What is a Green Building?

A Green Building is a building that is "environmentally friendly." It has been purposefully designed to reduce both the direct and indirect environmental consequences associated with its construction, occupancy, operation, maintenance and eventual decommissioning. Constructing a Green Building requires the cooperation of everyone involved in the design and building process. From the design phase, through site selection to occupancy it is important that everyone considers the best possible plan to create an "environmentally friendly" building.

A Green Building incorporates the following design considerations:

The site should be environmentally preferable. Wherever a facility or building is constructed, it is important to consider mass transit availability. By positioning the development near public transportation, it will limit the environmental impacts associated with daily commuters. Perhaps the most ideal site for a Green Building would be a "brownfield". A brownfield1 is an abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial sites where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. Using brownfields is ideal because it limits the problems associated with sprawl. Reviving these sites helps to revive an area and help draw other businesses. The building should conserve water/energy. Steps should be taken to limit the amount of resources required to operate a building. Ideas such as installing a self-supporting filtration unit will limit the amount of water that must be sent to off-site facilities for treatment. For energy, installing photovoltaic panels will limit the amount of energy the building needs from the power grid. 4 Additionally, organizations like ENERGY STAR2 and GREEN SEAL3 offer product advise for energy conservation. Please consult the Home P2 page5 and click on -Energy Conservation and Water Conservation for additional information on these subjects. Environmentally preferable or recycled construction materials should be used. Using recycled materials for construction limits the amount of resources that must be disturbed. For example, consider using decking materials made from recycled plastics and reclaimed wood instead of traditional wood. This type of material is both attractive and durable and has less of an impact on the environment than virgin materials. Using materials that are obtained or manufactured locally reduces the energy consumed in shipping and transporting of these materials. Indoor air quality should be considered. Limit the amount of materials in the building that contain Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs). After construction, adequate ventilation must be provided to protect occupants from the risks of VOC and radon after the building is occupied. Radon is a colorless, radioactive, inert gas formed from the disintegration of radium that sometimes enters homes and buildings. Please consult Radon6 and Indoor Air Quality7 for more information on the dangers from these and other indoor air pollutants. Please consult the Home P2 page5 and click on -Indoor Plants for information on how plants can improve indoor air quality. Non-toxic materials should be used throughout the design and construction processes. Paints, paint strippers, glues, adhesives and wood preservatives often contain high levels of solvents and VOCs. Consider finding alternatives to these products. There are many products available that have low- or no-VOC content. Using these products will limit the adverse health effects8 associated with these harmful compounds. Landscaping should be beneficial. Beneficial landscaping uses native plants that require little or no pesticides, irrigation, etc. to maintain. It is also used to shade buildings, which reduces the amount of energy needed to cool them. Also, beneficial landscaping can reduce the amount of runoff generated at a site. Please consult Garden P2 - Environmentally Friendly Landscaping and Gardening9 for more information on benneficial landscaping.

Green Building Services

NYSERDA provides computer modeling, design charrette coordination, assistance in obtaining LEED certification, Executive Order 111 assistance, New York State Green Buildings Tax Credit assistance, green materials recommendations, commissioning and life cycle costing analysis to building design teams to help make new and rehabilitated commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings green. Green Building services are offered under the New Construction program PON 913.

Marcy Hall and Hunter Hall - SUNY Binghamton, Executive Order 111-compliant dormitory construction. SUNY Binghamton has shown exemplary compliance with and commitment to Executive Order 111 and provides inspiration to public and private colleges and universities around the State. For more information on this project and other green buildings, see Project Case Studies

What is Green Building Why Build Green Costs of Going Green Shades of Green Energy Efficiency Energy Modeling Green Materials LEED Certification The Design Charrette Executive Order 111 Green Design Guidelines NYS Green Building Tax Credit Commissioning Project Case Studies

Energy efficiency services to new building construction and renovations are offered under the New Construction Program on a first come first served basis. Capital cost incentives are calculated using energy performance and technical assistance is provided on a costshared basis. Green buildings are environmentally responsible, economically viable, and healthier places in which to work and live. They require a common sense approach to design, but have been proven to not have significant impact on first costs. Since 1996, NYSERDA has given more than $3.9 million in federal and State funds to provide assistance for projects affecting more than 22 million square feet of building space in New York State. Clients include the Durst Organization, Hearst Corporation, New York Times, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the New York City Department of Design and Construction, Board of Education, and Office of Management and Budget; and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Battery Park City Authority, The State University of New York (SUNY), county and municipal buildings in Tompkins, Sullivan, and Chautauqua Counties, Towns of Geneseo, Halfmoon, Dryden, and small businesses and schools in Syracuse, Chatham, Harris Hill, Clifton Park, Saratoga, Batavia, Guilderland, Ithaca, Brooklyn, Rochester, Orchard Park, and Buffalo. (See Case Studies)

What is Green Building?

