the option of achieving points under the Optimize Energy Performance credit
by building an energy model. This energy model must follow the modeling methodologies
outlined in Appendix G of the ASHRAE 90.1 building energy standard. The guidelines in
Appendix G require that the team make two energy models: one representing the building as
designed, and a second “baseline” building. The baseline building must be modeled in the same
location, and have the same geometry and occupancy as the design building. Depending on
location (climate) and building size, the standard provides requirements for HVAC system type,
and wall and window definitions. The goal of this methodology is to provide a baseline building
to use as a reference point to compare the design building against. It is a way to standardize the
baseline, while putting weight on important factors that heavily influence building energy
consumption (e.g., location, geometry, and occupancy patterns). The number of points achieved
in this credit is correlated with the percent predicted energy savings demonstrated by the
difference between the design and baseline energy models.
This method of energy modeling has been criticized for inaccurately predicting actually energy
usage of LEED-certified buildings. The USGBC admits that "current information indicates that
most buildings do not perform as well as design metrics indicate. As a result, building owners
might not obtain the benefits promised."[24]

LEED for Homes

Today, Increasing demand towards environment safety, force LEED certification to play major
role. The process of the LEED for Homes Rating System, available in the USA,[25] Canada and
Sweden[26] is significantly different from the LEED NC rating system. LEED for Homes projects
are low rise residential and are required to work with either an American Provider
Organization[27] or a Canadian Provider Organization[28] and a Green Rater. A Provider
Organization helps the project through the process while overseeing the Green Raters. Green
Raters are individuals that conduct the two mandatory LEED for Homes site inspections; the
Thermal Bypass Inspection and the Final Inspection. Although LEED for Homes is typically
viewed by the construction industry as a simpler rating system especially when compared to
LEED NC, LEED NC does not require an on-site inspection. The Provider and the Green Rater
do not certify the project, but rather assist in the certification process.

LEED Performance

Research papers provide most of what is known about the performance and effectiveness of
LEED in two credit category areas – energy and indoor environment quality. In one study of 953
NYC office buildings, 21 LEED certified buildings collectively showed no energy savings
compared with non-LEED buildings, although LEED Gold buildings "outperformed other NYC
office buildings by 20%".[29] IEQ-related studies provide two contrasting results - the first used
occupant survey results in 65 LEED buildings and 79 non-LEED buildings and it concluded that
occupants of LEED certified buildings have equal satisfaction with the building overall and with
the workspace than occupants of non-LEED rated buildings[30] and the second used occupant
interviews and physical site measurements at 12 LEED buildings to report superior indoor
environment performance compared with similar 12 conventional buildings (non-LEED).[31]
Buildings certified under LEED do not have to prove energy or water efficiency in practice to
receive LEED certification points, but instead LEED uses modeling software to predict future
energy use based on intended use. This has led to criticism of LEED’s ability to accurately
determine the efficiency of buildings. The USGBC itself says that, “Buildings have a poor track
record for performing as predicted during design.[24]

Energy performance research

On average, LEED-certified buildings use the same source energy and produce equal greenhouse
gas emissions as non-LEED-certified buildings.[32] They use between 11 and 39% less site
energy than non-LEED buildings on average, although 28-35% use more energy.[32][33] No
correlation was found between the number of LEED points achieved and measured energy
savings.[33]
In 2009 Newsham et al. analyzed a database of 100 LEED-certified buildings.[33] In this study,
each building was paired with a conventional "twin" building within the Commercial Building
Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) database according to building type and occupancy.[33]
On average, LEED buildings consumed 18 to 39% less energy than their conventional "twin"
building, although 28 to 35% of LEED-certified buildings used more energy than their "twin.”[33]
The paper found no correlation between the number of energy points achieved or LEED
certification level and measured building performance.[33]

In 2009 Scofield published an article in response to Newsham et al., analyzing the same database
of LEED buildings and arriving at different conclusions.[32] In his analysis, Scofield considered
source energy (accounting for energy losses during generation and transmission) as well as site
energy, and used area-weighted energy use intensities, or EUIs (energy per unit area per year),
when comparing LEED and non-LEED buildings to account for the fact that larger buildings
tend to have larger EUIs.[32] Scofield concluded that, collectively, the LEED-certified buildings
showed no significant source energy consumption savings or greenhouse gas emission reductions
when compared to non-LEED buildings, although they did consume 10-17% less site energy.[32]
Scofield in 2013 analyzed 21 LEED-certified buildings in New York City.[29] He found that
buildings that had achieved LEED Gold used, on average, 20% less source energy than did
conventional buildings. Buildings with LEED Silver or LEED Certified ratings actually used 11
to 15% more source energy, on average, than did their conventional counterparts.[29]

Stoppel and Leite[34] developed a study in 2013 to evaluate the predicted and actual energy
consumption of two twin buildings using the energy model process documented during the
LEED design phase and the utility meter data after 12 months of occupancy. The authors found
that energy model predicted 14% and 25% more energy consumption for each building
compared to the actual buildings energy use. The study’s results suggests that mechanical
systems turnover and occupancy assumptions significantly differing from predicted to actual
values.

In 2014, Fuertes and Schiavon[35] developed the first study that analyzes plug loads using LEED
documented data from certified projects. The study compared plug load assumptions made by 92
energy modeling practitioners against ASHRAE and Title 24 requirements, as well as, the
evaluation of the plug loads calculation methodology used by 660 LEED-CI and 429 LEED-NC
certified projects. In general, energy modelers considered the energy consumption of plug loads
of equipment that are constantly running (such as refrigerators) as well as monitors and computes
predictable. Overall the results suggested a disconnection between energy modelers assumptions
and the actual performance of buildings. The study also shows that there was no consistency on
the method used by LEED-CI and NC projects, while one is based on the power and percentage
of ENERGY STAR equipment installed in the building the other one is based on a whole-
building-design energy model. In conclusion, the study suggests LEED or ASHRAE to develop
guidelines for plug loads calculations.

Water performance research

This section requires expansion. (December 2015)
IEQ performance research

The Center for Disease Control defines Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) as "the quality of a
building’s environment in relation to the health and wellbeing of those who occupy space within
it."[36] The USGBC includes the following considerations for attaining IEQ credits: indoor air
quality, the level of volatile organic compounds, lighting, thermal comfort, and daylighting and
views. In consideration of a building's indoor environmental quality, published studies have also
included factors such as: acoustics, building cleanliness and maintenance, colors and textures,
workstation size, ceiling height, window access and shading, surface finishes, and furniture
adjustability and comfort.[30][31]

In 2013, a paper published by S. Schiavon and S. Altomonte studied LEED verses non-LEED
buildings in relation to occupant IEQ satisfaction.[30] Using occupant surveys from the Center for
the Built Environment at Berkeley database,[37] 65 LEED-certified and 79 non-LEED buildings
were studied to provide an analysis of 15 IEQ-related factors in the overall building and specific
workspaces. These factors include the ease of interaction, building cleanliness, the comfort of
furnishing, the amount of light, building maintenance, colors and textures, workplace cleanliness,
the amount of space, furniture adjustability, visual comfort, air quality, visual privacy, noise,
temperature, and sound privacy. The results showed occupants tend to be slightly more satisfied
in LEED buildings for the air quality and slightly more dissatisfied with the amount of light. The
overall finding was that there was no significant influence of LEED certification on occupant
satisfaction in consideration of the overall building and workspace ratings.[30] The "Limitations
and Further Studies" section states that the data may not be representative of the entire building
stock and a randomized approach was not used in the data assessment. Furthermore, an analysis
across the various certification types (e.g. New Construction, Existing Buildings, etc.) by version
release (e.g. 2.1) is recommended.

Based on similar dataset (21,477 occupants), in 2013, Schiavon and Altomonte,[38] found that
occupants have equivalent satisfaction levels in LEED and non-LEED buildings when evaluated
independently from the following nine factors: (1) office type, (2) spatial layout, (3) distance
from windows, (4) building size, (5) gender, (6) age, (7) type of work, (8) time at workspace, and
(9) weekly working hours.

Conversely, in 2015, a study on indoor environmental quality and the potential health benefits of
green certified buildings was developed by Allen et al.[39] showing that green buildings provide
better indoor environmental quality with direct benefits to human health of occupants of those
buildings in comparison to non-green buildings. One of the limitations of the study was the use
of subjective health performance indicators since there is a lack of definition on such indicators
by current studies.

