| 08/20/2007 - LEED: Progressing Green building practices in Canada |
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By Shannon Turnbull and Roslyn McMann ...So what is it? LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green building rating system first launched by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998. The USGBC is a not for profit organization made up of companies and organizations from every sector of the building industry, who work to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, healthy and profitable.
The world’s resources and ecosystems are increasingly being stretched, and buildings
currently account for1:
LEED allows buildings to decrease their impact on the environment, increase energy and water savings and has been proven to increase occupant productivity. History of LEED The first LEED rating system was designed for new construction or major renovations (LEED-NC), and largely concentrates on office buildings. Since then, rating systems have been developed for a number of other types of projects. Current rating schemes include:
LEED in Canada The LEED program in Canada was first initiated with the development of the LEED-BC Adaptation Guide by the Cascadia Chapter (which includes northwest states and BC), and the Vancouver Branch of the USGBC. The adaptation guide was based on the USGBC’s LEED-NC 2.1, with modifications to suit British Columbia. The adaptation guide was used in large part to develop the LEED Canada New Construction (NC) rating system, which was launched in December 2004. LEED Canada-NC’s origin in BC is reflected in the number of certified buildings in the province, 26, still more than any other province. The LEED Canada-NC rating system was adapted by the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) from the US version, taking into account Canadian regulations, standards and government programs. It also incorporates changes such as metric units, increases to the minimum requirements of some credits, and an additional credit for building durability. The LEED Canada-NC rating system at a glance:
A building project can obtain one of the four levels of certification by obtaining the specified number of points. Points are awarded for meeting the requirements of credits in six categories:
Projects must also meet the requirements of seven prerequisite credits. Recent Developments To augment LEED Canada-NC, the CAGBC has developed an application guide for multi-unit residential buildings, and are working on an application guide for campus and multi-building projects, to address specific aspects of how the LEED rating system can be implemented in these types of projects. In September 2006 the CAGBC released LEED Canada for Commercial Interiors (CI), based on the US version. The LEED Canada-CI rating system is applicable to tenant outfitting of new or existing office space. It is intended to allow a company that leases space to obtain a LEED certification, based on their selection of a lower impact building and their compliance with LEED credits in making improvements to their leased space. LEED Canada-CI can be applied to one floor in a building, or multiple floors with multiple tenants. The CAGBC is currently developing an application guide for LEED Canada-NC to accommodate core and shell projects, as opposed to an adaptation of the US rating system, to minimize the time and cost involved. The application guide would be divided into three project types: minimal tenant space (e.g. a project that includes a coffee shop), some tenant space (where unfinished tenant space is less than half of total floor area), and majority tenant space (e.g. a developer builds a shell building to lease to future tenants). This application guide is expected to be available by the end of the year. A core and shell project and a commercial interiors project can complement each other, as the credits of the two rating systems essentially add up to the total credits found in the new construction standard. The development of a LEED Canada Existing Buildings rating system is in the early stages, and in the mean time interested parties are directed to apply to the USGBC. A LEED Canada for Homes is anticipated to be complete by June 2008.
In regards to other rating systems – Neighbourhood Developments, Retail, Schools, Laboratories and Healthcare – CAGBC expects to incorporate them into an initiative called LEED Canada Complete. LEED Canada Complete would comprise a comprehensive web-based database of LEED prerequisites and credits. For a specific project, the prerequisites and credits would be selected from the database in accordance with the project location, occupancy type and stage of development. The database would also be used to facilitate the transparent development of future LEED criteria. This initiative is currently in the early planning stages. Look for further information on the benefits of green buildings and case studies in upcoming issues of Creating a Climate for Change. And by the way...for some reason the acronym is frequently mispronounced and misspelled. Leeds is a city in England; LEED is a cutting edge standard for green buildings. References
Canada Green Building Council. http://www.cagbc.org/index.php Shannon Turnball is an Environment Manager based at the Energy Advantage Inc. Ontario office. She possesses over seven years of diverse experience in the energy and environmental sector. Her primary focus is providing energy-related emissions management and other environmental services to Energy Advantage’s clients. She is also a LEED accredited professional. Roslyn McMann works in the Energy Advantage Services group and is based in our Calgary office. She combines her interest in the environment and energy management with her customer service skills to ensure delivery of optimal service solutions to our clients. |
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