Green Building is the design and construction of buildings giving careful consideration to three main elements: healthy indoor environment, maximum energy efficiency and conservative, thoughtful use of natural resources. Who says its a green building? Is there a certification process? There are several ways to denote a buildings greenness. In the US, and now world wide, green buildings are certified through an independent third party, the US Green Building Councils program, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). For more information on LEED and the USGBC visit http://www.usgbc.org Under the LEED certification program green building design focuses on five main categories 1) Sustainable Sites - The Sustainable Sites category encourages good stewardship of the land, taking care to minimize adverse project impacts on surrounding areas during and after construction. This category requires the building owner to consider

appropriate site selection, urban redevelopment, and brownfield development. It also encourages the use of alternative transportation to the facility, reducing site disturbance, and storm water management. Credit is also given to projects that achieve a reduced heat island effect and reduce light pollution. 2) Water Efficiency - The Water Efficiency category encourages the thoughtful use of water. Credit is given to building and landscape designs that reduce the use of potable water for irrigation and waste water. Credit is given for a total reduction in potable water use through various water conservation strategies in the building. 3) Energy and Atmosphere - The Energy and Atmosphere category requires that the building undergo fundamental commissioning to insure that the building systems are operating in the way they were designed to operate. This category also requires that the building achieve a minimum energy performance, and that it eliminate the use of CFC-based (Chlorinated Fluorocarbon) refrigerants in new building heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigerating. Credit is given for projects that further optimize energy performance, use renewable energy generated onsite, and purchase green power from a utility company. Additional credits are given for more extensive commissioning and long term continuous measurement and verification of building performance. 4) Materials and Resources - The Materials and Resources category requires that collection and storage of recyclables is provided for in building design and operations. This category also encourages the use of recycled materials, locally manufactured environmentally responsible materials and certified wood. Credit is given to projects that can re-use a portion of the existing building on the site and to projects that implement a construction waste management plan. 5) Indoor Environmental Quality - The Indoor Environmental Quality category seeks to ensure that green buildings have optimal lighting, thermal comfort and healthy indoor air quality for their occupants. The category requires that the building meets a minimum IAQ performance standard, and controls environmental tobacco smoke. Credits are given for carbon dioxide monitoring, increased ventilation effectiveness, indoor air quality management during and after construction, the use of low emitting materials, coatings, paints and finishes and allowing occupants to control the systems in their personal workspace.

Why Build Green?

It makes sense. Green Buildings increase the efficient use of energy, environmental, and human resources. Increases in efficiency directly translate into economic benefit and. Green Buildings incorporate practices that significantly reduce or eliminate adverse environmental impacts. Studies indicate that Americans spend up to 90% of their day indoors. According to the US Making improvements to design when renovating or building new is most Environmental Protection Agency, air quality inside cost effective. A one-time investment premium of less than 1% of first buildings is sometimes two to five times worse than costs can increase energy efficiency over standard building code practices outside air. by 20-30%. Green Building Surprising Facts: The US Department of Energy states that today's buildings consume more energy than any other sector of the U.S. economy, including transportation and industry. The EPA estimates that building-related illnesses account for $60 billion of annual productivity lost nationwide. Green or High Performance Buildings typically lease or sell faster, and retain and attract tenants better because they combine superior amenity and comfort with lower occupancy costs and more competitive terms.* Energy and water efficient buildings reduce operating costs to less than half those of a traditional building by employing

green design concepts.* Improved indoor environments can increase employee productivity by up to 16 percent.* Well integrated and comprehensive green building projects can result in lower or neutral incremental project development costs.*

*LEED: Good for Business, Good for the Environment July 2000, The Construction Specifier More on the Economic Benefits of Energy Efficiency, Environmental Efficiency, and Human Efficiency Energy Efficiency Using energy more efficiently o Saves operating costs on utility bills over the life of the building (30 Years) o Reduces the cost per unit on manufactured goods and services o Enhances resale and lease value of real estate Environmental Efficiency Reducing environmental impact o Reduces waste materials and disposal costs, o Reduces water usage, o Reduces chemical use and disposal costs o Encourages recycling and reuse of materials o Develops local markets for locally produced materials- saves on transportation costs and develops economy-ofscale price reductions. Human Efficiency Improving indoor environment, producing healthier places to work o increases productivity o reduces absenteeism o boosts morale and corporate loyalty o reduces employee turnover Green Buildings enjoy high profile notoriety and their developers enjoy the well-deserved public perception of goodwill toward employees and the community.