G. Newsham et al. published a detailed study on IEQ and LEED buildings in August 2013.[31]
Field studies and Post-Occupancy Evaluations (POE) were performed in 12 “green” and 12
“conventional” buildings across Canada and the northern United States. On-site, 974
workstations were measured for thermal conditions, air quality, acoustics, lighting, workstation
size, ceiling height, window access and shading, and surface finishes. Responses were positive in
the areas of environmental satisfaction, satisfaction with thermal conditions, satisfaction with
view from the outside, aesthetic appearance, reduced disturbance from heating, ventilation and
air-conditioning noise, workplace image, night-time sleep quality, mood, physical symptoms,
and reduced number of airborne particulates. The results showed green buildings exhibited
superior performance compared with similar conventional buildings.[31]

For LEED BD+C v4 credit, the IEQ category addresses thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort as
well as indoor air quality. The thermal comfort credit applies one point to the following
certification types: New Construction, Schools, Retail, Data Centers, Warehouses and
Distribution Centers, Hospitality, and Healthcare. The intent of this credit is to "promote
occupants' productivity, comfort, and well-being by providing thermal comfort."[40] Occupants'
satisfaction and performance is directly affected by a building's thermal conditions as shown by
laboratory and field research.[41] Energy reduction goals can be supported while improving
thermal satisfaction. For example, research has shown providing occupants control over the
thermostat or operable window allows for comfort across a wider range of temperatures.[42][43]

The following steps are guidelines provided by the USGBC for LEED credit in thermal
comfort.[40] First, thermal comfort goals must be established by determining if indoor thermal
variation is acceptable (or if it must be tightly controlled) and if natural conditioning is a benefit
desired by the occupants. Based on those goals, a system must be chosen that considers if natural
conditioning can fit the project. Then thermal controls should be established that give the
occupant control over air speed, operative temperature, radiant temperature, and humidity such
as ceiling fans, thermostats, operable windows, underfloor diffusers, etc.[40] Finally, a standard
must be chosen that best fits the project from ASHRAE Standard 55-2013,[44] ISO 7730-2005,[45]
or EN15251-2007.[40][46]

The daylight credit was updated in LEED v4 to include a simulation option for daylight analysis
that uses Spatial Daylight Autonomy (SDA) and Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE) metrics to
evaluate daylight quality in LEED projects. SDA is a metric that measures the annual sufficiency
of daylight levels in interior spaces and ASE describes the potential for visual discomfort by
direct sunlight and glare. These metrics are approved by IES and described at the LM-83-12
standard.[47] LEED recommend a minimum of 300 lx for at least 50% of total occupied hours of
the year for 55% or more square meters (square feet) of the floor occupied area. The threshold
recommended by LEED for ASE is that no more than 10% of regularly occupied floor area can
be exposed to more than 1000 lx of direct sunlight for more than 250 hours per year.
Additionally, LEED requires window shades to be closed when more than 2% of a space is
subject to direct sunlight above 1000 lx. According to Reinhart[48] the direct sunlight requirement
is a very stringent approach that can disable good daylight design from achieving this credit.
Reinhart propose the application of the direct sunlight criterion only in spaces that require
stringent control of sunlight (e.g. desks, white boards and etc.).

Sustainable Sites research

This section requires expansion. (November 2014)

Materials and Resources research

This section requires expansion. (November 2014)
Innovation in Design research
This section requires expansion. (November 2014)

Other related research notes

A 2003 analysis of the savings from green building found from a review of 60 LEED buildings
that the buildings were, on average, 25-30% more energy efficient. However, it also attributed
substantial benefits to the increased productivity from the better ventilation, temperature control,
lighting control, and reduced indoor air pollution.[49]

As of 2008, LEED (and similar Energy Star) buildings had mostly been evaluated by case
studies. From a purely financial perspective, in 2008 several studies found that LEED for-rent
office spaces generally charged higher rent and had higher occupancy rates. CoStar collects data
on properties. The extra cost for the minimum benefit has been estimated at 3%, with an
additional 2.5% for silver.[50] More recent studies have confirmed these earlier findings in that
certified buildings achieve significantly higher rents, sale prices and occupancy rates as well as
lower capitalization rates potentially reflecting lower investment risk.[51][52][53]

LEED focuses on the design of the building and not on its actual energy consumption, and
therefore it has suggested that LEED buildings should be tracked to discover whether the
potential energy savings from the design are being used in practice.[54]

Directory of LEED-certified projects

The U.S. Green Building Council provides an online directory of U.S. LEED-certified projects.[9]

The Canada Green Building Council provides an online directory[55] of LEED Canada-certified
projects.

In 2012 the USGBC launched GBIG, the Green Building Information Gateway,[56] in an effort to
connect green building efforts and projects from all over the world. It provides searchable access
to a database of activities, buildings, places and collections of green building-related information
from many sources and programs, as well as, specifically provides information about LEED
projects.

Professional accreditation

The Green Building Certification Institute describes Professional Accreditation as follows:

"LEED Professional Credentials demonstrate current knowledge of green building technologies,
best practices, and the rapidly evolving LEED Rating Systems. They show differentiation in a
growing and competitive industry, and they allow for varied levels of specialization. A LEED
Professional Credential provides employers, policymakers, and other stakeholders with
assurances of an individual's level of competence and is the mark of the most qualified, educated,
and influential green building professionals in the marketplace."[57] Credentials include the
LEED Green Associate and the various types of specialized LEED Accredited Professionals
(AP).
Benefits and disadvantages

Real estate developers have begun to use LEED certification and a building's green status as selling
points

LEED certified buildings are intended to use resources more efficiently when compared to
conventional buildings simply built to code. However, analysis of energy and water use data
from New York City shows that LEED certification does not necessarily make a building more
energy or water efficient.[58]

Often, when a LEED rating is pursued, the cost of initial design and construction rises. There
may be a lack of abundant availability of manufactured building components that meet LEED
specifications. Pursuing LEED certification for a project is an added cost in itself as well. This
added cost comes in the form of USGBC correspondence, LEED design-aide consultants, and
the hiring of the required Commissioning Authority (CxA)—all of which would not necessarily
be included in an environmentally responsible project, unless it also sought a LEED rating.[citation
needed]

However, these higher initial costs can be effectively mitigated by the savings incurred over time
due to the lower-than-industry-standard operational costs typical of a LEED certified building.
This Life cycle costing is a method for assessing the total cost of ownership, taking into account
all costs of acquiring, owning and operating, and the eventual disposal of a building. Additional
economic payback may come in the form of employee productivity gains incurred as a result of
working in a healthier environment. Studies suggest that an initial up-front investment of 2%
extra yields over ten times that initial investment over the life cycle of the building.[59]

Further, the USGBC has stated support for the Architecture 2030, an effort that has set a goal of
using no fossil-fuel, greenhouse-gas-emitting energy to operate by 2030.[60]

In the progression of sustainable design from simply meeting local buildings codes to USGBC
LEED[61] (Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum) to the Architecture 2030 Challenge,[62] the
Living Building Challenge is currently the most stringent sustainable design protocol. The
LBC[63] sets 20 imperatives that compel building owners, designers, operators and tenants
beyond current USGBC[64] LEED rating levels.

LEED is a design tool and not a performance measurement tool. It is also not yet climate-
specific, although the newest version hopes to address this weakness partially. Because of this,
designers may make materials or design choices that garner a LEED point, even though they may
not be the most site- or climate-appropriate choice available. On top of this, LEED is also not
energy-specific. Since it only measures the overall performances, builders are free to choose how
to achieve points under various categories. A USA TODAY review showed that 7,100 certified
commercial building projects targeted easy and cheap green points, such as creating healthy
spaces and providing educational displays in the building.[65] Few builders would really adopt
renewable energy because the generators for those energy resources, such as solar photovoltaic,
are costly. Builders game the rating system and use certain performances to compensate for the
others, making energy conservation the weakest part in the overall evaluation.

LEED is a measurement tool for green building in the United States and it is developed and
continuously modified by workers in the green building industry, especially in the ten largest
metro areas in the U.S.; however, LEED certified buildings have been slower to penetrate small
and mid-major markets.[66] Also, some criticism suggests that the LEED rating system is not
sensitive and does not vary enough with regard to local environmental conditions. For instance, a
building in Maine would receive the same credit as a building in Arizona for water conservation,
though the principle is more important in the latter case. Another complaint is that its
certification costs require money that could be used to make the building in question even more
sustainable. Many critics have noted that compliance and certification costs have grown faster
than staff support from the USGBC.

