Two choices for Commercial Interiors
An M&V program in a LEED-CI project will follow the following approaches depending on the percentage of the building your space occupies:
A system tenants can connect to
Measurement and Verification (M&V) can keep the owner and tenant informed of energy-use details, typically by recording actual energy use over the course of project occupancy and comparing that data with design-estimated energy use. An M&V program can ensure that all systems perform as specified in the design and identify any anomalies in equipment, operational procedures, or user habits. While M&V can be applied to a variety of metrics, including water use and indoor environmental quality, this credit focuses only on energy performance.
M&V helps buildings live up to expectations
Despite aiming high during design, LEED-certified buildings don’t always perform as well as expected. A measurement and verification (M&V) program can make building operators aware of performance issues, and can locate the source of problems or identify poor design assumptions while providing a better overall sense of how the building’s systems are functioning.
High-Tech Windows with Dynamic Glazings
by
A before and after comparison of the results from dynamic window glazing.
Last week I wrote about one of the innovative building materials that I saw at this year's Greenbuild Conference in Phoenix (phase-change drywall). This week, I'll cover a very different innovation from the conference: dynamic window glazing.
Is LEED on Track to Save the World?
by
Rob Watson recently published "Green Building Market & Impact Report," his second annual report on the impact LEED is having in addressing environmental problems. The report highlights the continuing remarkable expansion of LEED: 2009 registrations for new design and construction projects in the U.S. may actually exceed total new construction starts!
Green Economies of Scale (post-Greenbuild ruminations)
by
By the end of Greenbuild, I was exhausted/troubled/elated with all sorts of conundrums swirling around in my head — not to mention a few partly written blogs, abandoned in favor of the next conversation... ... I had wanted to write about the 'executive roundtable' that happened that Wednesday — and responses to the twitter-submitted question "what single thing would have to change to make buildings actually regenerative?" (as in, way past 'less damaging' — past neutrality, even).
How this credit is addressed in different building types
- A phased flush-out is possible if different sections of the building are completed at different times, which is common in multi-tenant or mixed-use project types.
- In facilities where air quality is particularly critical, such as healthcare and laboratory buildings, owners may require IAQ testing as part of standard building practice.
- Buildings with large numbers of identical rooms with separate ventilation zones—such as hotel rooms or apartment units—have been allowed to perform random sampling as an alternative approach in situations when the delivery of ou
It’s about good IAQ for occupancy
The idea behind this credit is to ensure good indoor air quality (IAQ) for a project for occupancy. IEQc3.2 can be seen as a belt-and-suspenders credit: even if the IEQc4: Low-Emitting Materials credits are pursued, along with IEQc3.1: Construction IAQ Management—During Construction, IEQc3.2 ensures that the building ends up with the intended result. (Although it’s typical to do so, you don’t have to pursue any of those credits to go after this credit.)
Samples