LEED® Core Concepts Guide: An Introduction to LEED and Green Building THIRD EDITIONPURCHASE AGREEMENT AND LICENSE TO USE LEED* CORE CONCEPTS GUIDE: AN INTRODUCTION TO LEED AND GREEN BUILDING, THIRD EDITION ‘The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) devoted significant time and resources to create this Guide and all ofits LEED™ publications. All LEED publications are protected by statutory copyright and trademark protection within the United States and abroad. Your possession of the LEED ‘Core Concepts Guide: An Introduction to LEED and Green Building, Third Edition (the “Guide”), ‘constitutes ownership ofa material object and in noway constitutes a conveyance of ownership renxitlement to copyrighted materials contained herein, As a result, you are prohibited bylaw from engaging in conduct that would constitute infringement upon the exclusive rights retained byUSGBC. ‘USGBC authorizes individual, limited use ofthe Guide, subjectto the terms and conditions contained herein, In exchange for this limited authorization, the user agrees: (Q) toretain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained in the Guide; (2) nottosell ormodify any copy of the Guide in anyway; and (@ nottoreprodiuce, display or distribute the Guide in any way for any public or commercial purpose, including display on a website or in a networked environment. ‘Unauthorized use of the Guide violates copyright, trademark, and other lawsand is prohibited. ‘The text ofthe federal and state codes, regulations, voluntary standards, etc, reproduced inthe Guides used underlicenseto USGBC or, in some instance, in the public domain. All othertext, graphics, ayout and other elements of contentin the Guide are owned by USGBC and are protected by copyright under both United States and foreign laws. NOTE: FOR DOWNLOADS OF THE GUIDE: Redistributing :he Guide on the internet, in any other networked environment, in any digital format, or otherwise is STRICTLY prohibited, even if offered free of charge. DOWNLOADS OF THE (GUIDE MAY NOT BE COPIED OR DISTRIBUTED. THE USER OF THE GUIDE MAY NOT ALTER, REDISTRIBUTE, UPLOAD OR PUBLISH THIS GUIDE IN WHOLE ORIN PART, AND HASNO RIGHTS TO LEND ORSELL ANY COPY OF THE DOWNLOAD TO OTHERPERSONS. DOING SO WILL VIOLATE THE COPYRIGHT OF THE GUIDE. DISCLAIMER None of the parties involved in the funding or creation ofthe Guide, including the U.S, Green Building Council (USGBC), its members, contractors, affiliates or the United States government, assume any liability or responsibility tothe user or any third parties for the accuracy, completeness, ‘ruse of orreliance on any information contained in The Guide, The Guide is not associated with, nor endorsed by the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) and does not guarantee a successful outcome on any examination mentioned herein or associated with GBCI or USGBC. Although the information contained inthe Guides believed to be reliable and accurate, the Guide's provided as-{swith no warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied including, but not limited to, the implied. ‘warranties of merchantability, warranties of accuracy or completeness of information, warranties of suitability or ness fora particular purpose and/or warranties of tite or non-infringement, excepto the extentthat such disclaimers are held tobe invalid. Use of the concepts, examples and information contained in the Guide is atthe user's own risk ‘Asacondition of use, the user covenants not to sue and agrees to waive and release the US. Green. Building Council, nc, its officers, directors and volunteers from any and all claims, demands, causes of action for any injuries, losses, or damages (including, without limitation, failure to pass any Green. Business Certification Inc. examination or equitable relief) that the user maynow or hereafterhavea right to assert against such parties 2s a result of the use of, or reliance on, the Guide, PUBLISHED BY: US.Green Building Council rio LSet NW Suite 500 ‘Washington, DC20037 TRADEMARK LEED* is a registered trademark ofthe US, Green Building Counc ISBN: 978-1-932444-32-2ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, ‘Thanks to all ofthe consultants that developed the content ofthis guide, based on their many years of ‘experiencein the green building industry: Karen Blust, CTG Energeties, Inc. Natalie Bodenhamer, C1G Energetics, Inc. John Boecker, 7group Clare Jones, CTG Energetics, Inc. Lani Kalemba, CTG Energetics, Inc. Joshua Joy Kamensky, CTG Energetics, Inc, Nick Rajkovich, University of Michigan Kathy Roper, Georgia