Outling the logistics of good green construction.

As green building becomes more mainstream, and green elements are incorporated into building design, it is important to communicate with contractors in the field who actually construct the buildings.

Proper communication is necessary for the vision of the architect to become the reality of the contractor. In order for a building to get LEED certified, the contractor must understand that it is in his best interest to sort construction debris, protect trees and plant grass on the roof.

If you expect your certification efforts to be successful, you need to get "buy in" from the team in the field. They are used to doing things "their" way, and are not happy when someone tells them to make changes. However, if the right plans are laid, contracts are worded properly, and enough information is communicated to the people in charge of construction before the first shovel goes into the ground, you can succeed with LEED.

When planning a green building program, it is important to define your goals and figure out a plan of action to achieve them. Once you are committed to a LEED goal, the process begins immediately. The architect needs to explore sustainable features that will qualify for LEED credit, and work with the owner or construction manager to determine which ones are affordable and can be most effectively incorporated into the building.

Another important thing to consider is the physical limit of the project to be certified. Project boundaries for the purpose of certification are selected at the beginning, and remain the same for all credits. They are not necessarily the actual site lines, so a careful assessment should be made of these limits when registering a project.

The jury is still out on this one, but as green building becomes more and more mainstream, getting LEED certification is becoming more affordable. Currently, the extra cost ranges from about 4 to 8%. Manufacturers are coming up with new products that help to earn points, such as flooring made from recycled tires or renewable natural ingredients, electronically tintable glass that reduces the solar heat gain coefficient, low volume flushometers and self-powered water faucets. Suppliers are seeing that environmentally friendly building materials are on their way to becoming the "'norm" rather than the "exception," and they are starting to price them that way.

There are also significant incentives to going green. The Long Island Power Authority is now offering to pay for the cost of energy modeling and commissioning for buildings in Nassau and Suffolk that achieve a LEED rating. Commissioning is the process that is required for startup and integration of building systems like heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and fire systems, and it includes running and checking the computerized controls, output volumes and distribution patterns. Commissioning usually costs between $1 dollar and $1.50 per square foot. As energy costs escalate, the differential between traditional building systems and materials, and those that qualify for LEED credit is growing smaller every year.

If a project is to be successful and stay within the budget, it must be on time. One of GREYHAWK's specialty areas is performing forensic analyses of construction schedules for projects that have had serious cost overruns and delays. With a LEED project, timing is very important. First, the contractors working at the site have to learn what is expected of them in terms of necessary protocol such as sorting construction debris.

Both the bidding process and the production process are impacted by LEED, which dictates such criteria as minimum recycled material content, and proof of manufacture within a certain radius of the project site. These may necessitate a longer bidding period in order for the subcontractors to determine availability and pricing for comparable products to those specified in the construction documents, so the schedule may need to reflect some unusual activities and allow time for them.

Green building is new to most contractors, and they need educating. One of the quickest ways to escalate the cost of a job is to leave out information from the contract documents, or have ambiguities. A LEED project will contain new elements that may confuse the contractor, so he may compensate by overpricing those elements. Offer training and advice to your contractors through the architect, construction manager or the owner's representative. Once you feel confident that a contractor knows what you need, ask him to develop a plan that shows how he will get it done. To assure proper documentation that will result in certification, someone needs to be what I like to call "The Green Guy." He or she will be the person responsible for getting the required paperwork done and organizing it so that it can be submitted to the US Green Building Council when the project is complete. The LEED criteria are very stringent, and thorough documentation of every important detail makes the difference between getting certified and getting nowhere. Build in extra points, just in case--if you want to achieve a specific level of LEED, you need to plan for contingencies. Sometimes problems can't be anticipated, and you don't want to hold up your progress while worrying about getting credit for the last few points. Keep records separate and organized--they are the key to getting certification.

Remember--All LEED certification is now done online. There are 7 prerequisites to qualify, 6 credit categories for points, and 5 steps to certification. These 5 steps include: 1) Registration (a $450 fee) 2) Integration (use of technologies and strategies) 3) Resources (utilize throughout design and construction) 4) Documentation submission (near building occupancy) 5) Certification (preliminary and final review, usually 3 months)

Green really IS worth the trouble. We are setting the bar today so that future generations can have the benefits of our efforts. If you don't get with the program, it will pass you by. Green is here, and it's here to stay.

BY JANET W. SNYDER, GREYHAWK