Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design Projects Research Articles

LEED-CI v4 Projects in Terms of Life Cycle Assessment in Manhattan, New York City: A Case Study

Over the last decade, it has been clearly shown that the same achievements in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects can lead to different life cycle assessments (LCAs). However, the problem of contradictory achievements in LEED and LCA has not yet been resolved. This study aimed to identify and evaluate different strategies for LEED projects using LCAs. Thirty-nine LEED projects with the same characteristics—location and transportation, rating system, rating version, certification level, and space type—were collected and sorted by their energy and atmosphere (EA) category, “optimize energy performance” credit (EAc6) achievement into three equal groups (EALow, EAMedium, and EAHigh, where each group includes 13 LEED projects) to minimize the influence of uncontrolled factors on the LEED project strategy. The author focused on two extreme groups with very different EAc6 credit scores: EALow (13 projects) and EAHigh (13 projects). The groups were compared across LEED categories and credits. Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney and Cliff’s δ test results showed that the EALow and EAHigh groups are associated with high/low achievements in materials-related credits such as “interiors life cycle impact reduction”, “building product disclosure and optimization—material ingredients”, and “low-emitting materials”. As a result, the EALow and EAHigh groups were reclassified into EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh and Energyhigh–MaterialsLow certification strategy groups. In this context, LCAs were used to assess the differences between the two strategies. The results showed that if natural gas was used for operational energy (OE), the EnergyHigh–MaterialsLow strategy showed lower environmental damage compared to the EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh strategy (p = 0.0635); meanwhile, if photovoltaic energy was used for OE, the EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh strategy showed lower environmental damage compared to the EnergyHigh–MaterialsLow strategy (p = 0.0036). The author recommends using the LEED protocol and the LCA method in parallel to better reflect the environmental impact of different certification strategies.

Shared Transformational Leadership for Green Architecture Engineering and Construction Project Teams: A Study of LEED Projects

Green architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) projects are deemed more complicated compared with their traditional counterparts. They have been reported to have relatively more frequent delays and higher cost growth. The AEC literature has repeatedly highlighted the importance of leadership for sustainable design and construction and the need for team integration for optimal outcomes. However, studies exploring leadership in the context of green AEC projects are limited. Transformational leadership is a highly regarded theory that is known for its potential to effectively facilitate team integration. This empirical study tests the role of shared transformational leadership received by team members in improving team performance through team integration for green AEC project teams. We collected data from 103 individuals working in nine Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects in the US. We analyzed the data using structural equation modeling (SEM). Our findings suggest that transformational leadership received by team members is positively related with perceived team performance, and this relationship is mediated through perceived team integration. The study is a pioneer in examining leadership for sustainability and mediation effects of team integration in the AEC literature. The outcomes urge for a change in green AEC project teams to think beyond project delivery systems and practices and incorporate transformational leadership across organizational and communicational tiers of project teams through team procurement, project management, and skill development and training.

Assessing contextual factors for sustainable development: a case study of LEED-certified projects in Jordan

PurposeThe researchers analyzed factors affecting the adoption of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green-building certification system in Jordan, including financial performance of certified projects along with broader barriers that may impact developers’ interest in LEED.Design/methodology/approachThe authors first reviewed online data for all LEED registered and certified projects in Jordan, recruited LEED-certified project stakeholders, collected documents related to LEED projects and conducted LEED category credit summaries, financial cost-benefit analyses and spot-checking reported values in local markets. The authors then visited projects sites and interviewed various project stakeholders to understand better stakeholders' decision-making processes concerning LEED and relevant factors (financial, branding, cultural, political, etc.).FindingsObtaining LEED certification in Jordan was financially feasible as evinced in both the quantitative analysis and interviews. However, the authors found that there was very limited interest in LEED among Jordanian developers. Barriers included widespread cynicism toward green building concepts as well as a lack of local expertise in installing and maintaining green technologies. To overcome these barriers, the authors recommend that green building initiatives place a greater emphasis on education and public-promotion activities.Research limitations/implicationsThe research data were limited to projects that had successfully achieved LEED certification. Broader qualitative research conducted across the Jordanian building community could provide additional insights, but such an investigation is beyond the scope of the current study.Originality/valueThe complexity of adapting a Western green building standard (LEED) to a non-Western context is discussed in detail. The findings suggest that understanding regional development challenges, local markets and cultural differences is vital for successfully implementing green building certification systems.