For existing buildings LEED has developed LEED-EB. Research has demonstrated that
buildings that can achieve LEED-EB equivalencies can generate a tremendous ROI[citation needed].
In a 2008 white paper by the Leonardo Academy comparing LEED-EB buildings vs. data from
BOMA's Experience Exchange Report 2007 demonstrated LEED-EB certified buildings
achieved superior operating cost savings in 63% of the buildings surveyed ranging from $4.94 to
$15.59 per square foot of floor space, with an average valuation of $6.68 and a median valuation
of $6.07.[67]

In addition the overall cost of LEED-EB implementation and certification ranged from $0.00 to
$6.46 per square foot of floor space, with an average of $2.43 per square foot demonstrating that
implementation is not expensive, especially in comparison to cost savings. These costs should be
significantly reduced if automation and technology are integrated into the implementation.

Incentive programs

Many federal, state, and local governments and school districts have adopted various types of
LEED initiatives and incentives. A full listing of government and school LEED initiatives can be
found online[68] and is updated regularly.

Some areas have implemented or are considering incentives for LEED-certified buildings.

The city of Cincinnati, Ohio adopted a measure providing an automatic 100% real property tax
exemption of the assessed property value for newly constructed or rehabilitated commercial or
residential properties that earn a minimum of LEED Certified.[69]
In the state of Nevada construction materials for a qualifying LEED building are exempt from
local taxes. Pieces of construction that are deemed "inseparable" parts, such as concrete or
drywall, qualify.

The state of Maryland passed its High Performance Buildings Act in 2008, requiring all new
public construction and renovation of buildings greater than 7,500 square feet to meet at least the
LEED Silver standard, or two Green Globes. Between 2009 and 2014, the state is required to
fund half of the required additional cost for public school construction or renovation to attain that
standard.[70]

The state of Michigan is considering tax-based incentives for LEED buildings.[71]

Many local governments have adopted LEED incentive programs. Program incentives include
tax credits, tax breaks, density bonuses, reduced fees, priority or expedited permitting, free or
reduced-cost technical assistance, grants and low-interest loans.[72]

In June 2013, the USGBC announced a program called LEED Earth that refunds LEED
certification fees to the first LEED-certified project in the countries that so far lack one.[73][74]

Notable LEED buildings

Sota Construction Corporate Headquarters in Pittsburgh earned LEED Platinum in 2012.

The Philip Merrill Environmental Center is recognized as one of the "greenest" buildings ever
constructed in the United States at the time when it was built. Sustainability issues ranging from
energy use to material selection were given serious consideration throughout design and
construction of this facility. It was the first building to receive a Platinum rating through the U.S.
Green Building Council's LEED Rating System, version 1.0.[75]
When it opened in 2003, Pittsburgh's 1,500,000-square-foot (140,000 m2) David L. Lawrence
Convention Center was the first Gold LEED-certified convention center and largest "green"
building in the world.[76] The convention center subsequently earned Platinum certification in
2012, becoming the only convention center in the world with certifications for both the original
building and new construction.[1] In October 2011 Apogee Stadium on the campus of the
University of North Texas became the first newly built stadium in the country to achieve
Platinum-level certification. In Pittsburgh, Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens visitors
center has received a Silver certification,[77] its Center for Sustainable Landscapes has received a
Platinum certification along with fulfilling the Living Building Challenge for net-zero energy,[4]
and its greenhouse production facility has received Platinum certification, the first and only
greenhouse so certified.[3] Also in Pittsburgh, Sota Construction Services completed construction
on its new 7,500 sq. ft. corporate headquarters,[78] which features a super-efficient thermal
envelope using cob walls, along with other energy-saving features like a geothermal well, radiant
heat flooring, roof-mounted solar panel array, and daylighting features. It earned a LEED
Platinum rating in 2012 and received one of the highest scores by percentage of total points
earned in any LEED category, making it the "greenest" building in Pennsylvania and in the top
ten greenest in the world.[79]

Around 2009–2010, the Empire State Building was undergoing a $550 million renovation, with
$120 million spent in an effort to transform the building into a more energy efficient and eco-
friendly structure.[80] Receiving a gold LEED rating in September 2011, the Empire State
Building was at the time the tallest LEED-certified building in the United States.[81]

The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Bosarge Family Education Center completed in 2011
achieved LEED Platinum certification and has become known as Maine's "greenest building."[82]

In May 2012, Soldier Field in Chicago became the first National Football League stadium
certified LEED.[83]

In July 2014, Levi's Stadium in San Francisco became he the first venue in the United States to
earn a LEED Gold certification. With the San Francisco 49ers building the most
environmentally-friendly stadium it has set the bar and expectations for NFL teams building
future stadiums. The Minnesota Vikings look to match and exceed the expectations set by the
49ers when they open U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016.

The Cashman Equipment building is the first construction equipment dealership to receive LEED
certification. It is the largest LEED industrial complex in Nevada. Caterpillar corporate has
rewritten their development guidelines for new facilities based on this building.[84]

The Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco's Presidio, the headquarters for various
Lucasfilm companies, including visual effects house Industrial Light and Magic, earned a Gold
certification. It was built almost entirely from the recycled remains of the building it replaced,
the Letterman Army Hospital.[85]

The Cuyahoga County Public Library system is building newer branches so that they could be
LEED Certified. In the construction of the Garfield Heights, Ohio new branch, the library used
green materials, the lighting of Garfield Heights Branch lightens or dims when there is ample
daylight. The glass windows have light sensors that work with lights inside the library. Also, the
library uses a raised floor and has recyclable carpet tiles.

Opening in September 2012, Siemens' The Crystal became the world's first building awarded
LEED Platinum and BREEAM Outstanding status.[86] Generating its own energy, using solar
power and ground source heat pumps, no fossil fuels are burnt within the building. Its extensive
use of KNX technologies to automate the building's environmental controls has set the
benchmark for sustainable buildings.[87]

When it received LEED Platinum in 2012, Manitoba Hydro Place in downtown Winnipeg,
Manitoba was the most energy efficient office tower in North America and the only office tower
in Canada to receive the Platinum rating. The office tower employs south facing winter gardens
to capture the maximum amount of solar energy during the harsh Manitoba winters, and uses
glass extensively to maximise natural light.[88]

See also

 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) at U.S. Green Building Council

Sustainable development portal

 Building enclosure commissioning  Green Globes

 BREEAM  High-Performance Green Buildings
 Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing  Living Building Challenge
 Code for Sustainable Homes  Passive house
 Design Impact Measures  QSAS
 Ecological footprint  Renewable energy
 Energy conservation  SmartCode
 Estidama  Sustainable architecture
 Environmental design  U.S. Green Building Council
 Center for the Built Environment

References
Notes

1.

 Belko, Mark (May 11, 2012). "Convention center earns highest 'green' cred: platinum LEED rating".
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  Plumb, Tierney (October 8, 2009). "1225 Connecticut Avenue gets LEED Platinum". Washington
Business Journal.

  Raulerson, Josh (July 5, 2012). "Phipps Production Greenhouse Attains LEED Platinum". WESA.fm.
First Green Bank opened its LEED Platinum headquarters in Mount Dora, Florida on November 14, 2011.
  Moore, Andrew (May 23, 2012). "Development News: Phipps' Center for Sustainable Landscapes
opens today, to be greenest building in the world". Pop City.

  "UT Dallas Building Awarded Highest Green Status" (Press release). University of Texas at Dallas.
February 10, 2011.

  Staley, Doug (March 14, 2011). "Shearer's, Fresh Mark, Drummond are success stories".
IndeOnline.com (Ohio, United States).

  "Green Building Facts | U.S. Green Building Council". www.usgbc.org. Retrieved 2015-11-24.

  Boeing; et al. (2014). "LEED-ND and Livability Revisited". Berkeley Planning Journal 27: 31–55.
Retrieved 2015-04-15.

  "LEED Projects Directory". US Green Building Council. Retrieved 27 February 2014.

  "About LEED | U.S. Green Building Council". www.usgbc.org. Retrieved 2015-11-21.

