IS LEED A MONOPOLY?

Gosh, we sure hope not.  We’ve been a little quiet lately as we launched our completely redesigned and enhanced web site this week (www.SERFgreen.org), but the notion of a LEED monopoly is unsettling.   After all, SERF, Green Globes ™ and others have invested significant resources to provide cost-effective, accessible alternative green building certifications.

Still, others make the claim of a LEED monopoly quite forcibly—like the Chattanooga Times Free Press recent editorial.

The Times Free Press’ position has some merit when considering government buildings.  But as to the private sector—the ones who are spending their own money–we find businesses are very open to a market-friendly alternative to LEED.  In fact, we’ve had success with private buildings that are already LEED certified.

Our education partners at Centre for Sustainability and Excellence are helping train new SERF Professionals (SPs) to meet this demand.

SERF may be the new kid on the block, but as the ages have shown—don’t be afraid to bet on David over Goliath.

Catch the Wave on free webinar

SERF and the Centre for Sustainability & Excellence (CSE) are co-hosting a free webinar 12:30-1:30 CST on Thursday, January 24.

CSE , a global leader in sustainability consulting and training, is partnering with SERF to train SERF Professionals (SPs).  SPs have the exclusive ability to act as third-party verifiers for SERF certification applications.

SERF president Joe Maguire and CSE president Nikos Avlonas will be on hand to discuss SERF as a streamlined, affordable alternative to LEED certification and the SP designation as opportunity to expand your professional practice.  Click here to register.

SPreading the word

As more and more properties Catch the Wave with SERF Certification, we’re beginning to fall behind in processing applications.   Maintaining our early decision to cede the lengthy process award to the other 4-letter certification, we are, instead, embarking on a fix.

Our new professional designation SERF Professional (SP) will enable real estate professionals to act as third party verifiers for SERF Certification applications.  SPs will be independent from SERF and will set their own fees and contract directly with certification applicants.

SERF is partnering with Centre for Sustainability and Excellence in Chicago to produce a one-day training program and examination to qualify as a SP.  The course is being held around the country in SERF certified facilities, beginning Thursday, January 31 at DIRTT’s Chicago Green Learning Center.

More information will be coming out shortly, including how to register for the class as well as qualifications to become an SP. As they do, we’ll update you.

Historic Structures Deserve VIP Treatment

Restoration of historic buildings is tricky business. Among other challenges, preservation concerns severely limit façade alterations.

Restoration often includes deep energy retrofits which generally increase the thermal resistance (R-value) of the envelope. For existing structures adding insulation to the exterior is generally preferred over the interior as adding insulation from the inside will reduce its floor area. But for historic structures this approach is self-defeating.

Vacuum insulation has been used widely in non-building applications like refrigerators, thermos containers, and thermal doors. Its use in building envelope insulation is fairly new and still in R&D.  Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs) are composed of two stainless steel plates which sandwich a core of vacuum and fumed silica.

VIPs  possess 5-10 times the R-value of conventional insulation. Hence the thickness of wall sections may be far less than conventional insulation, effectively increasing the floor area. The resulting space savings alone are estimated to be $152 per foot of wall assuming a value of $182 per square foot of space.

Moreover, it has also been proven that the VIPs can add to the structural strength of the wall which then reduces the material necessary for structural members.

VIPs however are not perfect. Their stainless steel edges conduct heat, thereby reducing efficiency–though this has been largely mitigated by replacing its straight edges with serpentine ones. Other problems arise out of the panels’ fragility, allowing gases to enter its core and potentially rendering them useless. Gases will ultimately penetrate the VIP which limits their lifespan to less than 40 years.

VIP installations remain elusive owing to their high cost and a lack of proven history. Researchers believe these issues will be eliminated with enhanced technology and that VIPs will play a far more significant role in the future.

VOCs paint an ugly picture

Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh paint?  But, as so often seems the case, the good things in life are bad for us.

Green buildings transcend their structure and actually produce a positive effect on the health and comfort of their occupants. A key factor which determines this is the type of architectural coatings (paints, sealers etc.) and how many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) they contain.   Alas, these toxins are responsible for that wonderful fresh paint aroma.

VOCs are mainly used as solvents in coatings and contain aliphatic hydrocarbons, ethyl acetate, glycol ethers, acetone and formaldehyde.  In addition to being virtually unspellable, all of these have a very low boiling point slowly evaporate at room temperatures to be absorbed in to the human body. (Formaldehyde has a boiling point of -2F!) Low VOC coatings, by contrast, are those which contain water-based solvents.

Some of the harmful effects these VOC’s include irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some are even suspected to cause cancer.

The EPA estimates that in a typical building the concentration of VOCs could be up to 5 times the concentration of outdoor air. In fresh paint this can be about 1000 times. In a society which spends most of our time indoors, the use of low VOC coatings can go a long way to reduce long term health risks and ensure comfort.

Who really pays for LEED certification?

Obtaining LEED certification costs a lot of time and money.  The resources required are not limitless and are generally diverted from other uses, though that seems impolite to discuss when pursuing sustainability.

But LEED certification does not, of course, add to a property’s sustainability.  Rather it confirms, or certifies, that objective sustainable criteria have been met.   If anything, the high costs of LEED certification divert funds that may be otherwise be spent on sustainable materials or systems.

In the end, the high cost of LEED ultimately comes from somewhere….or someone. 

I wonder how the retirees of Stockton, California feel about their city’s expense in obtaining LEED Gold certification for their new water plant after having their retirement benefits cut in Stockton’s bankruptcy proceedings.

While hardly the sole culprit of bankruptcy, Stockton’s self-imposed requirement to LEED certify all structures over 5,000 square feet is indicative of City Hall’s feckless finance.

SERF offers a low cost sustainable certification that doesn’t break the bank.  I bet that sounds like a good idea to some good folks in Stockton.