Green Building Made Easy

Sustainable or green building practices promote the construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and healthier for the environment. They reduce the tremendous impact that building construction, operation, maintenance, and disposal have on both people and nature.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Center for Sustainable Development, buildings consume 40-50% of the world's total energy, 25% of its wood harvest and 16% of its water. The building industry is the nation's largest manufacturing activity, representing more than 50% of the nation's wealth.

A recent report by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) promotes Green Building for the Biggest, Easiest Cuts in CO2 Emissions. Energy-saving technologies applied in buildings can result in enormous reductions in demand for fossil fuels and emissions of greenhouse gases.

Insulating Concrete Forms are one key technology because they provide an ultra-efficient, high mass, high strength, and very durable building shell that keeps occupants healthy and comfortable.

LEED

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) established the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Rating System for new and existing commercial, institutional, and high-rise residential buildings. LEED evaluates environmental performance from a "whole building" perspective over a building's life cycle (cradle-to-grave), providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a green building.

Quad-Lock is a member of the USGBC and has a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED-AP) on staff who can consult customers on LEED certification. For more information contact us.

For an industry snapshot, see Green Building by the Numbers (USGBC).

LEED Rating Primer

The LEED rating system has five main credit categories:

1. Sustainable Sites
2. Water Efficiency
3. Energy and Atmosphere
4. Materials Resources
5. Indoor Environmental Quality

There is a maximum of 69 attainable points (70 in Canadian LEED) in these five categories. Additional points can be earned for using concrete in other areas, for innovation, and for having a LEED Accredited Professional on the project team.

The points are added up to determine the level of certification:

• Certified 26-32 points
• Silver 33-38 points
• Gold 39-51 points
• Platinum 52-69 points

Regions Requiring LEED

Many regions and municipalities in the US and Canada now require LEED certifications for publicly-owned building projects:

  - At least 10 states have adopted LEED standards for new construction: AZ, CA, ME, MI, NJ, NY, OR, PA, WA, and VA.
  - Some of the municipalities are:

These lists are growing daily! Check out the LEED Government Initiatives & Guidelines for more details.

Green Building Links:
 GREEN-R Sustainable ICF - PDF
 ICF Energy Performance
 Five Steps to Zero Energy House
 Green Checklist - PDF
 Green Roof Solution - PDF
 Green Roof Research Project
 Reuse & Recycle Tips - PDF
Links to other websites:
 EPS and the Environment - PDF
 Green Hotels with ICF
 Passive Solar Building Design
 HVAC Sizing software (PCA)
 Concrete CO₂ Fact Sheet - PDF