The US Green Building Council Detroit Regional Chapter Hosts: LEED and the Benefits of Green Buildin

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The US Green Building Council Detroit Regional
Chapter HostsLEED and the Benefits of Green
Building for Municipalities
Engineering Society of Detroit September 17, 2009
Saulius Mikalonis, Esq The Mikalonis Law Firm,
PLLC The New Ecology Law Forum smikalonis_at_newecola
w.com
Jim Newman CEM, CSDP, LEED AP Newman Consulting
Group, LLC Jimn_at_newmanconsultinggroup.us
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Benefits of Green Design

• Environmental Benefits
• Reduce the Impacts of Natural Resource
  Consumption
• Health and Safety Benefits
• Enhance Occupant Comfort and Health
• Community Benefits
• Minimize Strain on Local Infrastructure and
  Improve Quality of Life
• Economic Benefits
• Improve the Top and Bottom Lines

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What is a Green Building?

• Product of Intelligent, Integrated Design
• Surpasses Requirements of Standard Development
  Project
• Costs Less to Operate and Maintain
• A Healthier Building that is Sustainable

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Why Green Buildings?

• Meet Needs of Today
• Reduce Operating Costs
• Save Energy
• Enhance Building Marketability
• Improve Occupant Health and Comfort
• Increase Occupant Productivity
• Maximize ROI
• Reduce Potential Liability
• Dont Compromise Ability of Future Generations to
  Meet Their Needs
• Environmental Responsibility
• Optimize Resource Efficiency

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Goals of LEED (1)

• Sustainable Sites (SS)
• Develop only appropriate sites
• Reuse existing buildings and/or sites
• Protect natural and agricultural areas
• Reduce need for automobile use
• Protect and/or restore sites

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Goals of LEED (2)

• Water Efficiency (WE)
• Reduce quantity of water needed for the building
• Reduce municipal water supply and treatment burden

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Goals of LEED (3)

• Energy and Atmosphere (EA)
• Establish energy and efficiency performance
• Optimize energy efficiency
• Support ozone protection protocols
• Encourage renewable and alternative energy sources

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Goals of LEED (4)

• Materials and Resources (MR)
• Reduce amount of materials needed
• Use materials with less environmental impact
• Reduce and manage waste

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Goals of LEED (5)

• Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ)
• Establish good environmental quality
• Eliminate, reduce, manage the sources of indoor
  pollutants
• Ensure thermal comfort and system controllability
• Provide for occupant connection to the outdoor
  environment

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Goals of LEED (6)

• Innovation and Design (ID)
• Get credit for exceptional performance above
  requirements
• Get credit for innovative performance not
  specifically addressed in above 5 categories

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Why Should Municipalities Bring Green Buildings
into Their Communities? (1)

• Demonstrate Leadership by Example
• In times of economic trouble, leadership by
  governments towards the economy of the future is
  just as important as sound stewardship of public
  funds. In greening government buildings, both are
  achieved.
• Maximize Efficiency in the Business Community
• Commercial and industrial building owners are
  quick to recognize that reducing operational
  costs can give them a competitive edge in the
  newly-forming green economy
• Invest in Healthy Schools and Reinvest in our
  Children and our Future
• Investing in our children and Americas future
  may be the one re-investment area with the most
  potential for future returns. By promoting the
  design and construction of green schools,
  governments can make a tremendous impact on
  student health, test scores, teacher retention,
  school operational costs and the environment.

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Why Should Municipalities Bring Green Buildings
into Their Communities? (2)

• Make Affordable Housing more Efficient and
  Affordable
• Local governments have unique authority to guide
  smart, sustainable development in Americas
  cities, counties and towns. Local leaders are
  recognizing that the benefits of green building
  go even farther when incorporated into the
  affordable housing stock, offering homes that are
  truly affordable both for residents and public
  housing authorities.
• Greening Piece-by-Piece Laying the Groundwork
  for Future Holistic Measures
• Most any building project whether new
  construction or an existing building retrofit
  can incorporate an alternative material,
  strategy, or technology that can improve its
  energy and environmental performance.

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What Results Can You Expect When Deciding to Go
Green?

• Design, build and maintain buildings to save
  energy, water and taxpayers money.
• Municipal buildings built to LEED standards lower
  the costs of operating buildings, lowering
  taxpayers expenses going forward.
• Shrink water, sewer and energy use.
• Costs for water, sewer and energy use and the
  infrastructure to support those uses increases
  everyday. Lowering usage reduces the need for
  future infrastructure investment.
• Support regional and local building industry and
  economy.
• LEED rewards the use of local materials and
  building design and construction services such as
  recycling and salvaged material distribution
  centers, raw and new processed material
  suppliers, local building trades and construction
  support networks.
• The continued use of existing buildings and
  strengthens the urban fabric of a community.
• LEED recognizes the importance of reusing
  existing buildings for environmental, social and
  cultural reasons.

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How Can You Encourage Green Design and LEED? Low
or No Cost Options

• Easier passage through BZA
• Easing of Restrictions
• Fast-track permitting
• Quicker inspections after request
• Education of inspectors to new materials, designs
  and products that arent yet in codes
• Help with marketing, publicity

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Specific Local Incentives

• Density Bonuses Allow higher density than zoning
  regulations allow for projects that seek LEED
  certification.
• Priority Review/Fast Track Approval Bump LEED
  projects to the front of the line.
• Refunds Provide refunds on costs for projects
  that seek and achieve LEED certification.
• Tax Credits Provide tax benefits for projects
  that seek and achieve LEED Certification.
• Government Buildings/Government Funding Require
  municipal construction or projects that are done
  with public moneys meet LEED standards.
• Requirements Require LEED certification for
  projects over a certain size.
• Technical Assictance Projects seeking LEED
  certification receive free professional
  consultantion
• Grants Fund LEED projects using state or federal
  grants.

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• Saulius K Mikalonis, Esq.
• The Mikalonis Law Firm, PLLC
• The New Ecology Law Center
• 13324 Vernon Avenue
• Huntington Woods, MI 48070
• 248.302.0537
• smikalonis_at_newecolaw.com
• Jim Newman
• CEM, LEED AP, ASHRAE OPMP
• Newman Consulting Group, LLC
• Consultants for Energy-Efficient Sustainable
  Buildings - and a Sustainable Planet
• An EPA Energy Star and Rebuild Michigan Partner
• 248-626-4910
• jimn_at_NewmanConsultingGroup.us