Green Building and LEED Core Concepts Guide First Edition

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Efficiency strategies, combined with monitoring that tracks water consumption and identifies problems, can dramatically improve water conservation compared with comparable conventional buildings. Many LEED-rated buildings reduce potable water usc by more than 50%, with direct benefits for the bottom line and the environment. Assessments and Measurements • Design versus Baseline. The amount of water the design case conserves versus the baseline case. AU LEED Water Efficiency credits use a baseline case against which the facility's design case is compared. The baseline case represents the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct 1992) flow and flush rates. • Gallons per flush (gpf). The amount of water consumed by flush fixtures (water closets, or toilets, and urinals). The baseline flush rate for water closets is 1.6 gpf. and for urinals, 1.0 gpf (EPAct 1992). • Ga llons per minute (gpm). The amount of water consumed by flow fixtures (lavatory faucets, showerheads, aerators, sprinkler heads). • Irrigation efficiency. The percentage of water delivered by irrigation equipment that is actually used for irrigation and does not evaporate, blow away, or fall on hardscape. For example. overhead spray sprinklers have lower irrigation efficiencies (65%) than drip systems (90%). INDOOR WATER Indoor water use refers to the water that occupied buildings typically need to operate on a day-to-day basiS-water for water closets, urinals, lavatories, showers, and kitchen or break-room sinks. Indoor water usc reduction can be achieved by installing wateref~cicnt fixtures, using nonpotable water for flush functions, and installing submeters to track and log water use trends. Low-flow fixtures use less water than specified in the EPAct 1992 requirements. Low-flow models are now available for all indoor plumbing fIXtures. Projects can further reduce their potable water consumption by deSigning and installing plumbing systems that can use captured rainwater or graywater In flush fixtures. Submetering gives commercial building projects a way to monitor water use, track fixture performance, and identify problems. With submeters, teams can better understand how much water is being used for plumbing fixtures, as well as be alerted to any leaks or othcr problems that waste water. 38 Green Building and LEED Core Concepts Guide
Strategies for reducing indoor water use: • Install efficient plumbing fixtures. Replace water-intensive fixtures with new law-flaw fixtures. If porcelain replacement proves cost-proh ibitive, install new flush valves or flow restrictors (for example, aerators) to ach ieve water savings. . • Use nonpotable water. Strive to use the right water for the right purpose , including captured rainwater, graywater, or mu nicipa l reclaimed water for flush fi xtures. • Install submeters. Meter indoor water systems and monitor the data to track consu mption trends and pinpoint leaks . Primary Resources: Water Usage in Buildings The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the United States uses 400 billion gallons of water per day. The operation of buildings, including landscaping, accounts for approximately 47 billion gallons per day- 12% of tota l water use. The value of any particular measure for overall water conservation efforts depends on the distribution of end uses- the points of consumption- in a given building. For example, office buildings typically lack extensive laundry and kitchen facilities, and water is used for HVAC systems, restrooms, and landscaping. In contrast, kitchen sinks and dishwashers dominate the end use for restaurants. A water end-use profile can help project teams identify the largest users of water and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of specific conservation strategies, whether it's low-flow fixtures, irrigation technology, or efficient cooling tower systems . • ·'Water: Doing More With Less ," (Environmental Building News, 2DOB), http://www.bu ildinggreen.com/auth/a rtid e,cfm/I P/36291. • Residential End Uses of Water (American Water Works Assoc iat ion Research Fou ndat ion, 1 999), http://www.aquacraft.com/Publ k ations/resident.htm . THINK ABOUT IT Waterless urinals. Non-water-using urinals are the ultimate low-flow fixtures. What might be some reasons they are not specified for every new commercial building project Water Effi ciency 39
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Page 17 and 18: • "Costing Green: A Comprehensive
Page 19 and 20: LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMEN
Page 21 and 22: The LEED rating systems address the
Page 23 and 24: The credit weightings are based on
Page 25 and 26: Carbon Footprint Building Systems .
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Page 29 and 30: Assessments and Measurements To eva
Page 31 and 32: The drivers of transportation impac
Page 33 and 34: THINK ABOUT IT Electric cars and ne
Page 35 and 36: THINK ABOUT IT Regenerative design.
Page 37 and 38: Primary Resources: Low-I mpact Deve
Page 39: Americans' use of the limited publi
Page 43 and 44: THINK ABOUT IT Green lawns and gree
Page 45 and 46: AND AlMOS Energy has emerged as a c
Page 47 and 48: Strategies for redu cing energy dem
Page 49 and 50: • Use thermal energy storage. Gen
Page 51 and 52: To achieve LEED certification, new
Page 53 and 54: Primary Resources: Cost-Effectivene
Page 55 and 56: Assessments and Measurements • Ra
Page 57 and 58: LIFE-CYCLE IMPACTS LEED increasingl
Page 59 and 60: ENVIRONMENTAL According to the EPA,
Page 61 and 62: INDOOR AIR QUALITY Protecting indoo
Page 63 and 64: • "Daylight and Retail Sales" (Ca
Page 65 and 66: Innovative strategies expand the br
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