Rebuild Colorado was an analysis of eleven LEED commercial projects in 2006. The study revealed that these projects paid back as much as $4.20 per square foot, and lost as much as $1.50 per square foot. The bottom line revealed that most made money on energy savings.

It does cost more for LEED; green buildings tend to cost around 2 percent more than conventional buildings, and more for higher LEED levels. Although green improvements cost a little more up-front, they’ll save you a ton of money in the long run.

In the case of Rebuild Colorado, they assumed an average cost premium of 2 percent, or $4 per square foot if you use the average cost of building, and found that the energy savings was around $5.80 per square foot, water savings at 50 cents per square foot, and operational savings at $8.50 per square foot. The total savings is about $10 to $14 per square foot over a 20-year period. That’s a lot of savings over the years.

It’s not just the tangible results that are beneficial. Commercial businesses are now seeing the trend towards higher employee productivity in LEED certified buildings. People crammed into a hot stuffy room with bad air tend to nod off at their computers. Schools that are LEED certified found that test scores among students increased by 20%. Rents become more stable in LEED certified buildings – people who work inside them are happy; they’re breathing clean air, they can see out of the buildings, they are comfortable.

USGBC recognized RB+B for its Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins, which has won national and international awards and is a LEED Silver winner. The building cost of $179 per square foot was comparable to other local schools but its energy costs will be around one-third less.

Here’s a sample of a few State facilities and commercial buildings in California that are LEED certified.

LEED – New Construction Certification:

* CalPERS, Sacramento – Gold
* Caltrans Distric 7 Headquarters, Los Angeles – Silver
* Berkeley City College, Berkeley - silver
* Department of Education, Sacramento – Gold
* Department of Motor Vehicles, East Riverside – Silver
* Department of Motor Vehicles, San Ysidro – Gold
* Forensic Science Center, Los Angeles – Silver
* Franchise Tax Board, Sacramento – Silver

LEED – Existing Building Certification

* Adobe Systems, S.F. – Platinum
* Pacific Gas & Electric, S.F. - Gold
* CalEPA, Sacramento – Platinum
* Dept. of Education, Sacramento – Platinum
* Dept. of Health Care Services, Sacramento – Gold
* Swinerton Builders Headquarters, S.F. - Gold
* Pleasanton Corporate Commons, Pleasanton – Silver
* Pleasanton Fire Station 4, Pleasanton – Gold

Getting There

High performance buildings incorporate green principles such as reduced energy consumption, sustainable building material, comprehensive recycling facilities, and green cleaning products. Energy efficiency improvements focus on lighting fixtures, windows, insulation, building controls, and appliances, as well as building design and construction.

It makes sense to combat big energy users first. The biggest energy user is lighting – accounting for one-quarter of total primary energy use. Next in line is heating and cooling – each at about one-seventh of the total. And, then there’s “other uses” a.k.a. Energy Information Administration, which includes service station equipment, medical equipment, and telecommunications equipment. Ventilation, water heating, and non-PC office equipment are each around 6 percent of the total, followed by computer use and refrigeration.

Another trend is to combine LEED certification with ENERGY STAR label. Buildings that achieve a score of 75 or higher are eligible for the ENERGY STAR label that designates they are among the top 25 percent in the country for energy performance. Per the EPA, commercial buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR label use an average of 35 percent less energy than similar buildings.

The LEED certification rating system assesses a project’s performance in six major areas:

* Sustainable sites
* Water efficiency
* Energy and atmosphere
* Materials and resources
* Indoor environment quality
* Innovation in design

LEED rating systems

* LEED for New Construction
* LEED for Existing Buildings
* LEED for Commercial Interiors
* LEED for Core & Shell

LEED for Existing Buildings deals with issues pertaining to cleaning and maintenance, recycling systems, exterior upgrades, etc. Commercial Interiors deals with issues relating to developing quality workplaces that are healthy and productive. Core & Shell deals with sustainable design for structure, envelope, and HVAC systems of new core and shell construction projects.

Green trends are becoming noticeable in the marketplace as designers and developers find ways to minimize operating costs and environmental impacts of buildings as well as increase their functionality and allure to occupants. It doesn’t matter the type of building; schools, hospitals, apartments, retail facilities, etc., or whether you’re building new or retrofitting, any building can benefit from the LEED program.

Links:

USGBC.org

GreenYour.com

GreenerBuildings.com

Entrepreneur.com

Source:
Taylen Peterson
CalFinder

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