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Denver, Colo. – Building green could put you in the black.
Green building, which includes everything from conserving energy to improving indoor air quality, is now more affordable than ever because more developers are embracing it, said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a national, non-profit organization whose members represent architecture and engineering firms, contractors, manufacturers and building owners.
“There is a wave of people who want to be connected to green building,” he told a group of environmental leaders at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Innovation Action Council meeting held in Region 8’s recently-built green building. “USGBC is leading the field in rapid growth, with over 1,100 new members, including General Electric, British Petroleum Solar, Marriot and McDonalds, with 346 registered projects and 63 million square feet currently in the hopper for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.”
It makes sense to build green, he added. In general, green buildings emit 40 percent less carbon dioxide, use 70 percent less electricity, 40 percent less energy to heat and cool; cut storm water runoff; hold up better over time; are healthier and more comfortable for occupants; and use recycled materials and recycle construction waste.
Those are many reasons EPA Region 8 decided to go green.
“Our collaboration with the General Services Administration and the architects, builders and engineers who worked on this project has led to a high-performance structure that offers considerable benefits in terms of reduced pollution and resource conservation,” writes Robert E. Roberts, administrator for Region 8, in a brochure on Region 8’s building at 1595 Wynkoop in Denver. “It is a building that well-represents EPA’s mission, and the public we serve.”
Region 8’s office building for instance, features many green elements: Large windows provide for natural light in 85 percent of the floor space. Solar panels, mounted on the south corner of the building, take advantage of peak sun. Interior shades, exterior vertical fins and atrium sails control daylight while taking advantage of the solar heat gain and low glare. The purchase of wind energy offsets the building’s electrical use. High-efficiency and waterless plumbing fixtures achieve nearly 50 percent water savings. The heating and cooling system uses an under-floor air distribution system that delivers heated or cooled air to individual offices and a 20,000 square-foot modular roof features potted plants that soak up storm water pollution and minimize heat effects and absorb carbon dioxide.
To put it in perspective: The building’s energy consumption equates to a mere 20 car coal trains a year – much less than the average building.
The materials used in constructing the building’s frame, interior surfaces and workspaces included corn-based fabrics, wheatboard, sustainably managed wood, and recycled glass, plastics and steel. Large amounts of waste – including steel, concrete, bricks, glass and wood – were recycled throughout demolition and construction activities.
In Utah, the number of LEED certified buildings is growing. Last year, Gov. Jon Huntsman used the setting of the Health Science Center at the University of Utah’s green building to announce his plan to increase energy efficiency by 20 percent by 2015. Many other green buildings can be found throughout the state.
For a list of them visit: https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=2314 (opens in a new window).
In addition, the Division of Facilities Construction and Management adopted new building construction performance standards that are comparable to LEED certification.
At the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), a number of retrofit projects have been undertaken to help make its buildings more energy efficient, such as replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).
“We have done some significant improvements to DEQ buildings 1 and 2, including upgrading HVAC system (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) with a more efficient one. The roofs of both buildings have been replaced with energy efficient materials that are more heat absorbent,” said Daryl Cramer, general services manager for DEQ. “And the air-conditioning units in the buildings have been replaced with a more efficient cooling system.”
But DEQ isn’t stopping there. A “Green Team,” made up of DEQ employees, has formed to look at ways the Department can be more energy efficient, enhance indoor and outdoor air quality and increase recycling. (see related story)
“The Green Team has come up with some wonderful ideas and we have moved forward with an energy audit to look where we can improve in-house,” said Leah Ann Lamb, director of the Office of Planning and Public Affairs.