  "Why Are Some States Trying to Ban LEED Green Building Standards?". CityLab. Retrieved 2015-11-
21.

  "LEED Green Associate Exam Prep - GreenEDU.com". www.greenedu.com. Retrieved 2015-11-21.

  "USGBC Announces Extension of LEED 2009". USGBC.org. Retrieved 2014-12-18.

  "LEED Update December 2009". US Green Building Council. Retrieved 5 March 2010.

  "LEEDv3". US Green Building Council. Retrieved 20 February 2010.

  http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=8868

  http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6715

  http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=8868 p. xii.

  "LEED Certification | The CarbonNeutral Company US". Us.carbonneutral.com. Retrieved 2012-08-

13.

  https://www.cagbc.org/

  http://www.cagbc.org/cagbcdocs/LEED_Canada_NC-Comparison-2009_to_v1_100621.pdf

  Hughes, Timothy. (2011-01-01) The True Cost of LEED-Certified Green Buildings | Archive content
from HPAC Engineering. Hpac.com. Retrieved on 2014-06-23.

  http://www.josre.org/wp-
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  "A National Green Building Research Agenda" (PDF).

  "LEED rating systems | U.S. Green Building Council". Usgbc.org. Retrieved 2013-10-16.

  LEED Retrieved 16-03-2015. (Swedish)

  "U.S. Green Building Council | U.S. Green Building Council". Usgbc.org. Retrieved 2013-10-16.

  [1] Archived January 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.

  Scofield, John H. (2013). "Efficacy of LEED-certification in reducing energy consumption and

greenhouse gas emission for large New York City office buildings". Energy and Buildings 67: 517–524.
doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2013.08.032.

  Schiavon, Stefano; Altomonte, Sergio (2013). "Occupant satisfaction in LEED and non-LEED certified
buildings". Buildings and Environment 68: 66–76. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.06.008. Retrieved 23
November 2013.

  Newsham, Guy R.; Birt, Benjamin J.; Arsenault, Chantal; Thompson, Alexandra J.L.; Veitch, Jennifer
A.; Mancini, Sandra; Galasiu, Anca D.; Gover, Bradford N.; Macdonald, lain A.; Burns, Gregory J. (2013).
"Do 'green' buildings have better indoor environments? New evidence". Building Research and
Information 41 (4): 415–434. doi:10.1080/09613218.2013.789951. Retrieved 23 November 2013.

  Scofield, John H. (2009). "Do LEED-certified buildings save energy? Not really..". Energy and
Buildings 41 (12): 1386–1390. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2009.08.006.

  Newsham, Guy R.; Mancini, Sandra; Birt J., Benjamin (2009). "Do LEED-certified buildings save
energy? Yes, but…". Energy and Buildings 41 (8): 897–905. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2009.03.014.

  Stoppel, Christopher. M.; Leite, Fernanda (2013-10-01). "Evaluating building energy model
performance of LEED buildings: Identifying potential sources of error through aggregate analysis".
Energy and Buildings 65: 185–196. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2013.04.016.

  "Plug Load Energy Analysis: The Role of Plug Loads in LEED Certification". eScholarship. Retrieved
2015-11-23.

  "Workplace Safety and Health Topics, Indoor Environment Quality". Center for Disease Control Main
Website. CDC. Retrieved 23 November 2013.

  Frontczak, M.; Schiavon, S.; Goins, J.; Arens, E.; Zhang, H.; Wargocki, P. (2012-04-01). "Quantitative
relationships between occupant satisfaction and satisfaction aspects of indoor environmental quality and
building design". Indoor Air 22 (2): 119–131. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0668.2011.00745.x. ISSN 1600-0668.

  Schiavon, Stefano; Altomonte, Sergio (2014-07-01). "Influence of factors unrelated to environmental

quality on occupant satisfaction in LEED and non-LEED certified buildings". Building and Environment 77:
148–159. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.03.028.

  Allen, Joseph G.; MacNaughton, Piers; Laurent, Jose Guillermo Cedeno; Flanigan, Skye S.; Eitland,
Erika Sita; Spengler, John D. (2015-07-10). "Green Buildings and Health". Current Environmental Health
Reports 2 (3): 250–258. doi:10.1007/s40572-015-0063-y. ISSN 2196-5412. PMC 4513229.
PMID 26231502.

  LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction. Washington, DC: USGBC. 2013.
pp. 695–710.
  Fisk, W (2001). "Estimates of Potential Nationwide Productivity and Health Benefits from Better
Indoor Environments: An Update". Indoor Air Quality Handbook (New York: McGraw Hill).

  Brager, Gail; Paliaga, Gwelen; de Dear, Richard (2004). "Operable windows, personal control and
occupant comfort". ASHRAE Transactions (2 ed.) 110.

  Hellwig, Runa (2015). "Perceived control in indoor environments: a conceptual approach". Building
Research & Information 43.3: 302–315.

  "Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy". ASHRAE Standard 55. 2013.

  "Ergonomics of the thermal environment - analytical determination and interpretation of thermal

comfort using calculation of the PMV and PPD indices and local thermal comfort criteria". ISO 7730.
2005.

  "Indoor environmental input parameters for design and assessment of energy performance of
buildings addressing indoor air quality, thermal environment, lighting, and acoustics". EN15251. 2007.

  "IES - Illuminating Engineering Society". www.ies.org. Retrieved 2015-11-17.

  Reinhart, Christoph (2015-06-01). "Opinion: Climate-based daylighting metrics in LEEDv4 – A fragile

progress". Lighting Research and Technology 47 (4): 388–388. doi:10.1177/1477153515587613.
ISSN 1477-1535.

  Kats, Greg (2003). "Green building costs and financial benefits" (PDF). Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative.

  N. Miller, J. Spivey, A. Florance (2008). "Does Green Pay Off?" (PDF). Journal of Real Estate Portfolio
Management.

  Fuerst, Franz; McAllister, Pat (2009). "Green Noise or Green Value? Measuring the Effects of
Environmental Certification on Office Property Values". Papers.ssrn.com. Retrieved November 5, 2010.

  Pivo, Gary; Fisher, Jeffrey D. (2009). "Investment Returns from Responsible Property Investments:
Energy Efficient, Transit-oriented and Urban Regeneration Office Properties in the US from 1998-2008"
(PDF). Responsibleproperty.net. Retrieved November 5, 2010.

  Fuerst, Franz; McAllister, Pat (2009). "An Investigation of the Effect of Eco-Labeling on Office
Occupancy Rates" (PDF). Costar.com. Retrieved November 5, 2010.

  Appelbaum, A. (2010-05-19). "Don't LEED Us Astray". New York Times.

  "Canada Builds Green Directory". Canada Green Building Council. Retrieved 27 November 2013.

  "GBIG Green Building Information Gateway". USGBC.org. Retrieved 2013-11-17.

  "LEED Professional Credentials". GBCI. Retrieved 2012-08-13.

  "Green Building LEED Certification". USA Today. 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2013-12-08.

  Greg Kats; Leon Alevantis; Adam Berman; Evan Mills; Jeff Perlman (2003). "The Costs and Financial
Benefits of Green Buildings: A Report to California's Sustainable Building Task Force" (PDF). Retrieved
2008-10-30.

  "The 2030 Challenge". Architecture2030.org.

  "U.S. Green Building Council | U.S. Green Building Council". Usgbc.org. Retrieved 2013-10-16.

  "The 2030 Challenge". Architecture 2030. Retrieved 2013-10-16.

  http://living-future.org/lbc

  "usgbc.org". usgbc.org. Retrieved 2013-10-16.

  "In U.S. building industry, is it too easy to be green?". USA Today. 2012-10-24.

  Burr, Andrew C. (April 23, 2008). "LEED's Big Market Bias". CoStar Group. Retrieved 2008-04-27.

  "Cost Analysis of LEED-EB" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-02-14.

  "Tax Deductions and Incentives. The Vinyl Roofing Division of the Chemical Fabrics and Film
Association.".

  "LEED Initiatives in Government and Schools".

  "Maryland Enacts Green Building Standards for Public Buildings | Center for Climate and Energy
Solutions". C2es.org. 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2013-06-14.

  "LEED Tax Credits Coming?".

  "Summary of Government LEED Incentives".

  Roberts, Tristan (2013-06-05). "First-in-Country Projects to Get Free LEED Certification". Retrieved
2013-07-30.

