Solatube and LEED |
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The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard
for developing high performance, sustainable buildings. Members of the U.S.
Green Building Council representing all segments of the building industry developed
LEED and continue to contribute to its evolution. LEED standards are currently
available for:
- New Construction and Major Renovation Projects
- Existing
Building Operations
- Commercial Interiors Projects
- Core
and Shell Projects
Projects are rated on a point system. There are four levels
of achievement (in order of lowest to highest): Certified, Silver, Gold, and
Platinum.
LEED was created to:
- Define “green building” by establishing a
common standard measurement.
- Promote integrated, whole-building design practices.
- Recognize environmental leadership in the building industry.
- Stimulate green competition.
- Raise consumer awareness of green building benefits.
- Transform the building market.
Many Federal Agencies are encouraging or mandating the use
of the LEED rating system as a checklist to guide the design and construction
process. These agencies include the Department of Defense, the General Services
Administration, NASA, Environmental Protection Agency, the State Department,
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention among others. Many States
and Municipalities are also mandating that their buildings are required to
be designed to LEED Certification Standards as a minimum and some are even
requiring LEED Gold and Silver.
Solatube Daylighting Systems have been used
in several LEED Certified projects and is specified in dozens of other projects
that are still in design or awaiting certification. Basically, under LEED Solatube
Daylighting Systems can earn or contribute to the following credits:
- Energy & Atmosphere
- Materials & Resource
- Indoor
Environmental Quality
- Innovation & Design Process
Energy & Atmosphere
- Credit for Daylight. Minimum Daylight Factor of 2% (meaning
light levels inside the space must be 2% minimum of the light levels outdoors)
in 75% of all space occupied for critical visual tasks. (One point)
- Energy Optimization Credit. This credit
is determined by reducing the design energy cost compared to the energy
cost budget for energy systems regulated by ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999
(without amendments), as demonstrated using a whole building simulation
using the Energy Cost Budget Method described in Section 11 of the Standard.
An analysis may be used comparing the design to local energy standards
if a defensible equivalency to ASHRAE/IESNA Standards 90.1-1999 has been
established. (One to Ten points available depending on the results of the
energy simulation)
Materials & Resources
- In LEED version 2.1, there is a credit available
if the project uses a minimum of 20% of the building materials and products
that are manufactured regionally within a radius of 500 miles. This is especially
important for projects in Southern California and Arizona. (One point) Under
LEED version 2.2, this credit has been altered. The credit requires that
materials not only be manufactured within the 500 mile radius, but that they
also be harvested/extracted within the 500 miles radius as well. Solatube
cannot provide the required supporting documentation for this credit under
LEED version 2.2 due to the very nature of material supply from metal and
plastic providers.
Indoor Environmental Quality
- Controllability of Systems (perimeter and nonperimeter). Solatube
Daylighting Systems can be beneficial to achieving this credit if the Daylight
Dimmer is used to offer occupants total control of the daylit environment.
(One to Two points)
Innovation & Design Process
- Innovation in Design. Points are awarded
for exceptional performance above the requirements set by the LEED Green
Building Rating System and/or innovative performance in Green Building categories
not specifically addressed by the LEED Green Building Rating System. (One
to Four points)
There is likely a local U.S. Green Building Council chapter
in your area. This is a great way to learn more about sustainable design and
gives you the opportunity to network with design and construction professionals
who are interested in using products that would help contribute to achieving
LEED certification in their projects. For more information, check the US Green
Building Council ’s
website at www.usgbc.org.
If you would like to receive the Solatube LEED Application
Guide, please email us.
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