The Greening of the Rooftop Module 4 Green Building Rating Systems What Are They? How Do They Work?

Green Building Rating Systems What About Rating Systems? LEED ® Energy Star Green Globes GreenGuard Green Seal C2C

Capture Imagination and Commitment –“I want a LEED Platinum building” Offer a “Shortcut” to Measurement & Control –Reduce complexity and administrative cost Green Building Rating Systems The Role Of Rating Systems

May Ignore Critical Environmental Impacts –Weighting system may be inaccurate –Key impacts may be overlooked May Not Assure Long-Term Performance –Project may not perform as intended –Environmental benefits are not assured Green Building Rating Systems The Role Of Rating Systems

Whole Building Rating Systems –LEED ® (US Green Building Council) –GreenGlobes (Green Building Initiative) Green Building Rating Systems Rating System Types

Product Rating Systems –EnergyStar (Appliances, equipment, roofs) –GreenSeal (Mostly consumer products) –Cradle-to-Cradle SM (Mostly architectural products) –Plus many more… Green Building Rating Systems Rating System Types

Green Building Rating Systems The US Green Building Council (USGBC)

Green Building Rating Systems The USGBC Over 11,000 member organizations Mission: “Transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated” Sponsor of Greenbuild, the world’s largest green building convention Founded the LEED ® Green Building Rating System™ in 2000 Source: USGBC Backgrounder. Available at

Green Building Rating Systems The LEED ® Rating System Sets a “nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings” Gives building owners a tool for “immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance” Provides a roadmap for “measuring and documenting success for every building type and phase of a building lifecycle” Source: USGBC Backgrounder. Available at

Green Building Rating Systems The LEED ® Rating System A comprehensive but simple approach focused on six key concepts: 1.Sustainable Building Sites 2.Water Efficiency 3.Energy Efficiency / Atmospheric Impact 4.Sustainable Materials Selection 5.Indoor Environmental Quality 6.Innovation & Design

Green Building Rating Systems The LEED ® Rating System Different forms for different building types and phases of the building lifecycle: –LEED for New Construction / Major Renovations –LEED for Existing Buildings and Maintenance –LEED for Commercial Interiors –LEED for Core & Shell –LEED for Homes (Pending) –LEED for Neighborhoods (Pending)

A weighted scoring system based on relative importance of each key element: Sustainable Sites Water Efficiency Energy / Atmosphere Materials / Resources Indoor Environ. Quality Innovation / Design 14 Points 5 Points 17 Points 13 Points 15 Points 5 Points 69 Points LEED Certified: LEED Silver: pts pts. LEED Gold: LEED Platinum: pts pts. Green Building Rating Systems The LEED ® Rating System 20% 7% 24% 19% 22% 7%

Green Building Rating Systems Roofing in the LEED ® Rating System CATEGORY: Sustainable Sites (SS) Water Efficiency (WE) CREDIT: DESCRIPTION: Storm Water Management : Reduce water run off 50% Storm Water Management : Improve storm water quality. Heat Island Effect (Roof): Mitigate Heat Island Effect: Reflective Roof Vegetated Roof Water Efficient Landscaping: Reduce water usage 50%. Water Efficient Landscaping: Eliminate potable water use. Categories in which roofing may contribute….. Source: LEED NC 2.2 & LEED EB 2.0 Note: Credit descriptions provided for introductory reference only. Consult a LEED- Accredited Professional prior to designing or specifying a building project.

Green Building Rating Systems Roofing in the LEED ® Rating System CATEGORY: Energy / Atmosphere (EA) Materials / Resources (MR) CREDIT: / 2.2 DESCRIPTION: Optimize Energy Performance: Increase energy efficiency / decrease energy consumption On-Site Renewable Energy: Generate on-site energy from renewable sources. Building Reuse: Maintain 75% of building envelope. Construct. Waste Mgmt: Divert 50% to 75% from disposal. Categories in which roofing may contribute….. Source: LEED NC 2.2 & LEED EB 2.0 Note: Credit descriptions provided for introductory reference only. Consult a LEED- Accredited Professional prior to designing or specifying a building project.

