LEEDing by Example

On July 20, 2009 the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that they had received Platinum certification for their new headquarters under the new Version 3.0 requirements for Commercial Interiors (CI). Under these requirements the new building received credit for 94 credits out of a possible 110 total, far exceeding the required 80 credits necessary to achieve the Platinum rating. And of particular note was the compliance with all 11 Water Efficiency credits and 36/37 Energy and Atmosphere credits.

The LEED-CI section of design is interesting because it focuses on re-using what is existing and it can furthermore have an impact on occupied buildings. While most building owners/tenants will not try to achieve LEED-CI certification much can still be done to have a positive impact on the environment. Such small things as changing fluorescent light bulbs to energy efficient LED’s or other bulbs can not only save in the pockets of the users but consume less energy and thus reducing power demands which can lead to fewer green house gas emissions. While lighting is one of the simplest and most apparent ways to go Green for existing buildings there are countless others. These can include replacing old single non-insulated windows to save on heating and cooling costs, replacing regular toilets with low flow models to reduce water usage, or using paints and floorings that have low VOC counts to increase indoor air quality. The list goes on and on. While some of these are obviously more expensive to the owner than others, even the smallest change can have a large impact in the long run.

By not only using an existing building and thus reducing the use of raw land and virgin material, but also attaining such a high level of certification the USGBC has shown that they not only talk the talk but also walk the walk. In trying to do the same Midwestern Consulting has begun our own small Green practices of replacing light bulbs with energy efficient ones and re-using office supplies rather than purchasing brand new. While these may not seem to make a large impact if everyone in the world did the same the change would be noticeable.

To learn more about the new USGBC headquarters click here.