Saudi Arabia’s LEED Projects: Recent Green Building Trends and Perspective

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is one of the prestigious green building rating systems globally and the widely accepted international standard to evaluate green buildings. Many LEED certification building projects have already been carried out over the last few decades in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Recently, many construction projects underway in the Kingdom are expected to be nominated for LEED certification over the next few years.The paper explores the recent application of the LEED rating system in building construction projects and reviews the trends, project types, and potential challenges of the LEED certification buildings in the Kingdom. The study also investigates differences and characteristics in the types of LEED certification projects in the Kingdom and the Middle East countries, such as UAE, Qatar, Egypt, etc. The differences in the rate of adoption of the LEED categories in each country are indicated closely through the detailed analysis.As a result, the paper presents the current trends and future perspectives based on the current status of the Kingdom's green building industry. This is a critical milestone to accelerate the development of the green building industry in the Kingdom.

A conceptual model of subcontractor development practices for LEED projects

PurposeThis paper presents a conceptual model of effective subcontractor development practices to guide general contractors' development of a network of high-performing subcontractors (SCs) for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects.Design/methodology/approachDrawing from supplier development theories and practices in the manufacturing sector, a mixed interpretivist and empirical methodology is adopted to examine the body of knowledge within literature for conceptual model development. A self-reporting survey questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale is used to assess 30 construction professionals' perceptions of the effectiveness of 37 SC development practices classified into five categories. Descriptive statistics, weighted means, and t-tests are used for data analysis.FindingsSC prequalification, commitment, incentives, evaluation and feedback practices can be effective in generating high-performing SCs. Practices that require more direct involvement and linkages between GC and SC are perceived to be less effective.Research limitations/implicationsTheoretical contributions include a framework to foster future research to advance knowledge and understanding to enhance the adoption of SC development practices in the construction sector.Practical implicationsImplementation of ranked SC development practices can equip GCs with a network of high-performing SCs for improved competitive advantage and revenues.Originality/valueThe proposed conceptual model expands discussions on the modification of supplier development theories and practices currently utilized in the manufacturing sector toward their application in the construction sector. This research differs from previous research, which primarily focused on the manufacturing sector.

Urban Sustainability: Network Dependency Across the Urban Rural Divide in Canada’s Built Environment

Urban sustainability and sustainable development have permeated both public and academic discourse since the 1980s Brundtland Commission Report. The report defined sustainability and situated it within social, economic, and environmental factors emphasizing sustainable development as a path forward. Academics, scientists, and policy makers undertook the task over the subsequent decades to define sustainability, operationalize it, measure it, and monitor it. However, despite the rapid progress and leaps in understanding the discourse has its weaknesses, its singular focus on particular elements of sustainability systems, its lack of cross level examination across scalar divides, its primarily urban focus, and its majority functionalist approach. These weaknesses leave a void in the understanding of urban sustainability as an element of an economic, social, and environmental interconnected urban-rural system. A subfield is emerging to understand this interconnectedness of sustainability through examining the built environment and the urban-rural divide. However, currently, Canada is largely absent from this subfield’s exploration. In order to expand this exploration and analyze the sustainability interconnections within Canada through the urban built environment, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification will be a key element going forward, because LEED is a globally accepted green building certification system that is primarily utilized in North America. This research thesis contributes, as a substantive text, to this subfield through answering the main question left open by current discourses: Are there any discrepancies between the projected sustainability of LEED projects and the actual sustainability realities of the projects? With further queries being posited: What is the sustainability reality of the LEED buildings; what are the sustainability realities of the users/tenants within the LEED buildings; and, what is the sustainability reality of the LEED buildings across the urban-rural divide? I garnered the answers through a mixed quantitative/qualitative analysis of case studies within the Canadian urban built environment: LEED projects. The projects will be examined utilizing an urban metabolic analysis of the quantitative data and a point-based scoring system adapted from a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis (SWOT) I named Focus Factor Analysis to quantify qualitative elements of the projects. Consequently, the analysis will also highlight connections between the urban area projects and the rural surroundings using a combination of databases and LEED, corporate, and government reports. Discrepancies have been found and although the LEED projects are sustainable on the local level on a network level they are not.

The Impact of Green Labels on U.S. Hotel Net Operating Income: Operating Statements Analyses

This paper shows Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified hospitality properties exhibit increased expenses and earn lower net operating income (NOI) than non-certified buildings. ENERGY STAR certified properties demonstrate lower overall expenses than non-certified buildings with statistically neutral NOI effects. Using a custom sample of all green buildings and their competitive data set as of 2013 provided by Smith Travel Research (STR), the paper documents potential reasons for this result including increased operational expenses, potential confusion with certified and registered LEED projects in the data, and qualitative input. The qualitative input comes from a small sample survey of five industry professionals. The paper provides one of the only analyses on operating efficiencies with LEED and ENERGY STAR hospitality properties.