  "LEED Earth Rules and Regulations". USGBC. 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2013-07-30.

  "Clark Construction".

  Gonchar, Joann (October 2012). "David L. Lawrence Convention Center". Architectural Record
(McGraw-Hill). Retrieved January 24, 2013.

  "Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden". U.S. Green Building Council. Retrieved January 24,
2013.

  "Sota Construction Services, Inc. - Sota Construction Corporate Offices". Sotaconstruction.com.

Retrieved 2013-11-28.

  "Sota Construction Office Expansion". U.S. Green Building Council. Retrieved 2013-11-28.

  "2009 ULI Fall Meeting & Urban Land Expo — Green Retrofit: What Is Making This the Wave of the
Future?". Archived from the original (PDF) on November 22, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
  Dailey, Jessica (2011-09-14). "Empire State Building Achieves LEED Gold Certification".
Inhabitat.com. Retrieved 2013-07-30.

  Turkel, Tux (14 July 2011). "Portland Press Herald". Maine’s ‘greenest building’ is designed to
educate. Retrieved 7 August 2014.

  "Soldier Field earns top building honor". Chicagobears. 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2012-08-13.

  "Cashman Turns Green to Gold". Retrieved December 1, 2009.

  "Letterman Digital Arts Center". Onelettermandrive.com. Retrieved 2013-10-16.

  LEED Platinum certification for the Crystal

  "Crystal Clear - Inside Siemens' The Crystal". Abtecbt.com. 2013-12-16. Retrieved 2014-02-14.

88.  "Urban Ecology — Description | CMHC". Cmhc-schl.gc.ca. Retrieved 2014-02-27.

Bibliography

 Green Building Facts [Data file]. (n.d.). US Green Building Council. Retrieved June 27, 2009.
 Kats, G., Alevantis, L., Berman, A., Mills, E., & Perlman, J. (2003). The Costs and Financial
Benefeits of Green Buildings: A Report to California's Sustainable Building Task Force [Report].
U.S. Green Building Council.
 Lucuik, M., Trusty, W., Larsson, N., & Charette, R. (2005). A Business Case for Green Building in
Canada: Presented to Industry Canada [Report]. U.S. Green Building Council.
 U.S. Green Building Council. (2006, August). Foundations of the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design, Environmental Rating System, A Tool for Market Transformation [Policy
Manual].

External links

 About LEED by the U.S. Green Building Council

 Going green with LEED by the Canada Green Building Council
 Profile - LEED Green Building Certification System
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Centers 
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LEED  LEED AP
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Rating  LEED for Healthcare
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Green building
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about sustainable construction principles. For the building on the MIT campus, see Green
Building (MIT). For the building in Louisville, see The Green Building (Louisville, Kentucky).

US EPA Kansas City Science & Technology Center This facility features the following green attributes:

 LEED 2.0 Gold certified

 Green Power
 Native Landscaping

Part of a series about

Sustainable energy

Energy conservation

 Cogeneration
 Energy efficiency
 Heat pump
 Green building
 Low-carbon power
 Microgeneration
  Passive solar

Renewable energy
 Anaerobic digestion
 Geothermal
 Hydroelectricity
 Solar
 Tidal
 Wind

Sustainable transport
 Carbon-neutral fuel
 Electric vehicle
 Fossil-fuel phase-out
 Green vehicle
 Plug-in hybrid

Sustainable development portal

 Renewable energy portal

 Environment portal

 v
 t
 e

Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a
structure and the using of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient
throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance,
renovation, and demolition.[1] In other words, green building design involves finding the balance
between homebuilding and the sustainable environment. This requires close cooperation of the
design team, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages.[2] The Green
Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy,
utility, durability, and comfort.[3]

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a set of rating systems for the
design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings which was Developed by the
U.S. Green Building Council. Other certificates system that confirms the sustainability of
buildings is the British BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method) for buildings and large scale developments. Currently, World Green Building Council is
conducting research on the effects of green buildings on the health and productivity of their users
and is working with World Bank to promote Green Buildings in Emerging Markets through
EDGE Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies Market Transformation Program and
certification.[4]

Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in
creating greener structures, the common objective of green buildings is to reduce the overall
impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

 Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources

 Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
 Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation[3]

A similar concept is natural building, which is usually on a smaller scale and tends to focus on
the use of natural materials that are available locally.[5] Other related topics include sustainable
design and green architecture. Sustainability may be defined as meeting the needs of present
generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.[6]
Although some green building programs don't address the issue of the retrofitting existing
homes, others do, especially through public schemes for energy efficient refurbishment. Green
construction principles can easily be applied to retrofit work as well as new construction.

A 2009 report by the U.S. General Services Administration found 12 sustainably-designed

buildings that cost less to operate and have excellent energy performance. In addition, occupants
were overall more satisfied with the building than those in typical commercial buildings.These
are eco-friendly buildings.[7]

Contents

 1 Reducing environmental impact

 2 Goals of green building
o 2.1 Life cycle assessment
o 2.2 Siting and structure design efficiency
o 2.3 Energy efficiency
o 2.4 Water efficiency
o 2.5 Materials efficiency
o 2.6 Indoor environmental quality enhancement
o 2.7 Operations and maintenance optimization
o 2.8 Waste reduction
 3 Cost and payoff
 4 Regulation and operation
 5 International frameworks and assessment tools
 6 See also
o 6.1 Green building by country
o 6.2 General
 7 References
  8 External links

Reducing environmental impact

Hanging gardens of One Central Park, Sydney

Globally buildings are responsible for a huge share of energy, electricity, water and materials
consumption. The building sector has the greatest potential to deliver significant cuts in
emissions at little or no cost. Buildings account for 18% [8] of global emissions today, or the
equivalent of 9 billion tonnes of CO2 annually. If new technologies in construction are not
adopted during this time of rapid growth, emissions could double by 2050, according to the
United Nations Environment Program.Green building practices aim to reduce the environmental
impact of building. Since construction almost always degrades a building site, not building at all
is preferable to green building, in terms of reducing environmental impact. The second rule is
that every building should be as small as possible. The third rule is not to contribute to sprawl,
even if the most energy-efficient, environmentally sound methods are used in design and
construction.

Buildings account for a large amount of land. According to the National Resources Inventory,
approximately 107 million acres (430,000 km2) of land in the United States are developed. The
International Energy Agency released a publication that estimated that existing buildings are
responsible for more than 40% of the world’s total primary energy consumption and for 24% of
global carbon dioxide emissions.[9]

Goals of green building

Blu Homes mkSolaire, a green building designed by Michelle Kaufmann.

Taipei 101, the tallest and largest green building of LEED Platinum certification in the world since 2011.

The concept of sustainable development can be traced to the energy (especially fossil oil) crisis
and environmental pollution concerns of the 1960s and 1970s.[10] The Rachel Carson book,
“Silent Spring”,[11] published in 1962, is considered to be one of the first initial efforts to
describe sustainable development as related to green building.[12] The green building movement
in the U.S. originated from the need and desire for more energy efficient and environmentally
friendly construction practices. There are a number of motives for building green, including
environmental, economic, and social benefits. However, modern sustainability initiatives call for
an integrated and synergistic design to both new construction and in the retrofitting of existing
structures. Also known as sustainable design, this approach integrates the building life-cycle with
each green practice employed with a design-purpose to create a synergy among the practices
used.

Green building brings together a vast array of practices, techniques, and skills to reduce and
ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment and human health. It often
emphasizes taking advantage of renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar,
active solar, and photovoltaic equipment, and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain
gardens, and reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques are used, such as using low-
impact building materials or using packed gravel or permeable concrete instead of conventional
concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water.

While the practices or technologies employed in green building are constantly evolving and may
differ from region to region, fundamental principles persist from which the method is derived:
siting and structure design efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials efficiency,
indoor environmental quality enhancement, operations and maintenance optimization and waste
and toxics reduction.[13][14] The essence of green building is an optimization of one or more of
these principles. Also, with the proper synergistic design, individual green building technologies
may work together to produce a greater cumulative effect.
On the aesthetic side of green architecture or sustainable design is the philosophy of designing a
building that is in harmony with the natural features and resources surrounding the site. There are
several key steps in designing sustainable buildings: specify 'green' building materials from local
sources, reduce loads, optimize systems, and generate on-site renewable energy.