Costs of Going Green

Green buildings or buildings that meet the US Green Building Councils (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) third party certification process, may be built with little increase in first costs. If green concepts are incorporated early in the design process, a certified green building may cost no more to build than a code compliant building. Online reports available: Green Building Costs and Financial Benefits, by Gregory H. Kats Costing Green: A Comprehensive Cost Database and Budgeting Methodology, by Davis Langdon Adamson, Lisa Fay Matthiessen, and Peter Morris

Shades of Green
NYSERDA provides green building services through the New Construction Program. Any level of green design is recognized and supported, therefore various shades of green can be considered for technical and green design assistance. Applicants can

request assistance for new building or renovation projects when considering green building measures. Incentives under the New Construction Program are energy performance based, therefore, some green measures may not qualify for incentives. However, green building assistance provided for green measures can be used to analyze energy savings , indoor air quality effects, appropriateness of the technology for LEED certification, life cycle costs and other impacts.

Energy Efficiency
Technical assistance is provided through the New Construction Program, PON 869, to projects at the pre-design and design phase to determine energy efficiency measures that maximize operations savings. A technical assistance report outlines energy efficiency measures that work best to reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency. The report also provides estimated energy savings as a basis for calculating New Construction Program incentives. Results to date indicate that the energy efficiency of buildings studied can exceed the requirements of the New York State Energy Code by an average of 32%. In addition, peak demand reductions in these buildings have averaged 40%. With good planning and design this can be accomplished at an increase of less than 1% in construction cost, with a simple payback of 4.5 years.

Energy Modeling
Green buildings services include technical assistance to provide whole building energy modeling using DOE2.1E or other appropriate modeling programs. Energy modeling provides a basis for energy efficiency claims when achieving Executive Order 111 compliance, and applying for LEED certification or the New York State Green Building Tax Credit. Links to Related topics Whole Building Design Guide Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network, Green Buildings

Green Materials
The primary focus of the material analysis component of the Green Building Program is improved indoor air quality through the use of low-emitting materials. Clients may select products to be evaluated for their performance; installation and maintenance requirements; durability; reusability; and cost. Suggestions for alternative materials, as well as lists of suppliers and costs are also provided through green building technical assistance. The US Green Building Councils rating program, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), is used to assess the overall performance of the building. Links to information: Materials and Resources http://www.cdrecycling.org/ http://www.crbt.org Materials for Indoor Environmental Quality http://www.greenseal.org

http://www.daylighting.org/ Green Materials referenced in the NYS Green Building Tax Credit http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ppu/grnbldg/index.html Green building Tips http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ppu/grnbldg/tips.html NYSERDAs Technology Resource Manual (need link for this)

LEED Certification
Green Building Materials
Introduction What is a green building product or material? Green building material/product selection criteria Three basic steps of product selection Review of construction projects using sustainable materials Product Directories

Introduction

The concept of sustainable building incorporates and integrates a variety of strategies during the design, construction and operation of building projects. The use of green building materials and products represents one important strategy in the design of a building. Green building materials offer specific benefits to the building owner and building occupants: Reduced maintenance/replacement costs over the life of the building. Energy conservation. Improved occupant health and productivity. Lower costs associated with changing space configurations. Greater design flexibility.

Building and construction activities worldwide consume 3 billion tons of raw materials each year or 40 percent of total global use (Roodman and Lenssen, 1995). Using green building materials and products promotes conservation of dwindling nonrenewable resources internationally. In addition, integrating green building materials into building projects can help reduce the environmental impacts associated with the extraction, transport, processing,

fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of these building industry source materials.

What is a green building product or material?

Green building materials are composed of renewable, rather than nonrenewable resources. Green materials are environmentally responsible because impacts are considered over the life of the product (Spiegel and Meadows, 1999). Depending upon projectspecific goals, an assessment of green materials may involve an evaluation of one or more of the criteria listed below.

