Page 41 - Green Builder Magazine Nov-Dec 2017 Issue

A LEED Refresher

How to earn certification, trends

in green flooring and more.
BY AARON HARTUNG
ROM DRAWING PLANS TO BREAKING GROUND, building green
has become more than just a trend. At this point, green is practically
standard and worth thinking about from the very beginning of any
Fproject. Eco-friendly options not only reduce greenhouse gases CREDIT: WARCHI/ISTOCK
and conserve resources—they save money.
With green building, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) certification is the place to start. If, however, you think you Sustainable achievement. The new LEED certification requirements
know LEED certification, know that LEED v4 certification is much more are harder to meet, but they result in greener, more-energy
stringent than the older guidelines. Much more than green washing, the efficient buildings.
new certifications focus on a holistic approach to evaluating projects for detailed view of what goes into a LEED certification.
performance, resource conservation and material selection. If you meet the three MPRs, you are eligible to apply for LEED
Before your project will even be considered for LEED certification, you certification. LEED v4 certification revolves around four main
must meet the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Minimum Program components: performance-based, smart-grid, water efficiency and
Requirements (MPRs). The USGBC has put MPRs in place to define the materials. Performance-based benchmarks focus on indoor air quality
type of project eligible for LEED certification. to ensure occupants of the building will be comfortable. Smart-grid
Your project or portfolio must meet three basic requirements in order benchmarks serve to award points to buildings that respond to
to be considered. First, your project must be a fixed location on existing demand properly. Water efficiency guidelines ensure that projects use
land—projects on artificial land or those designed for eventual relocation water in a smart and sustainable manner. Materials are, quite literally,
will not be considered because of the environmental implications. Next, the the building blocks of any project—as such, the LEED benchmarks seek
physical boundaries of the project in question must be defined to ensure to ensure builders know exactly the impact their material selection
a holistic evaluation. The last MPR is that your project must fall within the will have on the environment.
project size requirements for the certification you are seeking—whether To achieve certification, your project must exemplify each of these
it’s a house, neighborhood development or building design. Take a look four components. If your project passes, it will be awarded one of four
at the Building Design and Construction (BD+C) scorecard to get a more certification levels: certified, silver, gold or platinum. GB

TRENDS IN GREEN FLOORING

ITH MANY NEW GREEN ■ ■ Polished concrete. Polished concrete
flooring material trends on has a wide variety of applications, from
the rise, choosing the right schools to industrial facilities. It is easily
W material for application installed with a six-step process and easily
and LEED certification can be difficult. An maintained, as there is no need for the typical
experienced flooring contractor should wax-and-strip method. It is safe, long-lasting
be able to take the customer’s needs into and durable. Moreover, it is environmentally
account and choose the right flooring friendly and contributes to your LEED
materials to drive sustainable ROI (SROI). certification.
While pointing that customer in the right CREDIT: RICHARD MAYER ■ ■ Carpet and carpet tiles. There are
direction, here are several material options many sustainable carpeting options stemming
you can make worth their consideration: from recycled materials. Broadloom and
■ ■ Bio-based tile (BBT). Bio-based tile is a By the foot. Terrazzo flooring can be easily carpet tiles are two of them, with the latter
growing trend in flooring that holds many of installed without use of harsh chemicals. cutting down on waste during maintenance
the same advantages as resilient flooring—durability, strength, design and installation. If there is a stain on one tile, you only have to replace
versatility, affordability—with the added bonus of being extra eco-friendly. that one square. GB
■ ■ Terrazzo. Terrazzo is known for its durability and design
versatility. And, from a green standpoint, terrazzo is easily installed Aaron Hartung is the communications manager at Spectra
without the use of harsh environments and can help maintain a Contract Flooring, the largest commercial flooring contractor in
healthy indoor environment. the U.S. Learn more: http://spectracf.com

www.greenbuildermedia.com November/December 2017 GREEN BUILDER 39

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