Institute of Technology Heather Joy Rosenberg, CTG Energetics, nc Chris Shaffner, The Green Engineer, LLP Lynn Simon, Simon & Associates, Ine Joel Toda, Environmental Consultant ‘Thanksto U.S. Green Building Council staff who managed this project: Jacquelyn Erdman Julia Feder Karol Kaiser Jacob Monroe Jenny Poole Jen SchillContents IMAGINE IT... 0. pase Aletter from the CEO and Founding Chair SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION TO GREEN BUILDINGS AND COMMUNITIES ‘The Environmental Impacts of Buildings ‘What is Green Building? ‘The Rise of the Green Building Industry Green Building and Climate Change Green Building Over Time Green Buildingand Location Green Building Costs and Savings Beyond Green Green Buildi Expertise SECTION 2. SUSTAINABLE THINKING Systems Thinking Life-cycle Approach Integrative Process SECTION 3. SUSTAINABLE THINKING AT WORK: NEW PROCESSES FOR BUILDING GREEN . . . sit 32 Getting Started Establishing an Iterative Process ‘Team Selection Goal Setting Observation ofthe System Exploration and Selection of Technologies and Strategies Implementation ‘Ongoing Performance SECTION 4. GREEN BUILDING CORE CONCEPTS AND APPLICATION STRATEGIES pot -. 50 Location and Transportation Sustainable Sites Water Efficiency Energy and Atmosphere ‘Materials and Resources Indoor Environmental Quality Innovation SECTION 5. ABOUT USGBC AND LEED... . - ender sack 84 About USGBC About LEED CONCLUSION . feat toh eae APPENDICES 1.0.0.0 eee e cree cece rete eeeeeeees OR, A:Resources B: Case Study InformationImagine It A letter from the CEO and Founding ChairImagine getting up on a warm spring morning and deciding it’s the perfect day to ride your bike to work. Invigorated by your morning ride and eager to start the day, you head into your office. As you pass through a common area, you see a group of coworkers deep in a collaborative work session. They're seated “around a gorgeous oak table hand-crafted by local artisans and made entirely of wood reclaimed from a tree that fell naturally in a nearby forest. Imagine getting to your desk and sitting down without flipping a light switch—the huge floor-to-ceiling windows nearby provide plenty of natural springtime light, and ifit gets cloudy this aftemoon, sensors in your work area will kick on overhead lighting to an appropriate level ofbrightness. Meanwhile, your personal ‘control ofthe temperature in your work area allows youto stay warm even as your neighbor, who has a higher cold tolerance, works ata temperature that's comfortable for him, Imagine being surrounded by decorative elements that invoke nature and keep you connected to the natural ‘world even while you're inside. Imagine an herb garden in the office cafeteria and an educational display in the office lobby—constant reminders for you and your company’s visitors offust whatitis that makes your ‘buildingso special ‘And imagine leaving the office to find that it has started raining. Bur not to worry, you just duck around the ‘comerto one of the many bus stops nearby. You mount yourbike tothe rack on the front ofthe busand limb aboard. ‘You settle into your seat atthe end ofa fll day of work, feeling the positive effects ofhaving spent your day in an environment filled with clean indoor air, with plenty of exposure to natural light. Your mind isclear and your energy and spirits high, knowing that your workday cost substantially less in energy and water use than itwould have ina more traditional building, ‘This is whatit fels like for me and my colleagues t the LEED Platinum U.S. Green Building Council headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is what ts lke for the thousands upon thousands of people worldwide ‘whoworkin LEED-cerified office space. And f you tweak the detals itis what it'slike forall the students, nationwide who study in green schools and live ingreen dorms, and forthe increasing number of families ‘who liven green homes. ‘Now, imagine that designing, building, operating, marketing, supporting, or celebrating green buildings was atthe heart of your everyday work. Imagine being a green building professional ‘With the LEED Core Concepts Guide, you're on your way to just such a career. We hope you enjoy the journey, and we look forward tothe innovations you'll bring as part ofthe green building community IMAGINE ITSection 1 Introduction to Green Buildings and CommunitiesOur built environment is all around us; it provides the setting for all our lives’ events, big and small. And whether we notice it or not, our built environment plays a huge role in our natural environment, our