Sacrificial Pseudoreplication in LEED Cross-Certification Strategy Assessment: Sampling Structures

The study aims to suggest sampling structures to avoid sacrificial pseudoreplication in the evaluation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified projects. The sampling includes two structures that exclude sacrificial pseudoreplication and one structure that leads to sacrificial pseudoreplication: (i) The state is the sampling frame in which LEED projects are treated as primary sampling units; (ii) The US is the sampling frame, the state is the primary sampling unit in which LEED projects are treated as evaluation units; and (iii) The US is the sampling frame in which LEED projects are pooled from different states and treated as primary sampling units. The three sampling structures are applied to the evaluation of the Silver-to-Gold cross-certification performances of LEEDv3 for new construction and LEEDv3 for existing buildings. The same cross-certification strategy was revealed if either structure (i) or structure (ii) was applied, while it was poorly estimated and misinterpreted if structure (iii) was applied, i.e., sacrificial pseudoreplication had occurred.

Selection of target LEED credits based on project information and climatic factors using data mining techniques

Developed by the United States Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a credit-based rating system that provides third-party verification for green buildings. Selection of target credits is important yet challenging for LEED managers because various factors such as target certification grade level and building features need to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Local climatic factors could affect the selection of green building technologies and hence the target credits, but currently there is no research suggesting target LEED credits based on climatic factors. This paper presents a methodology for the selection of target LEED credits based on project information and climatic factors. This study focuses on projects certified with LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB). Information of 912 projects and their surrounding climatic circumstances was collected and studied. 55 classification models for 47 LEED-EB credits were then constructed and optimized using three classification algorithms - Random Forests, AdaBoost Decision Tree, and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The results showed that Random Forests performed the best in most of the 55 classification models. With a combination of the three algorithms, the trained classification models were used to develop a web-based decision support system for LEED credit selection. The system was tested using 20 recently certified LEED projects, and the results showed that our system had an accuracy of 82.56%.

STATE INDEPENDENT ENERGY RATINGS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED THE CREATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LAW

For more Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is one of the most popular green building certification programs used worldwide.[7] Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods[8] that aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. From 1994 to 2015, LEED grew from one standard for new construction to a comprehensive system of interrelated standards covering aspects from the design and construction to the maintenance and operation of buildings. LEED also has grown from six volunteers on one committee to 119,924 staff, volunteers and professionals.[9] LEED standards have been applied to approximately 83,452 registered and certified LEED projects worldwide, covering around 13.8 billion square feet (1.28 billion square meters).[10] Many U.S. federal agencies and states and local governments require or reward LEED certification. However, four states (Alabama, Georgia, Maine, and Mississippi) have effectively banned the use of LEED in new public buildings, preferring other industry standards that the USGBC considers too lax.[11]

A non-linear case-based reasoning approach for retrieval of similar cases and selection of target credits in LEED projects

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a widely used international green building certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Although the need for LEED certification has grown significantly, LEED managers still face challenges in target credit selection and green building technology design. They frequently meet new types of projects with different project characteristics and requirements. Therefore, it would be helpful if LEED managers could refer to other similar certified green building cases when planning and designing LEED projects. However, this is not supported in current studies and research. This paper proposes a case-based reasoning (CBR) approach to provide case studies of similar certified green building projects and suggestions on target LEED credits. Currently, linear formation of Local-Global method is commonly used in the retrieval step of CBR. This paper presents a non-linear formation of Local-Global retrieval based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN), which can provide a higher accuracy. LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) is the focus of this paper, and 1000 LEED-NC v2009 certified cases were collected for the case base. Pairwise comparison was conducted to generate the local distance (attribute similarity) and the target for training the ANN model. The proposed non-linear CBR approach was tested and evaluated using 20 recently certified projects, and the results showed a prediction accuracy of 80.75% on the LEED credit selection. The results were also compared with those calculated by commonly used linear CBR approaches: Multiple Regression Analysis, Correlation Analysis, and the k-NN approach. The accuracy achieved by these methods was between 71.23% and 77.54%, which was lower than the proposed approach.