Green Building Rating Systems Roofing in the LEED ® Rating System CATEGORY: Materials / Resources (MR) CREDIT: 4.1 / / DESCRIPTION: Recycled Content: Use materials with 10% to 20% recycled content. Regional Materials: Use materials extracted, processed & manufactured within 500 miles. Rapidly Renewable Materials: Use rapidly renewable materials for 2.5% of total material. Categories in which roofing may contribute….. Source: LEED NC 2.2 & LEED EB 2.0 Note: Credit descriptions provided for introductory reference only. Consult a LEED- Accredited Professional prior to designing or specifying a building project.

The LEED ® Rating System Advantages of LEED Promotes the “Big Picture” Keeps it Simple Fosters Competition Builds Green Awareness

The LEED ® Rating System Limitations of LEED Limited Reach –Less than 2% of all buildings since 2000 have achieved certification Potential for Confusion –“Is your roof LEED-approved?” Inadequate Emphasis on System Integration & Durability

Green Building Rating Systems Green Globes Sponsored by Green Building Initiative –Originated in Canada –Now headquartered in Washington, DC –Significant support from National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and other organizations –First rating body accredited as a Standards Developing Organization (SDO) by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Green Building Rating Systems Green Globes Increased Emphasis on Planning, Management, Durability, and Energy –Points for project planning –Required commissioning & verification process –Points for durability & life cycle assessment –Increased points for energy efficiency Integrated LCA Tool / Calculator –Athena EcoCalculator for Assemblies

Green Globes Green Globes Point System Project Management Site Energy Water Resources & Materials Emissions Indoor Environment 50 Points 115 Points 360 Points 100 Points 75 Points 200 Points 1000 Points 5% 11% 36% 10% 8% 20% 350 –

Green Building Rating Systems Roofing in the Green Globes System CATEGORY: Project Management Site Energy CREDIT: A.1.2- A.1.4 A.2.1 B.2.6 B.3.2 C.2.4 C.2.7 DESCRIPTION: Design Process : Participate in design process Certified Products : Minimum 3 certified products Mitigate Heat Island: Reflective or vegetative roof Roof Water Runoff: Control and use roof storm water Daylighting: Install roof daylighting system Roof Insulation: Meet or exceed ASHRAE Roof Water Runoff: Control and use roof storm water Air Barrier: Install continuous bldg. envelope barrier Vapor Retarder: Install roof vapor retarder when needed Clean Energy: Install solar or wind energy on roof Categories in which roofing may contribute….. Source: Green Globes v.1 Note: Credit descriptions provided for introductory reference only. Consult Green Building Initiative prior to designing or specifying a building project.

Green Building Rating Systems Roofing in the Green Globes System CATEGORY: Water Resources & Materials CREDIT: D.2.3 E.1.1 E.2.1 E.2.2 E.2.3 E.4.1 E.4.4 DESCRIPTION: Irrigation : Use rooftop water for irrigation Life Cycle Assessment: Conduct LCA for roof Material Re-Use: Re-use portion of exist. roof materials Recycled Content: Use roof materials. w/ recycled content Bio-Based Materials: Use bio-based roof materials Rain Penetration: Control potential rain penetration into building Ease of Disassembly: Install roof that is easy to disassemble at end of life. Categories in which roofing may contribute….. Source: Green Globes v.1 Note: Credit descriptions provided for introductory reference only. Consult Green Building Initiative prior to designing or specifying a building project.

Green Globes Benefits & Limitations Benefits: Current Limitations:  Less recognized than LEED  Less expensive than LEED  Addresses key environmental impacts plus durability  Commissioning & verification required  Includes life cycle analysis

Green Building Rating Systems Find out more … US Green Building Council / LEED ® Green Building Initiative / Green Globes