Life cycle assessment

A life cycle assessment (LCA) can help avoid a narrow outlook on environmental, social and
economic concerns[15] by assessing a full range of impacts associated with all cradle-to-grave
stages of a process: from extraction of raw materials through materials processing, manufacture,
distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling. Impacts taken into account
include (among others) embodied energy, global warming potential, resource use, air pollution,
water pollution, and waste.

In terms of green building, the last few years have seen a shift away from a prescriptive
approach, which assumes that certain prescribed practices are better for the environment, toward
the scientific evaluation of actual performance through LCA.

Although LCA is widely recognized as the best way to evaluate the environmental impacts of
buildings (ISO 14040 provides a recognized LCA methodology), it is not yet a consistent
requirement of green building rating systems and codes, despite the fact that embodied energy
and other life cycle impacts are critical to the design of environmentally responsible buildings.

In North America, LCA is rewarded to some extent in the Green Globes® rating system, and is
part of the new American National Standard based on Green Globes, ANSI/GBI 01-2010: Green
Building Protocol for Commercial Buildings. LCA is also included as a pilot credit in the LEED
system, though a decision has not been made as to whether it will be incorporated fully into the
next major revision. The state of California also included LCA as a voluntary measure in its
2010 draft Green Building Standards Code.

Although LCA is often perceived as overly complex and time consuming for regular use by
design professionals, research organizations such as BRE in the UK and the Athena Sustainable
Materials Institute in North America are working to make it more accessible.

In the UK, the BRE Green Guide to Specifications offers ratings for 1,500 building materials
based on LCA.

In North America, the ATHENA® EcoCalculator for Assemblies provides LCA results for
several hundred common building assembles based on data generated by its more complex
parent software, the ATHENA® Impact Estimator for Buildings. (The EcoCalculator is available
free at www.athenasmi.org.) Athena software tools are especially useful early in the design
process when material choices have far-reaching implications for overall environmental impact.
They allow designers to experiment with different material mixes to achieve the most effective
combination.
Siting and structure design efficiency
See also: Sustainable design

The foundation of any construction project is rooted in the concept and design stages. The
concept stage, in fact, is one of the major steps in a project life cycle, as it has the largest impact
on cost and performance.[16] In designing environmentally optimal buildings, the objective is to
minimize the total environmental impact associated with all life-cycle stages of the building
project.

Exterior Light Shelves - Green Office Building, Denver Colorado

However, building as a process is not as streamlined as an industrial process, and varies from one
building to the other, never repeating itself identically. In addition, buildings are much more
complex products, composed of a multitude of materials and components each constituting
various design variables to be decided at the design stage. A variation of every design variable
may affect the environment during all the building's relevant life-cycle stages.[17]

Energy efficiency
Main articles: Low-energy house and Zero-energy building

An eco-house at Findhorn Ecovillage with a turf roof and solar panels

Green buildings often include measures to reduce energy consumption – both the embodied
energy required to extract, process, transport and install building materials and operating energy
to provide services such as heating and power for equipment.

As high-performance buildings use less operating energy, embodied energy has assumed much
greater importance – and may make up as much as 30% of the overall life cycle energy
consumption. Studies such as the U.S. LCI Database Project[18] show buildings built primarily
with wood will have a lower embodied energy than those built primarily with brick, concrete, or
steel.[19]

To reduce operating energy use, designers use details that reduce air leakage through the
building envelope (the barrier between conditioned and unconditioned space). They also specify
high-performance windows and extra insulation in walls, ceilings, and floors. Another strategy,
passive solar building design, is often implemented in low-energy homes. Designers orient
windows and walls and place awnings, porches, and trees[20] to shade windows and roofs during
the summer while maximizing solar gain in the winter. In addition, effective window placement
(daylighting) can provide more natural light and lessen the need for electric lighting during the
day. Solar water heating further reduces energy costs.

Onsite generation of renewable energy through solar power, wind power, hydro power, or
biomass can significantly reduce the environmental impact of the building. Power generation is
generally the most expensive feature to add to a building.

Water efficiency
See also: Water conservation

Reducing water consumption and protecting water quality are key objectives in sustainable
building. One critical issue of water consumption is that in many areas, the demands on the
supplying aquifer exceed its ability to replenish itself. To the maximum extent feasible, facilities
should increase their dependence on water that is collected, used, purified, and reused on-site.
The protection and conservation of water throughout the life of a building may be accomplished
by designing for dual plumbing that recycles water in toilet flushing or by using water for
washing of the cars. Waste-water may be minimized by utilizing water conserving fixtures such
as ultra-low flush toilets and low-flow shower heads. Bidets help eliminate the use of toilet
paper, reducing sewer traffic and increasing possibilities of re-using water on-site. Point of use
water treatment and heating improves both water quality and energy efficiency while reducing
the amount of water in circulation. The use of non-sewage and greywater for on-site use such as
site-irrigation will minimize demands on the local aquifer.[21]

Large commercial buildings with water and energy efficiency can qualify for an LEED
Certification. Philadelphia's Comcast Center is the tallest building in Philadelphia. It's also one of
the tallest buildings in the USA that is LEED Certified. Their environmental engineering consists
of a hybrid central chilled water system which cools floor-by-floor with steam instead of water.
Burn's Mechanical set-up the entire renovation of the 58 story, 1.4 million square foot sky
scraper. It's the pride of Philadelphia's eco-movement.

Materials efficiency
See also: Sustainable architecture

Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include lumber from forests that have been
certified to a third-party forest standard, rapidly renewable plant materials like bamboo and
straw, dimension stone, recycled stone, recycled metal (see: copper sustainability and
recyclability), and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable. For
concrete a high performance or Roman self-healing concrete is available.[22][23] The EPA
(Environmental Protection Agency) also suggests using recycled industrial goods, such as coal
combustion products, foundry sand, and demolition debris in construction projects.[24] Energy
efficient building materials and appliances are promoted in the United States through energy
rebate programs.

Indoor environmental quality enhancement

See also: Indoor air quality

The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) category in LEED standards, one of the five
environmental categories, was created to provide comfort, well-being, and productivity of
occupants. The LEED IEQ category addresses design and construction guidelines especially:
indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal quality, and lighting quality.[25][26][27]

Indoor Air Quality seeks to reduce volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and other air
impurities such as microbial contaminants. Buildings rely on a properly designed ventilation
system (passively/naturally or mechanically powered) to provide adequate ventilation of cleaner
air from outdoors or recirculated, filtered air as well as isolated operations (kitchens, dry
cleaners, etc.) from other occupancies. During the design and construction process choosing
construction materials and interior finish products with zero or low VOC emissions will improve
IAQ. Most building materials and cleaning/maintenance products emit gases, some of them
toxic, such as many VOCs including formaldehyde. These gases can have a detrimental impact
on occupants' health, comfort, and productivity. Avoiding these products will increase a
building's IEQ. LEED,[28] HQE[29] and Green Star contain specifications on use of low-emitting
interior. Draft LEED 2012[30] is about to expand the scope of the involved products.
BREEAM[31] limits formaldehyde emissions, no other VOCs. MAS Certified Green is a
registered trademark to delineate low VOC-emitting products in the marketplace.[32] The MAS
Certified Green Program ensures that any potentially hazardous chemicals released from
manufactured products have been thoroughly tested and meet rigorous standards established by
independent toxicologists to address recognized long term health concerns. These IAQ standards
have been adopted by and incorporated into the following programs: (1) The United States Green
Building Council (USGBC) in their LEED rating system[33] (2) The California Department of
Public Health (CDPH) in their section 01350 standards[34] (3) The Collaborative for High
Performance Schools (CHPS) in their Best Practices Manual[35] and (4) The Business and
Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) in their level® sustainability
standard.[36]

Also important to indoor air quality is the control of moisture accumulation (dampness) leading
to mold growth and the presence of bacteria and viruses as well as dust mites and other
organisms and microbiological concerns. Water intrusion through a building's envelope or water
condensing on cold surfaces on the building's interior can enhance and sustain microbial growth.
A well-insulated and tightly sealed envelope will reduce moisture problems but adequate
ventilation is also necessary to eliminate moisture from sources indoors including human
metabolic processes, cooking, bathing, cleaning, and other activities.
Personal temperature and airflow control over the HVAC system coupled with a properly
designed building envelope will also aid in increasing a building's thermal quality. Creating a
high performance luminous environment through the careful integration of daylight and
electrical light sources will improve on the lighting quality and energy performance of a
structure.[21][37]