BIM Execution Planning in Green Building Projects: LEED as a Use Case

Companies that embrace both building information modeling (BIM) and green building are making conscientious efforts to pursue the synergies between the two, namely the green BIM practice. When done right, project teams find that green BIM can improve project outcomes, and facilitate the accomplishment of established sustainability goals. Nevertheless, green BIM remains an emerging trend to the majority of the industry, and its full potential is yet to be explored according to recent market research reports. The hypothesis of this research is that for companies to succeed in practicing green BIM, a holistic approach that strategically plans for BIM execution in green building projects is needed. The BIM project execution planning guidelines (PEPG) is widely adopted today to offer general guidance and standardized workflow of strategic BIM implementation. PEPG is not meant to and lacks the specificity to address green building projects in particular. However, the popularity of PEPG is conceived as an opportunity for this research to inherit its framework and create a special case of its implementation in green building projects. Considering the prevalence of leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) green building rating system in global green building industry, this research is further refined to focus on LEED projects as an exemplary use case. Two major activities conducted include: (1) a comprehensive literature review of existing green BIM strategies and best practices; and (2) the proposition of an integrated green BIM process map (IGBPM), which is essentially adapting and further developing relevant process maps from PEPG and initiatives such as the architecture, engineering, construction, owner and operator, phase 1 (AECOO-1) joint testbed to address unique business processes of implementing BIM in LEED projects. The deliverables of this research include level 1 IGBPM and examples of level 2 IGBPM process maps, discussed along with case studies for verification and validation. The goal of this research is to create a prototype that facilitates holistic and systematic green BIM practices based upon clearly defined business processes and execution planning.

Miami Dade County Moving Forward, Sustainable Buildings Program

As a leader in public sector sustainability efforts, Miami Dade County has adopted several measures that directly impact the built environment and promote sustainability throughout its operations. In the past few years, the Board of County Commissioners approved the Sustainable Buildings Ordinance (O-07-65) and its associated implementing order (IO-8-8), which established the Sustainable Buildings Program and required that all new county-owned, county-financed, and county-operated buildings meet the appropriate standard under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.To further support and streamline the Sustainable Buildings Program, the Office of Sustainability (OOS) recently embarked on a project to integrate sustainability into the capital improvements process (S-CIP). The resulting guidelines and recommendations will be incorporated into the Implementing Order (IO 8-8). In addition, OOS has set up S-CIP training modules to acquaint the directors of capital departments, OCI staff and sustainable buildings committee members with the new S-CIP guidelines.Miami Dade County Moving Forward, Sustainable Buildings ProgramAll authorsPatricia Gómez, Ben Moore & Claudia Regojohttps://doi.org/10.1080/10485236.2014.10781521Published online:08 January 2014Display full sizeThe Internal Services Department (ISD) trades shop facility is the first facility built under the Sustainable Buildings Ordinance and implementing order mandates to receive LEED certification at the silver level from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). According to the USGBC post-occupancy research, data collected have shown that LEED certified office buildings use an average of 25-30% less energy than conventional office buildings. Thus, a 100,000-sq-ft office building can save over one million dollars and 15 million pounds of CO2 during its lifetime (20 years). Cumulative to date, there are over 2,000,000 sq ft of new or renovated green space planned for the county that will meet maximum sustainable measures or become certified under the LEED rating system (31 qualifying projects and six additional non-qualifying projects). This translates to energy savings of around $20,000,000 in the next 20 years and a reduction of around 300,000,000 lbs of CO2. Some of the upcoming LEED projects include the Marlins Stadium, the Children's Courthouse, the ISD West Lot, the Northeast Library, the Miami Art Museum and the Miami Science Museum.

Comment on: “Spatial variation among green building certification categories: Does place matter?” by Cidell and Beata

In a paper recently published in this journal, Cidell and Beata (2009) used a one-way ANOVA test with a post hoc procedure (Bayesian model selection) to assess the importance of spatially sensitive certification of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. However, this analysis is inappropriately applied as it fails to recognize dependencies and hierarchies among the observation units, which result in pseudoreplication. Using an alternative, three-stage sampling method based on the neoFisherian paradigm, this paper reanalyzed the spatial sensitivity of the LEED categories. Contrary to Cidell and Beata's findings, the reanalysis shows that the indoor environmental quality (aspatial) category seems to be more preferable than the sustainable sites and energy and atmosphere (spatially sensitive) categories for LEED projects in the United States.

Exploration of management practices for LEED projects

PurposeTraditional management systems sometimes struggle to meet the unique demands of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects. Consequently, contractors have to modify their management practices. The purpose of this paper is to explore the management practices necessary to achieve successful implementation of LEED projects.Design/methodology/approachLEED project management practices implemented by six US contractors from the Top 100 Green Contractors list published by the Engineering News and Record, were analysed using structured case study interviews. An additional case study probed management practices implemented on a LEED‐GOLD project.FindingsFindings support the implementation of management practices classified using the six Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria of leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, workforce focus and operation focus.Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative study was based on a limited number of participant organizations. A subsequent quantitative study might provide generalizeable metrics for the green building industry. Further research on the cost effectiveness of the identified management practices is recommended.Practical implicationsThis study provides an intuitive framework in the form of discourse on management practices to enhance the success of LEED projects. Contractors may consider the study's recommendations in order to increase their success on such projects.Originality/valueThe need to harmonize management practices with sustainable development has sparked the interest of researchers and practitioners. The study should be of utility to LEED contractors, environmental agencies, governments, educators, and other relevant stakeholders.

