What is LEED certification?
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating SystemŽ was created by the U.S. Green Building Council to define and measure a project's level of green building.
LEED is becoming widely accepted as the standard by which high-performance buildings are measured based on fulfilling a list of prerequisites and a certain number of credits to achieve one of four rating levels:
- Certified (26 to 32 credits)
- Silver (33 to 38 credits)
- Gold (39 to 51 credits)
- Platinum (52 credits and above)
Why did the Food Bank pursue LEED certification?
To minimize construction-related impacts on the environment and build a healthier facility in which to house its operations, the Food Bank sought and achieved a LEED Silver rating with 33 credits, targeting a diverse mixture of credits to: - Conserve energy and water
- Reduce waste
- Improve indoor air quality
When did the Food Bank receive its certification?
The certification process is lengthy, beginning during the project's design phase and concluding after construction is completed and the U.S. Green Building Council reviews credits. Through the design phase, the design team reviews the LEED rating system to determine which credits are the most appropriate for the specific project.
To certify the project, each credit must be submitted with supporting documentation to the U.S. Green Building Council. The requirements for meeting each credit and the submittal requirements for demonstrating compliance with each credit are specifically stated in U.S. Green Building Council documents, available at www.usgbc.org/leed. The Food Bank received its final Silver rating in the summer of 2006.
Examples of credits the Food Bank secured:
- SS 7.2:Landscape and Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands - Roof
- The Food Bank was constructed with an Energy Star highly reflective roof to reduce the building's impact on the heat island effect and help reduce the building's cooling load, therefore conserving energy. For more information about the urban heat island effect, visit www.coolcommunities.org.
- WE 3.2: Water Use Reduction - 20% Reduction
- By using only waterless urinals, the building will use 20% less water than with conventional fixtures. For more information about water saving, visit www.gwwc.org.
- EA 1.0: Optimizing Energy Performance
- Through extensive energy modeling and improvements in many areas, the Food Bank is aiming to operate 35% more efficiently than a building that merely meets ASHRAE 90.1. These savings have been met by incorporating high efficiency heating and air conditioning equipment, using a white reflective roof, building with high-performance glazing and incorporating a number of other strategies. In addition to reducing power consumption, this will reduce building operating expenses.
- MR 2.2: Construction Waste Management
- The Food Bank targeted recycling 75% of its construction waste.
- EQ 3.1 through 4.4: Indoor Environmental Quality
- Through a number of strategies including the use of low-VOC materials, sealing ducts during construction, and a two-week building flush-out at the end of construction, the Food Bank significantly improved the indoor air quality of the facility. The strategies minimized the pollutants that entered the building during construction, making a healthier workplace for employees.
- ID 1.0: Innovation in Design—Toolkit For Other Nonprofits
- This category has no specific credits; rather, it is a way for the U.S. Green Building Council to recognize efforts not previously encountered in its system and to award efforts above and beyond LEED certification. As part of this construction process, Southface Energy Institute worked with the Atlanta Community Food Bank as a case study to assemble a green building toolkit for non-profit organizations that will assist other non-profits in taking the challenge to pursue LEED certification. For this effort, the Food Bank received one credit.
Click here to access this toolkit.
In addition, the Food Bank developed a rigorous Transportation Management Plan to reduce environmental impacts from single-occupancy vehicles.
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