LEED & the Triple Bottom Line in WV

LEED in West Virginia
and the triple bottom line

The world we have is the product of our way of thinking.
-Albert Einstein

The world we have…
Landfills

Landfills
Peak oil

Landfills
Peak oil
Controversial energy

Landfills
Peak oil
Global warming

Landfills
Peak oil
Global warming
Extreme weather

The world we have isa product of…
Landfills
Peak oil
Global warming
Extreme weather
The Industrial Revolution

Are we immune?
Are we too busy?
Are we too focused?
Are we always at the office?
In front of the TV?
In front of the XBox?
In front of our computers?
In touch with the world around us?
Are we out of touch with what’s really important?

Triple Bottom Line
SUSTAINABILITY
Top right photo and two bottom photos: Richard S. Lee

What is the measure
of sustainability in
West Virginia’s building
industry?

The USGBC & LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

Breakdown of credit categories:
8 Prerequisites
Sustainable Sites
14 Credits
Water Efficiency
4 Credits
Energy & Atmosphere
6 Credits
Materials & Resources
15 Credits
Indoor Environmental Quality
15 Credits
Innovation & Design Process
6 Credits
Regional Priority Credits
4 Credits
TOTAL 64 CREDITS

Regulations

Regulations
sustainable sites
SSp1 Construction Activity Pollution Prevention
Manage stormwater during construction
www.epa.gov
WV Department of Environmental Protection
www.wvdep.org
Construction Industry Compliance Assistance Ctr.
www.cicacenter.org

Regulations
indoor environmental quality
EQp2 Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control
No smoking indoors or near entrances
WV Department of Health
www.wvdtp.org

Incentives

Incentives
sustainable sites
SSc2 Development Density & Community Connectivity
WV Development Office offers grants
www.wvdo.org
WV Council for Economic Development offers grants
www.wvcouncil.org
Federal Economic Development Administration
www.eda.gov

Incentives
sustainable sites
SSc3 Brownfield Redevelopment
WV Department of Environmental Protection offers grants of up to $350K and loans up to $1M
www.wvdep.org
www.wvbrownfields.com

Incentives
sustainable sites
SSc4.3 Alternative Transportation, Fuel Efficient Vehicles
Federal hybrid vehicle tax credit
www.eere.energy.gov
www.aceee.org

Incentives
water efficiency
WEc2 Innovative Wastewater Technologies
WVDEP offers grants of up to $1M (#47-33)
State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund offers loans (#47-31)
www.wvsos.com

Incentives
energy & atmosphere
EAc1 Optimize Energy Performance
Federal tax deduction of up to $1.80/SF for commercial buildings that save at least 50% HVAC energy, plus an additional $0.60/SF for envelope, lighting and heating systems design.
www.energystar.gov
www.dsireusa.org

Incentives
energy & atmosphere
EAc2 Onsite Renewable Energy
Net-metering (up to 25kW) enables customers to use their own generation to offset consumption by allowing meters to turn backwards (credit) when they generate excess energy.
www.psc.state.wv.us
www.dsireusa.org

Incentives
materials & resources
MRp1 Storage & Collection of Recyclables
WV DEP offers grants of up to $75K to develop recycling programs
(#58-05)
www.wvdep.org/reap
WV is a member of the National Recycling Coalition’s
“America Recycles Day”
www.nrc-recycle.org

Incentives
MRc1 Building Reuse
Federal tax credit available worth 20% of capital investment, an additional 10% is available from WV Div. of Culture & History
www.wvculture.org

Incentives
innovation & design process
IDc1 Innovation in Design
Participate in WV DEP’s Environmental Excellence Program (#60-08)
www.wvsos.com
Participate in WV Operation Wildflower
www.wvdep.org/reap

Opportunities

Opportunities
sustainable sites
SSc1 Site Selection
Avoid development on inappropriate sites:
Below the flood plain
Habitat for endangered species
www.wvdnr.gov/wildlife
Near a wetland
www.wvu.edu/~agexten
Near a body of water
On public park land

Opportunities
sustainable sites
SSc5.1 Protect or Restore Habitat
Conserve existing natural areas and restore damaged areas to provide habitat and promote biodiversity
A building should do just as much as the ecosystem it’s replacing
www.eol.org
www.biomimicryinstitute.org

Opportunities
sustainable sites
SSc6.1 & 6.2 Stormwater Design, Quantity & Quality Control
Limit disruption of natural hydrology by managing stormwater runoff
Eliminate water pollution by removing pollutants from stormwater runoff
www.stormwaterauthority.org
www.epa.gov

Opportunities
MRc2.2 Construction Waste Management
Divert C&D debris from disposal in landfills
WV Recycling Act established goal of 50% reduction by 2010
www.state.wv.us/swmb
Develop a market for salvaged and recycled goods in WV!

Opportunities
MRc5.2 Regional Materials
Increase demand for building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured within the region, thereby supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the environmental impacts of transportation.
Follansbee Stainless Steel Roofing

Opportunities
MRc7 Certified Wood
Encourage environmentally responsible forest management.
www.fsc.org
www.sfi.org

Opportunities
EQc2 Increased Ventilation
Provide at least 30% additional outdoor air ventilation to improve indoor air quality.

Opportunities
EQc3 Construction IAQ Management
Reduce indoor air quality problems resulting from the construction process to help sustain the comfort and well-being of construction workers and building occupants.

Opportunities
EQc4 Low-Emitting Materials
Reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and harmful to the comfort and well-being of installers and building occupants.

Opportunities
Build a carbon neutral economic foundation, in which carbon is no longer the atmospheric pollutant known as CO2, but is sequestered in new soils and diverse biological pathways.
A NEW SHARED ECONOMY FOR APPALACHIA:
An Economy Built Upon Environmental Restoration, Carbon Sequestration, Renewable Energy and Ecological Design
By
John Todd, Ph.D.
Research Professor & Distinguished Lecturer
The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
&
Fellow, The Gund Institute for Ecological Economics
The University of Vermont

Opportunities
4 Stages of Implementation:
Healing
Carbon sequestration & the creation of a working landscape
Creating a renewable energy future
Institutions and a shared ownership culture
A NEW SHARED ECONOMY FOR APPALACHIA:
An Economy Built Upon Environmental Restoration, Carbon Sequestration, Renewable Energy and Ecological Design
By
John Todd, Ph.D.
Research Professor & Distinguished Lecturer
The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
&
Fellow, The Gund Institute for Ecological Economics
The University of Vermont

Final thoughts….
Sustainability is about remaking the human presence in the natural world in a manner that will allow all current and future humans to be healthy; have strong, vibrant, secure and thriving communities and nations; have economic opportunity for all; and restore and maintain the integrity of our life-support system – the biosphere.
SCUP 2008
SUSTAINABILITY
Top right photo and two bottom photos: Richard S. Lee