The spatial diffusion of green building technologies: The case of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in the United States

The practice of green building aims to reduce negative impacts on the environment and human health and is therefore more sustainable than conventional construction methods. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the leading green building standard in the United States and has been adopted by many federal, state and local governments, as well as private developers. This article utilizes data from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the industry non-profit that governs the LEED standards, to explore the spatial diffusion of LEED projects in the United States.

Safety Risk Quantification for High Performance Sustainable Building Construction

AbstractA recent study found that Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings have a recordable injury rate that is 9% higher than traditional, non-LEED buildings. A follow-up study showed that there are distinct aspects of the design elements and means and methods of construction used to achieve LEED certification that have negative impacts on worker safety. The research described in this paper builds on previous knowledge by quantifying the percent increase in base-level safety risk resulting from the design strategies and construction methods implemented to earn specific LEED credits. A total of 26 interviews and 11 validation interviews were conducted with designers and contractors who had completed an average of four LEED projects, 100 traditional projects, in their average of 18 years of experience in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. The results indicate that design elements and means and methods of construction implemented to achieve 12 of the 4...

The Potential Certified Wood Supply Chain Bottleneck and Its Impact on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Construction Projects in New York State

Sustainability is playing a larger role in how we construct buildings. Many organizations are trying to reduce the life-cycle costs of their buildings by using practices. Currently, the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program dominates the building certification scheme. Most new construction projects require a substantial amount of wood. The only approved wood source that can help qualify new construction for LEED certification is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood. Given the dramatic increase in new green construction, this study assessed the availability and use of FSC wood in LEED certification projects throughout New York State (NYS). We surveyed architects working on LEED projects to determine how FSC-certified wood was used and if they were having difficulty acquiring such wood. We suspected a green supply chain bottleneck at the sawmill level may impact end users in the LEED certification process. Our results indicate that architects are very knowledgeable about FSC wood and would like to incorporate it into their designs. We found no issues in sourcing FSC wood for LEED projects. Although architects prefer to buy locally, many must procure FSC wood outside of NYS. Many architects are paying a premium price for FSC wood, which may impact their decision to use it on future LEED construction projects.

Review of the LEED Points Obtained by Canadian Building Projects

The expansion and advancement of businesses, cities, municipalities, and populations in Canada are increasingly demanding the effective usage of land and resources in building development. Companies, organizations, and individuals are seeking to construct more environmentally responsible buildings to help minimize the negative effects that structures place on the natural environment, as well as on the people that have either direct or indirect contact with them. In an effort to set a benchmark for what constitutes a green building, the Canada Green Building Council provides a certification system called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which is a point scheme that seeks to measure sustainability. Many stakeholders in the construction industry in Canada are increasingly employing this system to validate their achievement in sustainable development. This paper reviews the usage of the LEED system in Canadian building construction and the potential challenges and barriers associated with LEED implementation that specifically pertain to Canadian circumstances. Information from 42 new construction projects across Canada that achieved LEED certification were collected and analyzed. The points most often awarded, as well as those that are granted the least frequently, were tabulated. The percentages of points obtained were compared to American projects. Credit frequency indicators (CFIs), which were used to depict the achievement of credits by each project, can provide decision makers with information on credits awarded in the past and insight into credit implementation in future projects with similar goals. The energy and atmosphere and materials and resources categories proved to have the lowest CFIs, whereas the innovation and design process and water efficiency categories yielded the highest CFIs. The study also found that there were differences in the points obtained by LEED projects in Canada and the United States as some credits are influenced by climate, such as weather and temperature, as well as regional location.

An acoustical consultant’s experiences with the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) green building rating system(s).

The panelist will discuss his experiences with several leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) green building rating systems, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). He will provide insight into the process, advantages, and challenges of becoming a LEED accredited professional, his observations of how the promulgation of LEED acoustics credits will impact acoustics professionals, and also how the systems affect the solutions and products he recommends. The panelist became LEED accredited in 2006 and has consulted on several LEED projects across the country. He is active in his local chapter of the USGBC. Additionally, the panelist has attended the last four Greenbuild conferences put on by the USGBC.