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Date:
[start date?]
[end date?]
Location:
Sacramento, CA
Description
This Wiki page is the research assignment for ENG 115 class at NVCC. LEED Certification is the main topics. Group members are Evelyn N, Hanah A, Harold S and Aung H.
1.Site Preparation
2.Building Materials
3.Water Efficiency
4.Air Quality
5.Energy Usage (Electricity, Solar and Natural Gas)
6.Safety
7.On-going Recertification
8.New LEED Standard every 3 years
INTRODUCTION
The East End Building in Sacramento, California is one of many LEED Certified buildings in the state. It was completed in 2003 by Clark Constructions and cost $241,000,000 to build. The building houses the California Department of Education and the Department of Health Care Services/ Department of Public Health among other organizations.
LEED CERTIFICATION
LEED Certification levels are Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The East End Complex varies per department.
Department of Education Gold
Department of Health Care Services Certified
RESIDENTIAL MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
Materials and Resources for Homes is the newest category of the LEED programs. LEED for homes was created in 2007. There are thirty four LEED for homes providers working with the support of the of the U.S Green Building Council to educate and expand the programs, and to encourage more home builders, and homeowners to register and pursuit a LEED certification. More than 14,000 single homes and low-rise residential buildings have been certified in the first two and a half years. By 2010 LEED for homes program expects to certify ten thousand new homes, and open a new LEED for Homes Provider in each of the major 50 cities in the U.S.
A new corrections and clarifications to LEED for Homes Rating system, Edition 2008, was made effective January 2009. The new rating system for homes measures the performance of a home in eight categories, similar to the other building facilities:
- Innovation and Design Process.
- Location and Linkage.
- Sustainable Sites.
- Water Efficiency.
- Energy and Atmosphere.
- Materials and Resources.
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Awareness and Education.
Homes are also awarded with Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum according to the points earned. 16 points are the maximum a home can get for sustainable materials and resources use for the construction of the green home.
Green homes are rated by LEED for Homes Providers and Green Raters chosen by USGBC. The certification process of a new home has two parts: First, the green home rater conducts a final field inspection and performance tests using the LEED for Homes checklist, and then complete the documentation package. Second, the LEED for Homes Provider reviews the rater documentation and then summit it to the USGBC for the official certification.
In certifying a green home USGBC considers in its latest rating system three different aspects:
- Material Efficient Framing. (5 points).
- Environmentally Preferable Products. (8 points).
- Waste Management (3 points).
Credits for Materials Efficient Framing can be earned by summiting all supporting documents to establish a waste factor that do not exceeds 10% of the total framing materials. Also, you can get credits by using alternatives to on-site framing, like panelized construction, where wall, roof, and floor components are delivered to the site pre-framed. Another alternative are modules or prefabricated construction parts. The overall idea is to minimize the use of framing materials and construction waste.
Credits for Environmental Preferable Products, are intended to be awarded by using materials and products that are extracted, processed, and manufactured within the region ( 500 miles) to avoid environmental impact on energy and water use. Project teams are encouraged to use certified tropical woods, low emissions and local sources, and recycled content products that use more than 25% of post-consumer recycled content.
The most common environmental preferable products are:
- Concrete wall structures (exterior walls).
- Wood frame made from certified wood (exterior walls).
- Siding and Masonry.(exterior walls).
- Linoleum, cork, bamboo, sealed concrete, recycled content flooring ( floors).
- Gypsum boards (interior walls and ceilings).
- Recycled paints that meet Green Seal Standards (interior walls, ceiling and millwork).
- Recycled content decking and patio materials.
- Wood certified cabinets ( kitchen, bathrooms).
- Wood doors ( including insulated doors).
- Adhesives and sealants.
- Window framing with recycled content.
- Recycled content products for roofing.
- Insulation with more than 20% recycled content (roof and walls).
- Sheathing with recycled content. ( roof, floors, and walls).
The last three credits that could be earned are in the division of waste management by reducing or diverting waste generated from construction. In existing homes is important to establish strategies to salvage or recover and reuse old materials for the new construction this could eliminate up to 75% of waste.
What Makes a Material Green?
To consider a product sustainable, or green we need to take a look at the entire process. Preferable materials are those that come from a short term renewable source that are harvested or extracted from local or regional areas within not more than 500 miles from the construction or remodeling site. We also, need to know how much energy and water are needed to produce a particular product. It is important to know if that product is made from post-consumer recycled products.
The environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) recommends construction products with high levels of recycled content because those products conserve natural resources, save energy, reduced solid waste, reduce greenhouse gasses and create jobs. So, to better understand the use of materials in a green project we need to consider the following five categories:
- Product made from recycled: In this category we can reuse a material like a salvage bricks, concrete blocks, lumber roof plywood, etc. Post-consumer products also known as post- industrial products are prefer because of their recycled content. But, a few products of this category have a downside because of the high levels of pollution or energy use during the recycling process.
- Products that conserve Natural Resources: Products made from a certified wood that come from well managed forest. Products made from rapid renewable sources especially agricultural crops that have a long durability are specially prefer by green home builders. Examples are linoleum and natural paints.
- Product that avoid toxic emissions: They are alternatives to current products made from a highly contaminated chemicals, or because its use reduce pollution in building maintenance. These products need minimal processing and come from agricultural or mineral sources like stone and slate shingles, exterior stains.
- Products that save energy and Water: They could cost more during the construction and installation process, but are really less expensive because of the reduction of energy and water use throughout the entire life. In this group are foam insulation panels, windows, appliances like dishwashers, refrigerator, A/C pumps and conditioning units, water heathers. Equipment that use renewable energy instead electricity or fossil fuels, like solar panels, wind turbines. Lighting equipment are also consider beneficial for the environment. In this category are also include toilets, shower heads, and systems that collect storm water for use of toilet flushing and garden irrigations.
- Products that contribute to the health of occupants: We find in this category products that do not release interior pollution. Examples are paints, caulk and wood products. We also include here ventilation products, radon and carbon monoxide detection equipment, air filters, and dehumidifiers. We also consider products that reduce noise and structures that allow the use of day light, like a large windows and skylights.
CONCLUSION
In short, sustainable construction materials are selected by analyzing several characteristics such as reuse and recycled content, cero or low emissions (VOC) ,materials that can be produce from fast renewable sources, and materials that have high durability and local production. These products promote resources conservation and efficiency. Recycled products help develop markets and new jobs. The idea is to reduce environmental impact rather than a full life cycle analysis. That is why products that meet certain criteria are call “environmentally preferable”
REFFERENCES
1. http://www.usgbc.org/leed/homes
2. http://www.buildingreen.com
3. EPA. Construction Products. pdf.
REFERENCES
- http://www.green.ca.gov/GreenBuildings/leedcertbldgs.htm
- http://www.cbe.berkeley.edu/research/briefs-eastend.htm
- http://www.clarkconstruction.com/projects/feature_project/3/
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