Quantifying the integration of LEED ratings to Military High Performance Sustainable Buildings

CATEE 2013

MAJ Autumn Leveridge, U.S. Army CPT Brian Schonefeld, U.S. Navy

CPT Jared Solether, U.S. Navy Dr. John Walewski

Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityCCLD/ USAFA/SOM

Agenda

I. Context - DoD & building sustainability• LEED and energy efficiency

II. Student study resultsIII. NRC study findingsIV. Commercial building relationship

Context (what drove this)

• Duty officer role:– Major projects – various challenges– Conflicting requirement – LEED vs. energy– Service vs. DoD vs. federal vs. local vs. base requirements

• Evolving context:– National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA 2012)– LEED version changes– Energy real $ vs. ROI of LEED

Context II (what else going on)

• NSF 2012 Workshop– Sciences Behind Sustainability Quantification for Building

and Infrastructure Design, Engineering, and Construction• Consultant's Report– Cost Effectiveness Study of Various Sustainable Building

Standards in Response to NDAA 2012 Section 2830 Requirements

• National Research Council Study – Energy-Efficiency Standards and Green Building

Certification Systems Used by the Department of Defense for Military Construction and Major Renovations (2013)

Context II (what else going on)

Consultant Study for DoD:• Methodology for cost-benefit analysis, return on investment,

and long-term payback for the building standards and green building certification systems:– American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

Standard 189.1-2011 for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential

– ASHRAE Energy Standard 90.1-2010 for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential.– Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver, Gold, and Platinum

certification for green buildings– Other American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited standards

• NRC Study – Lit review/evaluate consultant/ identify approaches

Student Study Goals• Connect Sustainability Efforts to Policy Directive

– Does LEED Certification equate to achievement of Federal Guiding Principles and energy efficiency requirements?

– Specific credits under LEED (2.2 NC) that clearly met the intent of federal Guiding Principles

• Data Selection– LEED projects database (v2.2 NC)– 283 “military” projects for evaluation, 209 used– Compared LEED certification levels, credits achieved, building

types, etc.– Evaluation of Federal Guiding Principles including:

• EO 13423 • EO 13514 • EISA 2007

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Timeline of Federal Policy and LEED Criteria Versions

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

LEED NC 2.2 Category

Credit Description Requirement

Sustainable Sites (SS)

NA

Water Efficiency (WE)

1.13.1

Water Efficient LandscapingWater Use Reduction

Reduce by 50%Reduce by 20%

Energy & Atmosphere (EA)

1.1-1.65

Optimize Energy Performance

Measurement & Verification

10.5-28% New / 3.5-21% ExistingTwo Options

Materials & Resources (MR)

2.14.1a

Construction Waste ManagementRecycled Content

Divert 50% from Disposal10% (Post-consumer + 1/2 pre-consumer)

Indoor Environmental

Quality (EQ)

3.1-.32

4.1-4.37.1

8.1

Construction IAQ Management Plan, During Construction/Before OccupancyLow-Emitting Materials, Adhesives & Sealants / Paints & Coatings / Carpet SystemsThermal Comfort, DesignDaylight & Views Daylight 75% of Spaces

Innovation & Design Process (ID)

NA

18 Key LEED Credits for Military High Performance Sustainable Buildings

Student Study results

• 18 LEED credits align with Federal Guiding Principles • No DoD consistency in achieving the “Aligning 18” LEED

credits• Least achieved DoD LEED credit is EA 5 - Measurement

and Verification

• Suggested Path Forward:• How might LEED better partner with Federal/DoD entities to

meet sustainability mandate?• Are DoD Project Managers and DoD leaders aware of how

implementation has departed from policy? If not, what is the best way to refocus efforts away from point chasing?

NRC S findings (selected)• Finding 1: The committee did not identify any research studies that

conducted a traditional benefit-cost analysis to determine the long-term net present value savings, return on investment, or long-term payback related to the use of ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010, ASHRAE Standard 189.1-2011, and the LEED or Green Globes green building certification systems.

• Finding 4: The analytical approach proposed by the DOD consultant has merit as a decision support tool in the DOD operating environment if appropriate and verifiable data are available for conducting benefit-cost and sensitivity analyses.

• Finding 5: The evidence from the literature search indicates that high-performance or green buildings can result in significant reductions in energy use and water use. The cost savings associated with the reductions in energy and water use will vary by geographic region, by climate zone, and by building type.

• Finding 8. DOD has the opportunity to continue to take a leadership role in improving the knowledge base about high-performance buildings, improving decision-support tools, and improving building models by collecting data on measured energy, water…

Commercial Building Ramifications

• DoD will continue with sustainable building

• High-performance / green buildings can result in significant reductions in energy use and water use

• Building performance measurement and verification is critical as is ROI justification

John Walewski, Ph.D.Department of Civil Engineering

3136 TAMU705G CE/TTI BuildingTexas A&M University

College Station, Texas 77843-3136jwalewski@civil.tamu.edu