GO GREEN

The following project was completed by Sustainable Services, a boutique LEED Certification company specializing in Existing Buildings.  To inquire on LEED Certifying your building, please contact Bryan Lauer at 813.349.8550 or bblauer@clwrg.com

Tampa’s tallest building just got “taller”

100 North Tampa recently received LEED Silver Certification from the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) on October 19, 2009!  The results come from a year long effort by the staff of CLW Real Estate Services Group, lead by Calvin Buikema, and Sustainable Services, lead by Bryan Lauer, LEED AP.

The LEED (Existing Building) Certification entails all aspects of building management, operations and maintenance.  The LEED process “fine-tuned” building operations and maintenance enabling a more effective and efficient building.

The following are the results of a 12-month process.

Major Highlights

• 9 pre-requisites to qualify for LEED (EBOM) Certification were attempted
• 48 out of 52 Credit points were achieved – a Silver Rating
  • 2 Sustainable Sites (SS)
  • 9 Water Efficiency (WE)
  • 13 Energy & Atmosphere (EA)
  • 7 Materials & Resources (MR)
  • 10 Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
  • 7 Innovation in Operation (IO)
• The LEED team implemented no-cost/low-cost energy efficient strategies with very significant projected savings.
• The LEED team has developed an energy-efficient capital improvement plan for lighting retrofits and HVAC improvements.
• With building owner approval, the LEED Team retrofit – 140 toilets, 173 faucets and 14 shower-heads.
• Management improved the cooling tower operation and resulted in saving an estimated 1.1 million gallons of water and $7,300 per year!  The project cost was $11,000.
• Management discontinued irrigating the landscape as the plants are well established and native.  This will save an estimated 26,728 gallons of water per year and average savings of $102 per year over 10 years.
• Increased the property’s recycling program and now track the amount of materials leaving the building (outlined below).  The site generated 311,165 pounds of ongoing consumable waste of which 228,905 pounds (74%) were recycled during our performance period (3/1/09-5/31/09).
• The LEED Team created the following policies/procedures to ensure best management practices and the use of sustainable products:
  • Building Exterior and Hardscape Management Policy
  • Integrated Pest Management, Erosion Control, and Landscape Management Policy
  • Sustainable Purchasing Policy (Facility Alterations & Additions)
  • Solid Waste Management Policy (Ongoing Consumables, Durable Goods and Facility Alterations & Additions)
  • Light-bulb Purchasing Policy – to reduce the amount of mercury-containing light bulbs onsite
  • Green Cleaning Policy
  • Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management procedures
  • High Performance Cleaning policy
  • Indoor Integrated Pest Management policy
• Management now has the following tracked and documented:
  • Light bulb purchases – to verify our goal of averaging 70 picograms per lumen-hour (mercury) or less
  • Ongoing Consumables – to verify and compare the amounts going to the landfill and amounts being recycled
  • Durable Goods – to verify all durable goods leaving the site are properly disposed of
  • Facility Alterations & Additions – to verify our contractor’s purchase at least 50% sustainable products and divert at least 70% of waste generated during build-outs/improvements
  • Cleaning products – to verify our goal of purchasing at least 90% sustainable products
  • Cleaning Equipment – to verify our goal of purchasing sustainable equipment from now on.  Currently, over 30% of our cleaning equipment is sustainable
  • Pest Management products – to ensure environmentally-friendly products are used within the building
• The LEED Team conducted a Waste Stream Audit to better understand the buildings waste streams.  The results conclude that building occupants, for the most part, properly dispose of “waste”.  (this credit was not earned even though attempted).
• The LEED Team conducted a 10-question Occupant Comfort Survey.  334 building occupants (30.6%) filled out the survey with over 75% either “Neutral”, “Satisfied”, “Mostly Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” on all 10 questions.
• The LEED Team conducted a Custodial Effectiveness Assessment that audited:  office space, restrooms, corridors and lobby.  The average score was 1.18 – nearly perfect with 1 being the best and 5 being the lowest.

In conclusion, the LEED Certification process was a great success.

• The building is running efficiently and effectively
• The building occupants are satisfied
• Management implements best practices
• Vendors are utilizing environmentally-friendly products

For more detailed information, go to www.GoGreenCommercially.com and type in “100 North Tampa” in the websites search-bar at the top right of the site.