economic environment, and our cultural environment. The built environment provides a context for facing and addressing humankind’s greatest contemporary challenges. Green building is Fundamentally a process of continual improvement. Itis a process by which today's “best practices” become tomorrow's standard practices, arising foundation for ever-higher levels of performance. Green building can help us create more vital communities, mote healthful indoor and outdoor spaces, and stronger connections to nature. The green building movement strives to effecta permanent shift {n prevailing design, planning, construction, and operations practices, resulting in lower-impact, more sustainable, and ultimately regenerative built environments. For the purposes of this guide, “built environment” refers toany environment that is man-made and provides a structure forhuman activity. These environments range from shelters and individual buildings toneighborhoods and vast metropolitan areas. This guide explains the reasons we must change traditional building practices. Irpresents fundamental concepts of green building and provides summary of the application strategies that willhelp you be a more effective participant in the green building process. ‘The remainder ofthis section of the guide gives the rationale for green building and the related concept of sustainability. The core concepts of sustainable thinking are explored in Section 2, Section 3looks at important ‘components of the sustainable design and operations process. Section 4reviews the application of green technologies and strategies. Sections offers more information on the programs ofthe US. Green Building ‘Council (USGBC), particularly the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system, Additional resources ae listed in the Appendix, and educational opportunities to support yourgrowth, and successas agreen building professional are available from USGBC at usgbc.orgleducation. THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF BUILDINGS ‘Why is green building necessary? Buildings and communities, including the resources used to create them ‘and the energy, water, and materials needed to operate them, have a significant effect on the environment ‘and human health. In the United States, buildings account for: +496 of potable water consumption’ + 30% of waste output + 40% of raw materials use + 38% of carbon dioxide emissions + 218610 50% of energy use + 72% of electricity consumption? 1 Kenny, Ni Barber $5. Hutson KS. Linsey IK Lovelace, M.A Maupin Estimated use of water inthe United States in 008: Us'Geo.ogea Suey Creulr 844, O02), 2 DM Roodmen & N Lenssen “A Bulding Revolution: How Ecology and Heath Concerns Are Transforming Construction” Werldwatch Paper 124 (Wevlwatch Institute 1995) |S Energy nformotion Administration E14 Annual Energy Outiook EIA, 2008). SECTIONLEED CORE CONCEPTS GUIDE — THIRD EDITION * By building green, we can reduce that environmental damage. In many cases, green buildings caneven cenihance the health ofthe environment and the people who use them. Astudyby the New Buildings Institute found thatin green buildings, average energy use intensities (energy consumed per unit of floor space) are 24% lower than in typical buildings.“Additionally the US. General Services Administration surveyed 12 green buildings in its portfolio and found these savings and improvements: + 26%less energy usage + 2726 higher levels of occupant satisfaction + 13%lower maintenance costs + 3g%lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO,)! ENERGY USE INTENSITY (kBtu/sf/yr) Figure 11. Energy Use intenstes for Sustinably Designed US. Gaverrment Bullsings (Source: GSA 2008) The dotted line indicates the national average eneray vse inten 4 Turner C 6 Frankel, Energy Performance of LEED* for New Construction Buildings (2008), '5 ube Bulsings Service, “Assessing Green Bulsing Performance. A Post Occupancy EvaUation of 1 GSA Buldings (Geral Sarcas Adminstration S008) yachicslena/GSA Assesana cyan ful‘The study concluded thatthe federal government's green buildings outperform national averages in all measured performance areas—energy, operating costs, water use, occupant satisfaction, and carbon emissions. The agency attributed this performance to fully integrated approach to sustainable design that addressed environmental, financial, and occupant satisfaction issues. This higher performance will last throughout a building's lifetime ifthe facility is aso operated and maintained for sustainability. WHAT IS GREEN BUILDIN: Sustainability is not a one-time