The terms High Performance Building, Green Building, LEED Building, and Sustainable Building have all been used to describe a building or structure that is sustainable, functional, durable, secure, productive, healthy, and cost effective. Below are the definitions of each term:
High Performance Building:
Energy Policy Act of 2005 Section 914: A building that “integrates and optimizes all major high-performance building attributes, including energy efficiency, durability, life-cycle performance, and occupant productivity”.
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Title IV: A building that “integrates and optimizes on a lifecycle basis all major high performance attributes, including energy conservation, environment, safety, security, durability, accessibility, cost-benefit, productivity, sustainability, functionality, and operational considerations.”
National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) High Performance Buildings Council: Buildings which “address human, environmental, economic, and total societal impact, are the result of the application of the highest level design, construction, operation and maintenance principles - a paradigm change for the built environment.”
Green Building:
According to EPA, a green building is a structure that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout its life-cycle; these objectives expand and complement the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. The U.S. Department of Energy's ENERGY STAR® program tracks and assess the use of energy in buildings.
LEED Building:
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a set of rating systems and program that provides third-party verification of green buildings for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes and neighborhoods. It was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Other third-party verification programs are Green Globes and BOMA 360 Performance.
High Performance and Sustainable Building (HPSB):
In 2007, executive order 13423 was issued requiring Federal agencies to comply with the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings set forth in the Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding (2006) for new construction and major renovations. The guiding principles include integrated design, energy performance, water conservation, and material selection. These guiding principles are tracked using ENERGY STAR®'s Portfolio Manager, allowing user to assess energy and water consumption across building portfolios.
So what we see here is the term green building is used synonymously with the terms sustainable building and high performance building. There are codes and standards that are in place to regulate and certify green buildings. Green codes such as the International Green Construction Code [IgCC], International Energy Conservation Code and California Green Building Standards Code [CAL Green] regulate green buildings. Other standards, apart from LEED, for green building include ASTM International's Technical Subcommittee E06.71 on Sustainability and Performance of Buildings. The American Society for Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is partnering with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Illuminating Engineering Society of North American (IESNA) to develop Standard 189, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The Living Building Challenge [LBC], created in 2006, is an international rating system developed and administered by the Cascadia Green Building Council (a chapter of both the U.S. Green Building Council and Canada Green Building Council) and is considered the most rigorous green building performance standard; certification is based on actual building performance over the span of twelve months. LBC has six categories: site, energy, materials, water, indoor quality, and beauty and inspiration.
As green buildings are being influenced by the economy, market demands, technology, codes, standards, societal impacts, and climate change we will experience a shift in the pathway to building green.
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