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To Certify or Not to Certify: Making the Best Green Decisions
Today’s clients expect construction professionals to be a reliable and valuable guide as they explore the vast world of “green.”
Most contractors, architects, designers and engineers facing the prospect of a new facility, an expansion of an existing building or a remodeling project understand the rationale of sustainable planning, design and construction. However, they often do not focus on the benefits for the owner—a healthier staff, a stronger bond with the community, a positive impact on the environment and ongoing cost savings to operate the building.
In addition, construction professionals often are responsible for guiding building owners through a new decision-making process: Should the building be certified for its level of sustainability? If so, should the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED rating system be utilized to certify the facility, or should another certification program be considered? Whether to seek a sustainable building certification—and if so, at what level—requires research, processing and discussion early in a project’s planning stages.
Making Sense of Certification
LEED is a valuable tool to assist and guide building owners to make disciplined, verifiable and principled sustainable decisions throughout the planning, design and construction process. The USGBC has earned accolades for creating and continuing to upgrade objective criteria for classifying green buildings.
However, it’s imperative to realize that green does not equal LEED or vice versa. At times, choosing LEED is vital to a project and is the best business decision. But, even if certification is the right objective, LEED is not the only option.
Although LEED has become the most recognized standard for sustainable certification in the United States, another option is the Green Globes program. Green Globes provides an interactive, online and less expensive evaluationand certification method, but currently lacks the recognition and reputation LEED has garnered. Both programs offer solid guidance for sustainable design and construction.
Once a building owner decides to pursue a third-party validation of its project, one of the next pivotal decisions involves the appropriate and obtainable level of certification. While most would be thrilled to achieve the highest sustainable certification level, it may not be the right business decision for the client.
Deciding Factors
Do not pursue certification unless the building owner can explain how certification will benefit its business today and in the future. Green Globes or LEED certification is merited if the additional effort, and sometimes expense, strengthens the owner’s reputation and brand while improving its bottom line. For example, choosing to be certified is valuable if the owner’s organization or community places a high value on green issues and practices (i.e., local governments, schools, churches, nonprofit organizations and businesses have embraced sustainable principles). Then, contributing to the overall sustainable community message would produce real value, resulting in tours or local media coverage and a stronger connectivity with the region.
Recently, two large school systems in Wisconsin chose LEED certification because of the strong recognition and validation they knew they would receive. Choosing LEED certification demonstrated that value-driven, responsible sustainable principles were used in their projects. One school became a green role model for the community, and the other became a key player in the community’s overall education and sustainability story.
On the other hand, there are times when a project is highly sustainable, but pursuing certification is not the right choice. For example, a tenant recently moved into office space in a renovated retail department store considered one of the most sustainable retrofits in the United States.
But, LEED certification was not a viable option. Asking whether LEED was the right business solution, the project team discovered it would have added $4 per square foot to the rent without producing any tangible benefit to the environment or the tenant’s bottom line. To achieve LEED certification would have required purchasing a $150,000 air-handling unit to provide fresh air for the renovated space. Because the project was a small portion of a 550,000-square-foot, multi-tenant building, a separate meter for electrical power usage for the new air-handling unit would have had to be installed. In addition, the initial and ongoing cost of the unit was the sole responsibility of the tenant.
Instead, carbon dioxide (CO2) detectors (costing approximately $200 each) were added to measure the levels of CO2 in the conference rooms. If CO2 levels excessively increase, fresh air is brought into the room. This was an inexpensive, creative, sustainable and highly effective alternative. Although it did not meet the criteria for LEED certification, it was a responsible business solution.
Building owners and construction professionals also face a myriad of decisions regarding product selection. These decisions must be made even when certification and validation by a third party is not chosen. For example, when selecting carpet for the tenant’s retrofitted office space, the project team chose a product that was highly sustainable, within budget and available from a nearby supplier. Other sustainable carpet products were on the market, but this product was the best fit for the project, offering sufficient durability, a product warranty and no harmful chemical adhesives.
Every material and system decision should follow these same holistic and systematic criteria for selection.
Decision-Making Components
When embarking on a retrofit or a new construction project, consider four critical components:
- capital costs;
- life cycle cost savings;
- healthy, productive environments; and
- sustainable design and delivery.
When every decision considers satisfying all four of these elements, the solution will provide a positive sustainable and financial impact on the project while minimizing any negative influence on the natural environment.
Making responsible, sustainable choices can add value to construction businesses. These choices offer the potential to improve the health of the building inhabitants, positively impact the environment and strengthen the company’s connection to its clients—all while being good stewards of the owner’s finances. If these decisions are made carefully, clients will have an even better platform to make an impact in their community.
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Wednesday, February 8, 2012