Green Building and LEED Core Concepts Guide First Edition

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OUTDOOR WATER Landscape irrigation is a significant component of many commercial buildings' water use and thus an opportunity to conserve water. Areductioninirrigation water use can be achieved by specifying water-wise landscaping and water-efficient irrigation technology, using nonpotablc water for irrigation. and installing submctcrs to track and log irrigation trends. Proj ect teams should incorporate native and adapted species in the landscape design, because these plants tend to thrive without irrigation, pesticides, or fertilizer. Drought-tolerant and xeriscape plantings arc also preferable because of their extremely low water needs. High-performance irrigation systems include efficient water supply and control technology, such as drip and bubbler distribution systems and weather-based irrigation controllers, which respond to weather conditions. Potable water use for irrigation can be further reduced by using nonpotable water-harvested rainwater, graywater, or muniCipal reclaimed water. Submctering is a way to detennine how much water is being used for irrigation purposes. Metering irrigation water can even provide an immediate economic benefit because facilitics can receive credit from the utility companyfor sewer charges, given that the water is not entcring the sewer system. Strategies for reducing outdoor water use: • Choose locally adapted plants. Landscape wilh native and adapted plants that require less water. • Use xeriscaping. Especially in arid regions, employ xeriscape principles when designing the site landscape. • Select effident irrigation technologies. Drip and bubbler systems and weather-based controllers can save water. • Use nonpotable water. Match irrigation with the right water, including captured rainwater, graywater, or municipal reclaimed water. • Install submeters. Meter the irrigation system to track consumption and identify leaks. 40 Green BUilding and LEED Core Concepts Guide
THINK ABOUT IT Green lawns and green buildings. Many commercial building landscapes include some turf, yet most of these spaces are not intended for picnics or play. Since turf tends to be water intensive, why is it the go-to choice for landscapes Why has it become the "baseline" plant material Why does it cover so many median strips Why should it not PROCESS WATER Process water is used for industrial processes and building systems, such as cooling towers, boilers, and chillers. Thesc sysrems provideheat,coolairandwater for building operations. Process water also includes the water used for certain business operations (such as washing machines and dishwashers). Commercial building projects can reduce process water use by selecting efficient cooling towers, chillers, boilers, and other equipment, and by integrating harvested rainwater and non potable water to work in conjunction with the specified equ ipment. Since process water volumes can be significant, understanding how that water is being used is important. Teams can install submeters on each of the major wat~r-using systems to find out where the water is going and where they should focus their conservation efforts. Metering cooling tower makeup water (water lost to evaporation during cooling tower operation) is particularly important because facilities may be able to receive credit from the utility company for sewer charges, since the water is not entering the sewer system. Strategies for reducing process water use: • Use nonpotable water. Use the right water for the right purpose. Investigate opportunities to use captured ramwater, graywater, or mUnicipally reclaimed water in bu ildmg processes and systems, such as cooling towers . • Install submeters. Meter the process water systems and use the data to track consumption and identify leaks. Water Efficiency 41
Page 1 and 2: o D y Green Building and LEED Core
Page 3 and 4: Purchase agreement and license to u
Page 5 and 6: ".""",," Green building is an integ
Page 7 and 8: The green building movement strives
Page 9 and 10: THINK ABOUT IT The future of the bu
Page 11 and 12: components, from their extraction,
Page 13 and 14: Project Case Study Dockside Green .
Page 15 and 16: The study concluded that the federa
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 .
Page 27 and 28: necessary permits) to the completio
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 and 40: Americans' use of the limited publi
Page 41: Strategies for reducing indoor wate
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
Page 67 and 68: ac id ra in the precipitation of di
Page 69 and 70: construction waste management plan
Page 71 and 72: pollutant any substance introduced

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