Green building material/product selection criteria

This information was based on Lynn Froeschle's article, "Environmental Assessment and Specification of Green Building Materials" (Adobe PDF, 1.4 MB), in the October 1999 issue of The Construction Specifier, a publication for members of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). Selection criteria similar to what is presented below was also used for the East End Project as identified in the Review of Construction Projects Using Sustainable Materials. Overall material/product selection criteria: Resource efficiency Indoor air quality Energy efficiency Water conservation Affordability

Resource Efficiency can be accomplished by utilizing materials that meet the following criteria: Recycled Content: Products with identifiable recycled content, including postindustrial content with a preference for postconsumer content. Natural, plentiful or renewable: Materials harvested from sustainably managed sources and preferably have an independent certification (e.g., certified wood) and are certified by an independent third party. Resource efficient manufacturing process: Products manufactured with resource-efficient processes including reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste (recycled, recyclable and or source reduced product packaging), and reducing

greenhouse gases. Locally available: Building materials, components, and systems found locally or regionally saving energy and resources in transportation to the project site. Salvaged, refurbished, or remanufactured: Includes saving a material from disposal and renovating, repairing, restoring, or generally improving the appearance, performance, quality, functionality, or value of a product. Reusable or recyclable: Select materials that can be easily dismantled and reused or recycled at the end of their useful life. Recycled or recyclable product packaging: Products enclosed in recycled content or recyclable packaging. Durable: Materials that are longer lasting or are comparable to conventional products with long life expectancies.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is enhanced by utilizing materials that meet the following criteria: Low or non-toxic: Materials that emit few or no carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, or irritants as demonstrated by the manufacturer through appropriate testing. Minimal chemical emissions: Products that have minimal emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Products that also maximize resource and energy efficiency while reducing chemical emissions. Low-VOC assembly: Materials installed with minimal VOC-producing compounds, or noVOC mechanical attachment methods and minimal hazards. Moisture resistant: Products and systems that resist moisture or inhibit the growth of biological contaminants in buildings. Healthfully maintained: Materials, components, and systems that require only simple, non-toxic, or low-VOC methods of cleaning. Systems or equipment: Products that promote healthy IAQ by identifying indoor air pollutants or enhancing the air quality.

Energy Efficiency can be maximized by utilizing materials and

systems that meet the following criteria: Materials, components, and systems that help reduce energy consumption in buildings and facilities. (See Green Building Basics for more information.)

Water Conservation can be obtained by utilizing materials and systems that meet the following criteria: Products and systems that help reduce water consumption in buildings and conserve water in landscaped areas. (See Green Building Basics for more information.)

Affordability can be considered when building product life-cycle costs are comparable to conventional materials or as a whole, are within a project-defined percentage of the overall budget. (See Environmental and Economic Assessment Tools for links to resources.)

Three basic steps of product selection

Product selection can begin after the establishment of projectspecific environmental goals. The environmental assessment process for building products involves three basic steps. (Froeschle, 1999) Research Evaluation Selection

1. Research. This step involves gathering all technical information to be evaluated, including manufacturers' information such as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) test data, product warranties, source material characteristics, recycled content data, environmental statements, and durability information. In addition, this step may involve researching other environmental issues, building codes, government regulations, building industry articles, model green building product specifications, and other sources of product data. Research helps identify the full range of the projects building material options. 2. Evaluation. This step involves confirmation of the technical information, as well as filling in information gaps. For example, the evaluator may request product certifications from manufacturers to help sort out possible exaggerated environmental product claims. Evaluation and assessment is relatively simple when comparing similar types of building materials using the environmental criteria. For example, a recycled content

assessment between various manufacturers of medium density fiberboard is a relatively straightforward "apples to apples" comparison. However, the evaluation process is more complex when comparing different products with the same function. Then it may become necessary to process both descriptive and quantitative forms of data. A life cycle assessment (LCA) is an evaluation of the relative "greenness" of building materials and products. LCA addresses the impacts of a product through all of its life stages. Although rather simple in principle, this approach has been difficult and expensive in actual practice (although that appears to be changing). One tool that uses the LCA methodology is BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) software. It allows users to balance the environmental and economic performance of building products. The software was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Building and Fire Research Laboratory and can be downloaded free on their Web site. 3. Selection. This step often involves the use of an evaluation matrix for scoring the project-specific environmental criteria. The total score of each product evaluation will indicate the product with the highest environmental attributes. Individual criteria included in the rating system can be weighted to accommodate project-specific goals and objectives.