First of all, if you are a regular visitor to the Build2Sustain website, THANKS! We're sorry for some of the changes in design, we're working on a new layout and a stronger landing page, so things might be a little wonky for a bit. As always, we'd love your feedback.
Enough about us-let's talk about rating systems, or more specifically a new rating system from ASHRAE. I came across this article from DJC Oregon, its worth a read all on it's one. The article describes the current war of the rating systems between Energy Star and ASHRAE. Energy Star has a pass/fail system for being in the 75th percentile or above for energy effiency. Whereas the new ASHRAE system will grade with a letter system to exemplify the best performers with higher grades. As always we have no great devotion to any specific code but there were some specific quotes from the article that caught my eye.
Building EQ (the new ASHRAE system) focuses solely on energy, unlike Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which considers other factors. As such, Building EQ will appeal to building owners who wouldn’t consider LEED, said Louis Starr, a commissioning agent for Heery.
“I’ve seen schools say, ‘We want to do something about energy efficiency, but we don’t want to go through the LEED process because it costs a lot and a lot of it doesn’t relate specifically to energy efficiency,’ ” Starr said.
This is the crux of what I was trying to say with yesterday's post. LEED is an excellent rating system and presents real thought leadership. But it's not always the right fit for a given client. As design/build professionals it's our responsibility to steer our clients toward the best long term solution for them and the environment. I'm happy to see national organizations working to create more intelligent and more stringent rating systems. This last quote codifies the spirit of competition more rigorous rating can engender.
...the competitive nature of the grading scale could easily leave Energy Star in the dust.
“We all know what it feels like to get a ‘C,’ ” Kane said. “And we all know we want to do better.”
What's your take? The comment section awaits.
Paralysis By Analysis
What if I promise we’ll be LEED Gold certified and we don’t make it?
What if I promise a 40% reduction in energy and we don’t deliver?
Even over at our podcast the very first episode was dedicated to managing client expectations and protecting building pros through professional liability. Our caution can lead to inaction, no one wants to over promise on green results. Cautious soft language dominates our websites and our literature. Statements like...(and I’m not quoting from anyone in particular here)
Gains in efficiency will significantly reduce energy consumption and therefore carbon footprint.
Tepid. Uninspiring. Why Bother? This language makes our potential clients less enthusiastic about jumping into sustainability.
Couple that kind of language with conflicting reports in the media about the best initiatives in the industry, like LEED and Energy Star. Stories like these only foment cycles of misinformation and lead to further paralysis. Am I saying LEED or Energy Star or any competing standard is perfect? Couse not. What I'm saying is they're making progress. Progress should be something we're all after.
Imagine if we’d had the same kind of caution when it came to proliferating say, the automobile or the PC. What if Henry Ford had promised marginal improvement to our daily lives with the automobile? What if Microsoft’s goal had been to put a computer on 20-30% of the desktops in the world? These companies set bold goals. They had big ambitions larger than profit alone. They wanted to fundamentally change the world, change markets and improve people’s lives. Yes, they also stumble, remember the Ford Pinto? Remember Windows Vista? Big companies with bold goals sometimes fail, but we must fail forward. Has the building industry created so many barriers to success that we are afraid to set bold goals? Are we afraid to change the world? Are we too afraid too fail forward?
There are some that will say the industry doesn't lack big vision. It lacks a big market. The argument goes something like:
There is no incentive (particularly in this economy) for building owners in the commercial world to take up the cause. They will lease their buildings to businesses and continue to make a profit on their building stock whether or not they improve it for the betterment of their clients, the nation, the globe or whoever.
To those people I would remind them of two things...
First, the buildings that are the most efficient, productive, healthy and well designed i.e. the best buildings will be leased first and at higher rates. Period.
Second, I would also quote the great Henry Ford...
So how bold should we be...
I can’t speak for the industry, but I can tell you Build2Sustain’s North Star Goal:
To make every commercial space in the United States sustainable.
Northstar goals are big and open ended by nature, but if we don’t start pursuing them...
Who will?