According to the EPA, buildings in the United States account for 39% of total energy use, 12% of total water consumption, 68% of total electricity consumption, and 38 % of total carbon dioxide emissions.
Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings to reduce negative environmental and health effects through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal methods.
| Whatcom County Resolution |
In 2005 Whatcom County passed a resolution promoting the use of LEED Standards in the Construction and Renovation of County Buildings and in the Construction Practices of the Private Sector.
The Whatcom County Council unanimously approved a resolution calling for all future County building projects to be built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) “Silver” standard. Therefore all projects started after that date, the concepts of sustainable design, energy and water conservation, indoor environmental quality, and waste reduction would be incorporated from the earliest planning stages of the building.
What is LEED?
The US Green Building Council defines LEED on their website: “The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.... LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.”
| LEED Certification of Whatcom County Courthouse |
In November of 2006, Whatcom County realized that previous upgrades to the County Courthouse placed the building within the realm of certification under the “LEED for Existing Buildings” designation. In January 2007, County Administration pursued this certification for the Courthouse in efforts to get acquainted with the LEED certification process, and test the rigors with which the County had been maintaining its buildings.
The majority of the requirements for LEED-EB certification had been met prior to LEED registration. Therefore, most of the work was simply a documentation process. The following initiatives are examples of the work that had already been done before January of 2007:
- Ongoing energy efficiency upgrades
- 100% Green Power purchase for County operations, approved in September of 2006
- Purchase of low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) products such as paints, sealants, and carpeting
- Recycled-content paper product purchases, such as 30% recycled-content office paper
- Secure bicycle storage and shower/locker areas for bicycle-commuters
- Pest control that largely followed Integrated Pest Management practices
However, there were some operational changes made to the Courthouse in order to pursue LEED Certification. These included:
- Expansion of the Courthouse recycling program to include bottle and can recycling
- Policy changes requiring use of fluorescent lighting at the lowest possible mercury content per lumen-hour of lighting
- Purchase of 100% post-consumer recycled-content toilet paper
The documentation process took about 10 months to complete, and was done without the help of a LEED consultant. The completed documents were submitted to the US Green Building Council in November 2007, and the County received notice of successful certification in late March of 2008. The Courthouse was awarded 33 points on the LEED scale, which placed it in the "Certified" level.
| Whatcom County Green Building Incentives |
In the fall of 2006 the County Planning Department determined that Whatcom County would give priority to plans designed with green building in mind. The following incentive was proposed: Plans registered with either the BIA’s Built Green Program, the US Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Program or similar recognized and approved program, would be “fast tracked” in the plan check phase, once all the proper documentation was in place.
Once a builder registers with an approved program, and shows a good-faith effort to pursue certification based on the building plans, those plans will be flagged as “green” and moved to the front of the line for plan review. To avoid the appearance of giving preferential treatment to specific plans or builders, builders must be registered with an established and recognized third-party organization to gauge each plan.
The fast-track plan review was signed into formal policy in December of 2006. For more information on the fast-track plan review, contact the Whatcom County Planning and Development Service Department.
| Green Building in Whatcom County |
The Building Industry Association of Whatcom County (BIA) offers the Built Green  certification program for residential buildings.The program involves completing a self-certification checklist tracking the specific techniques and technologies implemented in your green building project. The Built Green checklist provides builders with over 260 ways they can improve the environmental performance of the structures they build. Each project is then reviewed by a representative of the BIA and certification is awarded.
Why is Green Building important?
The built environment has a vast impact on the environment, human health, and the economy. By adopting green building strategies, we can maximize both economic and environmental performance. Potential benefits of green building can include:
- Enhanced and protected biodiversity and ecosystems
- Improved air and water quality
- Conservation and restoration of natural resources
- Reduce operating costs of buildings
- Improved occupant productivity, comfort and health
- Heightened aesthetic qualities
- Minimized strain on local infrastructure
- Improved overall quality of life
(From http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/pubs/whybuild.htm)
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