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Green building standards present challenges, choices for city

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By Kelsey Wilkinson Friday, 29 January 2010

NORTHWEST AUSTIN — The City of Austin will close the doors of the Northwest Recreation Center March 1 for approximately one year for renovations that will not only improve the functionality of the center, but also qualify it to achieve LEED silver certification—a recognition allotted to honor the nation’s greenest buildings.

Buildings certified by LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, incorporate elements that are environmentally friendly, conserve water and save energy. In 2000, the city council mandated that all new municipal buildings and all renovation projects that cost more than $500,000 should aim to achieve at least LEED Silver certification.

“We have to lead by example,” said John McKennis, project coordinator for the city’s parks and recreation department. “We have a lot of developers out there who have no interest in being LEED certified. If we can get away with doing something, then a developer will come in and try and get away with it, too. We are held to a different standard.”

Rebuilding, the LEED way

The LEED-certifying institute advises that sustainable building strategies should be considered early in the development cycle, so revamping existing buildings with greener features presents challenges to the city.

“We weren’t able to utilize a lot of the innovative building products that are out there because most of the structure will remain, and we are just adding a couple of pieces,” McKennis said. “Another hard part is that most rec centers have a gymnasium, and with the amount of square footage that is in there, you cannot do much with it to meet the LEED criteria because it is just open space.”

The center, built in 1979, began the renovation process complete with a laundry list of features that did not age well when it came to energy efficiency. The $3.6 million dollar renovation project will address those issues and add approximately 7,000 sq. ft. of space to the facility. To meet LEED requirements, the project will include updates to the building’s insulation, additional natural lighting sources, and a more solid and efficient roofing system.

Green vs. LEED

Once costs are calculated and challenges noted, some residents may wonder why anyone would bother with a time-consuming, exigent and expensive certification process—especially since the city has its own green initiative.

Austin Energy’s Green Building Program was started by the Austin City Council in 1985 as the Energy Star Program and pioneered the first comprehensive green rating system in the country. It takes into account factors such as climate, efficiency, water conservancy, materials and durability.

“We’re looking at exactly the same criteria,” said Richard Morgan, Austin Energy’s Green Building Program sustainability manager.

The LEED certification was first developed in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council. Guidelines for the program are broad and encompass everything from new residential structures to old commercial developments. But the criteria are also rigid: Buildings are judged on a 100-point scale that takes into consideration things like energy sources and construction materials.

“They’re looking at it from a national perspective, so their tool has to be designed to work in Austin and Madison, [Wisc.], two absolutely different climates,” Morgan said. “Our tool is Austin–specific; it’s developed here and it’s maintained here. LEED uses national standards as its benchmark.”

Also unlike the LEED program, which carries an average fee of $2,000 for certification, the Green Building Program is free for people in the Austin Energy service area.

“As a city utility, we think it’s important to provide ratings at no or low cost,” said Mary McLeod, Austin Energy’s single-family department coordinator. “Depending on the type and complexity of the building, there could be a lot of money associated with LEED certification.”

LEED where you live

There is prestige associated with a national rating system. Since the establishment of the LEED program, 29 Austin buildings have obtained the certification. Six of the LEED-certified buildings are in northwest Austin, including The Domain and the Research Office Complex on the University of Texas J.J. Pickle Research Campus.

“A lot of people, when the discussion comes up of whether or not we should formally go through the [LEED] certification process, wonder if it’s worth it,” said John Mouritsen, senior resident construction manager with the university’s Office of Facilities Planning and Construction.

Like the city, UT made a commitment to achieve LEED Silver certification for all of its new construction. Mouritsen said having the LEED certification means more than just claiming to go green. He compared the difference between LEED certification and other green designations to a Harvard graduate, and someone who claims the same authority because he read all of the same books.

“But he didn’t take any tests; he wasn’t on a schedule. Unless you are held to the fire and have to document that and meet a formal, rigorous program, it’s all fluff,” Mouritsen said.

Mary Tuma and Eric Pulsifer contributed to this story.

Neighborhoods go green together

Housing developments can receive nods for green leadership as well. Resting on the 700-acre site of Austin’s former airport, the Mueller development has won praise for its energy-efficient practices, from the use of recycled materials to solar power generation. In November, the mixed-use project became Texas’ first residential community to gain LEED Silver certification under the USGBC’s Neighborhood Development pilot program.

Additionally, a new neighborhood under development in southwest Austin is taking a more high-tech approach to going green. Las Casas Verdes will feature 20 homes designed to meet LEED certification and Austin Green Building program standards. Homes will be made from recycled materials and will feature such environmentally friendly amenities as 3-kilowatt solar panel systems, 2,200-gallon rainwater collection systems, metal roofs, bamboo floors and concrete countertops. The 1,800 sq. ft. homes will each have a unique layout, but will feature a unified design.

Green house

Commercial structures and education institutions are not the only buildings that can go green. In Austin there are five LEED- certified homes, including one with Silver level certification, two with Gold, and two with Platinum, the highest level of LEED certification.

Austin’s Green Building Program also measures residential structures’ level of greenness with a one-to-five star rating system. The program also provides Austinites with an online directory of green building experts so new construction and renovation projects can more easily turn green.

How to make your home greener

Insulate your attic. By adding insulation, you will reduce your utility bills.
Tune up your HVAC systems. If you insulate your heating and cooling equipment, it won’t have to work as hard.
Install low-flow toilets and shower heads.
Switch to low consumption fluorescent lighting and fixtures.
Weather strip your windows and replace them with thicker paned windows.
Replace old windows with energy-efficient low-E insulated windows.
Plug air leaks with caulking and weather strips. It will help curb expensive drafts and improve comfortable living.
Purchase awnings or shields for your windows to shield your house from the western exposure of the sun.
Adjust timers and rain sensors on your sprinkler system to optimum performance.
Switch to native and drought-resistant landscaping.
Purchase a rainwater harvesting screen to reclaim rainwater to use for watering plants.