Solid wood products, particularly flooring, are often specified in environments where occupants
are known to have allergies to dust or other particulates. Wood itself is considered to be hypo-
allergenic and its smooth surfaces prevent the buildup of particles common in soft finishes like
carpet. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of American recommends hardwood, vinyl,
linoleum tile or slate flooring instead of carpet.[38] The use of wood products can also improve air
quality by absorbing or releasing moisture in the air to moderate humidity.[39]

Interactions among all the indoor components and the occupants together form the processes that
determine the indoor air quality. Extensive investigation of such processes is the subject of
indoor air scientific research and is well documented in the journal Indoor Air.[40]

Operations and maintenance optimization

No matter how sustainable a building may have been in its design and construction, it can only
remain so if it is operated responsibly and maintained properly. Ensuring operations and
maintenance(O&M) personnel are part of the project's planning and development process will
help retain the green criteria designed at the onset of the project.[41] Every aspect of green
building is integrated into the O&M phase of a building's life. The addition of new green
technologies also falls on the O&M staff. Although the goal of waste reduction may be applied
during the design, construction and demolition phases of a building's life-cycle, it is in the O&M
phase that green practices such as recycling and air quality enhancement take place. O&M staff
should aim to establish best practices in energy efficiency, resource conservation, ecologically
sensitive products and other sustainable practices. Education of building operators and occupants
is key to effective implementation of sustainable strategies in O&M services.[42]

Waste reduction

Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials used during
construction. For example, in California nearly 60% of the state's waste comes from commercial
buildings[43] During the construction phase, one goal should be to reduce the amount of material
going to landfills. Well-designed buildings also help reduce the amount of waste generated by
the occupants as well, by providing on-site solutions such as compost bins to reduce matter going
to landfills.

To reduce the amount of wood that goes to landfill, Neutral Alliance (a coalition of government,
NGOs and the forest industry) created the website dontwastewood.com. The site includes a
variety of resources for regulators, municipalities, developers, contractors, owner/operators and
individuals/homeowners looking for information on wood recycling.
When buildings reach the end of their useful life, they are typically demolished and hauled to
landfills. Deconstruction is a method of harvesting what is commonly considered "waste" and
reclaiming it into useful building material.[44] Extending the useful life of a structure also reduces
waste – building materials such as wood that are light and easy to work with make renovations
easier.[45]

To reduce the impact on wells or water treatment plants, several options exist. "Greywater",
wastewater from sources such as dishwashing or washing machines, can be used for subsurface
irrigation, or if treated, for non-potable purposes, e.g., to flush toilets and wash cars. Rainwater
collectors are used for similar purposes.

Centralized wastewater treatment systems can be costly and use a lot of energy. An alternative to
this process is converting waste and wastewater into fertilizer, which avoids these costs and
shows other benefits. By collecting human waste at the source and running it to a semi-
centralized biogas plant with other biological waste, liquid fertilizer can be produced. This
concept was demonstrated by a settlement in Lubeck Germany in the late 1990s. Practices like
these provide soil with organic nutrients and create carbon sinks that remove carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere, offsetting greenhouse gas emission. Producing artificial fertilizer is also
more costly in energy than this process.[46]

Cost and payoff

The most criticized issue about constructing environmentally friendly buildings is the price.
Photo-voltaics, new appliances, and modern technologies tend to cost more money. Most green
buildings cost a premium of <2%, but yield 10 times as much over the entire life of the
building.[47] In regards to the financial benefits of green building, “Over 20 years, the financial
payback typically exceeds the additional cost of greening by a factor of 4-6 times. And broader
benefits, such as reductions in greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other pollutants have large positive
impacts on surrounding communities and on the planet.”[48] The stigma is between the
knowledge of up-front cost[49] vs. life-cycle cost. The savings in money come from more
efficient use of utilities which result in decreased energy bills. It is projected that different
sectors could save $130 Billion on energy bills.[50] Also, higher worker or student productivity
can be factored into savings and cost deductions.

Numerous studies have shown the measurable benefit of green building initiatives on worker
productivity. In general it has been found that, "there is a direct correlation between increased
productivity and employees who love being in their work space.”[51] Specifically, worker
productivity can be significantly impacted by certain aspects of green building design such as
improved lighting, reduction of pollutants, advanced ventilation systems and the use of non-toxic
building materials.[52] In “The Business Case for Green Building”, the U.S. Green Building
Council gives another specific example of how commercial energy retrofits increase worker
health and thus productivity, “People in the U.S. spend about 90% of their time indoors. EPA
studies indicate indoor levels of pollutants may be up to ten times higher than outdoor levels.
LEED-certified buildings are designed to have healthier, cleaner indoor environmental quality,
which means health benefits for occupants."[53]
Studies have shown over a 20-year life period, some green buildings have yielded $53 to $71 per
square foot back on investment.[54] Confirming the rentability of green building investments,
further studies of the commercial real estate market have found that LEED and Energy Star
certified buildings achieve significantly higher rents, sale prices and occupancy rates as well as
lower capitalization rates potentially reflecting lower investment risk.[55][56][57]

Regulation and operation

As a result of the increased interest in green building concepts and practices, a number of
organizations have developed standards, codes and rating systems that let government regulators,
building professionals and consumers embrace green building with confidence. In some cases,
codes are written so local governments can adopt them as bylaws to reduce the local
environmental impact of buildings.

Green building rating systems such as BREEAM (United Kingdom), LEED (United States and
Canada), DGNB (Germany), CASBEE (Japan), and VERDEGBCe (Spain) help consumers
determine a structure’s level of environmental performance. They award credits for optional
building features that support green design in categories such as location and maintenance of
building site, conservation of water, energy, and building materials, and occupant comfort and
health. The number of credits generally determines the level of achievement.[58]

Green building codes and standards, such as the International Code Council’s draft International
Green Construction Code,[59] are sets of rules created by standards development organizations
that establish minimum requirements for elements of green building such as materials or heating
and cooling.

Some of the major building environmental assessment tools currently in use include:

 United States: International Green Construction Code (IGCC)

International frameworks and assessment tools

IPCC Fourth Assessment Report

Climate Change 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is the fourth in a series of such reports. The
IPCC was established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic
information concerning climate change, its potential effects and options for adaptation and
mitigation.[60]

UNEP and Climate change

United Nations Environment Program UNEP works to facilitate the transition to low-carbon
societies, support climate proofing efforts, improve understanding of climate change science, and
raise public awareness about this global challenge.
GHG Indicator

The Greenhouse Gas Indicator: UNEP Guidelines for Calculating Greenhouse Gas Emissions for
Businesses and Non-Commercial Organizations

Agenda 21

Agenda 21 is a programme run by the United Nations (UN) related to sustainable development.
It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by
organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact
on the environment. The number 21 refers to the 21st century.

FIDIC's PSM

The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Project Sustainability

Management Guidelines were created in order to assist project engineers and other stakeholders
in setting sustainable development goals for their projects that are recognized and accepted by as
being in the interests of society as a whole. The process is also intended to allow the alignment
of project goals with local conditions and priorities and to assist those involved in managing
projects to measure and verify their progress.

The Project Sustainability Management Guidelines are structured with Themes and Sub-Themes
under the three main sustainability headings of Social, Environmental and Economic. For each
individual Sub-Theme a core project indicator is defined along with guidance as to the relevance
of that issue in the context of an individual project.

The Sustainability Reporting Framework provides guidance for organizations to use as the basis
for disclosure about their sustainability performance, and also provides stakeholders a
universally applicable, comparable framework in which to understand disclosed information.

The Reporting Framework contains the core product of the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines,
as well as Protocols and Sector Supplements. The Guidelines are used as the basis for all
reporting. They are the foundation upon which all other reporting guidance is based, and outline
core content for reporting that is broadly relevant to all organizations regardless of size, sector,
or location. The Guidelines contain principles and guidance as well as standard disclosures –
including indicators – to outline a disclosure framework that organizations can voluntarily,
flexibly, and incrementally, adopt.

Protocols underpin each indicator in the Guidelines and include definitions for key terms in the
indicator, compilation methodologies, intended scope of the indicator, and other technical
references.