treatment or product. Instead, green buildings a process that applies to buildings, their sites, their interiors, their operations, and the communities in which they ar situated. ‘The process of green building flows throughout the entre life-cycle ofa project, beginning atthe inception of projectidea and continuing seamlessly until the project reaches the end ofits ifeand its parts are recycled orreused. Inthis guide, the term green building encompasses planning, design, construction, operations, and ultimately end-of life recycling or renewal of structures. Green building pursues solutions that represent healthy and dynamic balance between environmental, social, and economic benefits. Sustainability and “green,” often used interchangeably, are about more than just reducing environmental impacts. Sustainability means creating places that are environmentally responsible, healthful, just, equitable, and profitable. Greening the built environment means looking holistically a natural, human, and economic systems and finding solutions that support quality oflife forall. ‘Triple bottom line is also often used to referto the concept of sustainability. The term was coined by John lkington, cofounder ofthe business consultancy Sustainability, in his 1998 book Cannibals with Forks: the Triple Bottora Line of ist Century Business. First applied to socially responsible business, the term can characterize all kinds of projects in the built environment. The tiple bottom line concept incorporates @ long-term view forassessing potential effects and best practices for three kinds of resources: + PEOPLE (SOCIAL CAPITAL). Allthe costs and benefits tothe people who design, construct, live in, ‘workin, and constitute the local community and are influenced, directly orindirectly, byaproject + PLANET (NATURAL CAPITAL). Allthecosts and benefits ofa project on the natural environment, locally and globally + PROFIT (ECONOMIC CAPITAL). All the economic costs and benefits of a project forall the stakeholders (notjustthe project owner) ‘The goal ofthe ziple bottom line in terms of the built environment, sto ensure that buildings and ‘communities create value forall stakeholders, notjustarestricted few. For example, an energy-efficient building that saves the owners money but makes the occupants sick is not sustainable, noris amaterial that has a smal carbon footprint but was made ina sweatshop, noris an eco-resort that displaces threatened species or local people. SECTION oLEED CORE CONCEPTS GUIDE — THIRD EDITION Co ee eG Lal TRIPLE Se = 1 nce) SU aT Pen) Coens Figure 12. The Trisle Bottom Line ‘Acommitment to the triple bottom line means acommitment tolock beyond the status quo. Itrequires consideration of whole communities and whole systems, both at home and around the world, Research s needed to determine the impacts of agiven project and find new solutions that are truly sustainable. New tools and processes are required to help projects arrive at integrative, synergistic, sustainable solutions. ‘The tiple bottom line requires a shift in perspective about both the costs and the benefits of our decisions, ‘The term externalities is used by economiststo describe costs or benefits incurred by parties who are not par of atransaction. For example, the purchase price ofa cer does not account for the wear and tearit ‘will have on publicroads or the pollution it wil put into the environment. To shift the valuation process toaccount for such negative extemalities, building professionals require new metrics. The green building process and rating systems have begun to encourage quantification of externalities. The focus has been first ‘onenvironmental metrics, but the lists expanding to include indicators of social justice and public health. ‘Making buildings more healthful, more comfortable, and more conducive to productivity for their occupants has special significance in light of studies conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which found that people in the United States spend, on average, 90% of their time indoors “Occupants of ‘green buildings are typically exposed to far lower levels of indoor pollutants and have significantly greater satisfaction with air quality and lighting than occupants of conventional buildings. Research conducted at (Camegie Mellon University shows that these benefits can translate into a 2960 16% increase in workers’ and students’ productivity. Even small increases in productivity can dramatically increase the value of building? V. Lofiness V.Hartkopt 8. Gurtein and Y Hus rormares Components, Fene ifast