Energy and Atmosphere (EA)

EA pre-requisite 1:  Energy Efficiency Best Management Practices – Planning, Documenting, and Opportunity Assessment - Consists of the ASHRAE Energy Level I Audit, Running Energy Efficient- Infancy, Building Operating Plan (BOP), Systems Narrative, and other valuable information which begins your trek towards sustainable practices and financial savings through LEED Certification.  Go Green!

EA pre-requisite 2:  Minimum Energy Performance – Energy Star rating or comparable method of analysis For further information- www.energystar.gov

EA pre-requisite 3:  Refrigerant Management – Ozone Protection – Measure Air Handling Units (AHUs) and adjust according to ASHRAE Standards.

EA Credit 1:  Optimize Energy Performance – Energy Star Rating or comparable analysis rating.  energystar.gov

EA Credit 2.1:  Existing Building Commissioning – Investigation & Analysis - ASHRAE Energy Level II Audit, Money Saving Ideas for Energy Efficiency- Adolescents.  Idea generating thoughts for energy efficiency are developed to save money, illustrated with cost/benefit analysis.

EA Credit 2.2:  Existing Building Commissioning – Implementation – Begin no cost/low cost building improvement, energy efficient, options.  The genesis of financial benefit realization. 100 North Tampa is estimated to save  3.3 – 8.7% reducing energy consumption equating to $50,000-$130,000 per year! Go Green, LEED Certify your building.

EA Credit 2.3:  Existing Building Commissioning – Ongoing Commissioning – Commissioning plan, commissioning cycle, commissioning task/documentation.  Test and document all building exhaust systems for proper functioning to optimum levels.

EA Credit 5:  Refrigerant Management – Understand, track and record CFC, HCFC type refrigerants and consider replacement with non-CFC/HCFC based refrigerants.

EA Credit 6:  Emission Reduction Reporting – use third party (Energy Star) to track and verify your greenhouse gas emissions and written summary of GHG savings.

I convert existing buildings to become LEED (EBOM) Certified, Save Money and Go Green!

-Bryan Lauer, LEED AP

More case studies here – http://www.GoGreenCommercially.com/?s=leed+case+study&x=0&y=0

The following LEED EB O&M case study demonstrates how 100 North Tampa reduced their water usage creating $9-$15,000/year in cost savings. The most efficient and effective way to facilitate/streamline the LEED (EB:  O&M) Certification is to hire a specialized LEED AP.

 -Bryan Lauer, LEED AP.  813.221.7196

100 North Tampa, LEED EB (O&M)- Water Usage & Cost Savings Case Study

Our LEED team started by creating a water use baseline and comparing that to actual water use.  100 North Tampa’s building fixtures (toilets, urinals, faucets, sinks, shower heads) used an estimated 3.1 Million Gallons of Water/Year compared to a 3.2 Million Baseline (160% of UPC Standards).  We upgraded/retrofit our building fixtures (toilets, shower heads, faucets) with high-efficiency, low-flow products, now having an actual water use of 1.7 Million Gallons, saving 1.5 Million Gallons of Water/Year!

• The project cost was $85k.
• In year 8 we recoup the $85k and save $9k, Yr. 9- $15k, Yr. 10- $15k, etc., in water costs.
• 100 North Tampa saves 1.5 Million Gallons of Potable Water/Year (48% water reduction from baseline)
• We exchanged 140 toilets, 173 faucets and 14 showerheads

100 North Tampa is a 42-story, 550,000sf office high-rise in downtown Tampa, managed by CLW Real Estate Services Group  (www.CLWrg.com).  

Built in 1993, 100 North Tampa is the newest, and prestigious, office high-rise in downtown Tampa.  The building is 96% leased and includes amenities such as:  YMCA, concierge, dry-cleaning, newsstand, superior views, superior management, parking garage and auto-detail shop.  

In 2008, 100 North Tampa achieved the well-known ENERGY STAR award and in the top 25% of facilities in the country for energy performance.  The building’s Energy Use is 30% below the national average!

Management’s goal is to reduce our Carbon Footprint as much as possible.  We do this by following the guidelines set forth in the LEED EB:  Operations & Maintenance.  Following these guidelines will not only reduce our Carbon Footprint but will reduce water usage, use environmentally friendly products and recycle more than just paper, plastic, cans and bottles.

Policies and procedures are put in place to be a leader in sustainable practice because we care about our World’s future.