Sector Supplements respond to the limits of a one-size-fits-all approach. Sector Supplements

complement the use of the core Guidelines by capturing the unique set of sustainability issues
faced by different sectors such as mining, automotive, banking, public agencies and others.
IPD Environment Code

The IPD Environment Code[61] was launched in February 2008. The Code is intended as a good
practice global standard for measuring the environmental performance of corporate buildings. Its
aim is to accurately measure and manage the environmental impacts of corporate buildings and
enable property executives to generate high quality, comparable performance information about
their buildings anywhere in the world. The Code covers a wide range of building types (from
offices to airports) and aims to inform and support the following;

 Creating an environmental strategy

 Inputting to real estate strategy
 Communicating a commitment to environmental improvement
 Creating performance targets
 Environmental improvement plans
 Performance assessment and measurement
 Life cycle assessments
 Acquisition and disposal of buildings
 Supplier management
 Information systems and data population
 Compliance with regulations
 Team and personal objectives

IPD estimate that it will take approximately three years to gather significant data to develop a
robust set of baseline data that could be used across a typical corporate estate.

ISO 21931

ISO/TS 21931:2006, Sustainability in building construction—Framework for methods of

assessment for environmental performance of construction works—Part 1: Buildings, is intended
to provide a general framework for improving the quality and comparability of methods for
assessing the environmental performance of buildings. It identifies and describes issues to be
taken into account when using methods for the assessment of environmental performance for
new or existing building properties in the design, construction, operation, refurbishment and
deconstruction stages. It is not an assessment system in itself but is intended be used in
conjunction with, and following the principles set out in, the ISO 14000 series of standards.
Green building in Bangladesh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Green Building in Bangladesh)

Some of this article's listed sources may not be reliable. Please help this article by looking for
better, more reliable sources, or by checking whether the references meet the criteria for
reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged or deleted. (May 2016)

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world due to climate change. As the
ninth most populous country and twelfth most densely populated countries in the world, its rising
population and limited land space have put tremendous strains on the urban ecosystem. The
capital of Dhaka itself underwent severe transformations in recent years to catch up the increased
rate of urbanization. This change was paralleled by a boom in the real estate, construction and
housing industry. According to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dhaka is one of the
most polluted cities in the world.[1]

Unified measures have been adopted from the national community in an effort to avoid further
man made calamities due to climate change and higher emissions. Deforestation has resulted in
several man made disasters in the country’s history. Green buildings assure efficient usage of
water and energy and the nation is struggling in the production of electricity and suffering from a
shortage of water.

Contents

 1 Background
 2 See also
 3 Sources
 4 Further reading
 5 External links

Background

The first green building in Bangladesh was by EPIC group in May 2011.[2] Since 2008,
Sustainable Built Environment Initiative - Bangladesh (later Bangladesh Green Building
Council) founder, Sanwar Azam had worked to unify the stake holders towards a greener
country, saying that with growing population in a diminishing land and rapid urbanization to
major cities, ‘Going green’ had become a marketing ploy for various organizations as there were
no quantifiable way to judge a structures sustainability.[3] He offered a centralized board to offer
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications to interested projects and
firms.[4] In addition, he proposed a similar voluntary building rating tool that is much cheaper to
attain and one that is much suited to the socio-economic conditions of the country and relevant to
its building environment and construction culture.[5]
Azam also stressed the need for educational programs in sustainable designs and various
universities in Bangladesh planned to promote Green Building principles in their curriculum,
such as in the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, American International
University-Bangladesh, North South University, BRAC University and Asia Pacific
University.[4] Dr. Saleh Uddin was the Events and Education Committee of Bangladesh Green
Building Council. Citing that in cramped environment, such buildings and structures would be
far more comfortable and satisfying but most importantly directly address some national issues,
like conserving water and energy. The Government of Bangladesh in 2009 stopped giving
connections to newly constructed buildings meaning that new homes would not have access to
energy, and even water due to shortages.[6] Experts agreed that a rating tool would not only
facilitate government incentives to sustainable communities but achieve the six point goals of the
National Water Policy of 1999 by the World Bank as well as the Renewable Energy Policy of
2008 by the Ministry of Power and Energy.[4]

In an event with Architecture and construction experts, he urged for a national need for
sustainable development in the nation’s growing building industry and brought a forum together
to act as the national GBC of Bangladesh. He stressed reductions of carbon emissions from
buildings. National and international energy companies like Energpac and Siemens attended the
event to assess the roles of the corporate stakeholders while United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) fellows commented on the global imperative of such an initiative.[7] The first proposed
rating tool aimed to fulfill the Seventh Target from the United Nations' Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs), as for the first time the council provided support for green building
certifications.[8] Initially with minimal government support, the plan was to transform the market
with cost effective steps. In another interview with the The Independent, Sanwar said "there is a
great misconception regarding the cost effectiveness of the green design and construction," and
that increased productivity and energy savings of a green building outweighs initial costs. About
the feasibility of widespread utilization of LEED certifications, he said that it is very expensive
and the Bangladesh is in the process of developing a green building rating system in the regional
context.[9] These activities were also promoted by national and region experts. Prominent
national award winning architects such as Mustapha Khalid Palash, the 2010 Holcim Green Built
Sustainable Design Competition winner was the Chairman of the Practicing Professionals
Committee, and Rafiq Azam, defined BGBC platform as a way for Bangladesh to define ‘Green’
according to the national circumstances.[10] The Institute of Architects Bangladesh, which works
with different government organization to offer education and government advocacy commented
on the adaptability of sustainable principles in the national architecture community in the form of
the BGBC rating tool.[11]

In 2011, BGBC founder pointed out that such green building standards and tools will lead to
conservation as buildings would less consumption of electricity and water,[4] and also 'the need
for reduction of carbon emissions' in the current building and construction scenario. At the same
meeting, the Additional Chief Architect of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works,
Bangladesh spoke about the government’s role.[7] By 2012, the Ministry of Public Works began
working with the World Bank[12] to study energy and water efficiency[13] and emissions
reductions through Green Building Codes.[14]
See also
 Green building in South Africa  Green building in India
 Green building in Australia  Green building in Israel
 Green building in the United States  Green building in Germany
 Green building in New Zealand  Green building in Mexico
 Green building in Malaysia  Green building in the United Kingdom

Sources

1.

 "Bhuiya. G. M. J. A (2007). 1. Bangladesh. Solid Waste Management: Issues and Challenges in Asia, pg
29." (PDF).
  Corresspondent (May 12, 2011). "CIPL (EPIC Group) Awarded Prestigious LEED Green Building
Certification". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 2011-08-12.

  Siddikur Rahman (18 May 2011). "'Green' buildings". Jugantor. Retrieved 2012-03-31.

  Faisal Mahmud (10 July 2011). "'Green' buildings— that's the watchword". The Independent.
Retrieved 2011-12-10.

  Staff Correspondent (15 July 2011). "'Going Green' Now a Marketing Ploy for Many Organisations".
The Independent. Retrieved 2011-12-10.

  Staff Corresspondent (February 29, 2012). "New gas connections to industries by April". The Daily
Star. Retrieved 2012-03-31.

  Staff Reporter (5 July 2011). "BGBC launching ceremony today". The Independent. Retrieved 2012-
03-31.

  Amita Natverlal (September 2011). "Interview with Sanwar A Sunny: Green Building Council".
Southeast Asia Building Magazine. p. 100. Retrieved 2012-03-31.

  Faisal Mahmud (November 24, 2011). "Buyers fleeced in name of ‘green buildings’". The
Independent. Retrieved 2012-03-31.

  News Correspondent (17 July 2011). "BGBC Experts Discuss Sustainability at AIUB". The Daily Star.
Retrieved 2012-03-31.

  Dept. of Architecture (July 6, 2011). "BGBC Experts Discuss Sustainability at Architecture Department
of AIUB". AIUB News Bulletin. Retrieved 2012-03-31.

  Staff Corresspondent (January 10, 2012). "Land grabbers won’t be spared, warns State Minister for
Housing". UNBConnect. Retrieved 2012-03-31.

  Devex (2012) Developing a Green Building Code (GBC) to Mandate Improvements in Energy and
Water Usage in Bangladesh World Bank
 Devex (2012) Conducting Feasibility Study, Identifying Scope for Developing Green Building Codes
(GBC) and Benchmarking GHG Emission Standards of Buildings in Bangladesh World Bank