Sustainability and the Built Environment

Professor Brandi Williams – LEED BD+C, FMP, SFP

About Me

• 27 years in the Electrical Contracting Industry

• Bachelor and Master of Science in Construction Management

• LEED Accredited Professional in 2007, currently LEED AP BD+C

• IFMA Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP) and Facility Management Professional (FMP)

MARTA Solar Canopy

Drew Charter School

What is Green?

• So what is a green building?• Is it a building that uses less energy than

others like it?

• Is it a building that has been certified by an agency?

• Is it a building that has a low or negative impact on the environment or people?

What is Green?

Is it a building that uses less energy than others like it?

Okay, so it uses less energy, but what if:

• It produces harmful products, like air or water pollution?

• It saves one type of energy but uses more of another type?

• It could be even greener?

What is Green?

Is it a building that has been certified by an agency?

Okay, it is certified, but what if:

• It uses more energy than the designed purpose?

• It doesn’t follow through with certification renewal?

• It pollutes in other ways?

What is Green?

Is it a building that has a low or negative impact on the environment or people?

Okay, it is a low impact building, but what if:

• It isn’t certified?

• It is not sustainable, will it remain green over time?

• It is just a fad?

Green Building Goals

• What are the goals for building green?

• Reduce air, water and soil pollution

• Mitigate global warming by conserving energy

• Minimize environmental impacts of natural resource extraction

• Protect clean water, natural habitats and ecosystems

• Reduce light pollution, landfills and nuclear contamination

Green Building Ethics

• The Ethics of Sustainability – “meet the needs of today without compromising the needs of tomorrow”

• Saving energy saves resources

• Use products that are environmentally friendly

• Treat the people that produce products in an ethical manner

Green Building Goals

• What about the human factor?

• Indoor air quality

• Thermal comfort

• Natural light

• Noise pollution

• Values and Culture

Green Building Goals

• What are the economic factors?

• Reduce energy costs

• Reduce employee costs – increased productivity, less absenteeism

• Improve marketability

• Improve public relations

• Create green jobs

Triple Bottom Line

• Triple Bottom Line• Economic – The value created by the organization

• Environment – The impact on the immediate surroundings and future resources

• Social – The impact on employees, suppliers and the community

The goal of sustainability is to balance these three aspects

Triple Bottom Line

Achieving Balance

IFMA’s Eight Major Categories of Sustainability

Sustainability Policy

The Role of the Facility Manager

MoneyThe Green that most people understand

Money

• The easiest Financial Tool – Simple Payback Period• Payback Period (Usually in years) =

• Example: A new HVAC unit costs $10,000.00, it will save $3,000.00 a year in energy costs, and require $500.00 per year in maintenance costs. What is the Payback Period?

• = = 4 years

Generally, the acceptable Payback Period is 5 years or less

Money

• Return on Investment (ROI) – A percentage that is used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment

• ROI =

• ROI is often used to compare projects, example: Which has the better ROI of these projects?

Project 1 Project 2 Project 3

Annual Savings $3,000.00 $6,000.00 $7,200.00

Cost of Investment

$25,000.00 $30,000.00 $40,000.00

ROI 12% 20% 18%

Money

• The ability to demonstrate the economic benefits of a project may lead to the implementation of a project that is also environmentally and socially viable

• Learn to use the Simple Payback Period and Return on Investment financial tools

• When dealing with upper management and decision makers, money talks! They may not fully understand the technical nature of sustainable construction, but they will understand the bottom line

These lights use High Pressure Sodium lamps.Notice the yellow color. See how the light from the lamp goes in all directions. Even the trees behind the fixture are illuminated.

LA Street Lights

LA Street Lights, LED

The LED light is a clear white light, giving natural color to objects.

The fixture is a ‘full cut-off’ type, this directs the light to where it is needed and reduces the light pollution.

These lamps are on the same poles as before.

Notice that the trees behind the lamps are dark now.

There is no longer a bright glare around the lamp.

LA Street Lights, HPS Version

LA Street Lights, LED Version

The 6th Street Bridge in Los Angeles before (left) and after (right) the LED

conversion

South Korea Street Light Projecthttp://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/2irgeu/they_are_replacing_street_lights_with_new_led/

LA Street Light Money

• LED fixtures installed on 141,089 street lights

• $7 million in electricity savings and $2.5 million in avoided maintenance costs annually with the switch to LED street lights

• Predicted savings of 40%, actual savings of 63%

LA Street Light Money

• 2009, cost an average of $432, illuminated at 42 lumens/watt, lasted 80,000 hours, and came with a 5-year warranty

• By the end of 2012, that same fixture cost an average of $245, illuminated at 81 Lm/W, lasted at least 150,000 hours, and came with a 7-year warranty

The Phoenix Towers are outfitted with wind turbines, solar panels, thermal chimneys and rainwater harvesting systems and they will act as an “environmental catalyst” to re-invigorate the city of Wuhan.

Read more: Phoenix Towers: World's Tallest Pair of Skyscrapers Unveiled for Wuhan, China | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building 

Thank you!

Questions or Comments?