US Green Building Programs: Using Life Cycle Assessment to Improve Environmental Performance

Transcription

1 US Green Building Programs: Using Life Cycle Assessment to Improve Environmental Performance Presented By: Dr. Ivan Eastin, Dr. Indroneil Ganguly Jeff Cao and Daisuke Sasatani Center for International Trade in Forest Products School of Forest Resources, University of Washington SOCIETY OF WOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 53rd International Convention Geneva, Switzerland October 11-15, 2010

2 Presentation Overview Green Building Programs in North America Green Building and LCA Green Building Programs in China and Japan Concerns About Green Building Programs Strategic Observations Center for International Trade in Forest Products

3 Global Trend of Green Building Programs GB programs incorporate the environment, the economy and human aspects into the design and construction of a building. GB programs are slowly but surely emerging across the U.S. and Western Europe. East Asian nations, such as Japan and China, have introduced their own GB programs.

4 Green Houses Often Incorporate the Environment into the House Design

5 Green Houses Often go to Great Lengths to Incorporate the Environment into a Building ACROS Fukuoka, Japan is 60 meters tall and has over 35,000 plants representing 76 species to provide a relaxing, park-like setting

6 Major Residential Rating Systems in the US 2 Major Rating Systems 2005: NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines 2008: NAHB National Green Building Standard ICC (ICC and ANSI approved) 703 homes built so far 273 bronze 112 silver 50 gold 32 emerald 11 Sub-divisions Introduced in January ,833 homes built so far 526 certified 3,450 silver 1,740 gold 1,117 platinum Center for International Trade in Forest Products

7 LEED Platinum House Architect: Coates Design Inc.

8 NAHB Gold House Built by R.J. Walter Homes in Folsom, CA

9 Green Building and LCA Center for International Trade in Forest Products

10 Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM)

11 Green Building in China and Japan Center for International Trade in Forest Products

12 Green Building Programs in Japan and China Japan CASBEE-House (Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency) 長期優良住宅 (The Long-Term Superior Housing System) a.k.a. 200-Year House Program Eco-Points Program China 中国绿色评价评分体系 [ 指标 : 三星 ] (Chinese Evaluation Standard for Green Building) [a.k.a. Three Star System] Center for International Trade in Forest Products

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14 CASBEE S August, 2006 Site area: m 2 Floor area: 84.0 m 2 P&B wood frame

15 CASBEE S November, 2007 Site area: 225 m 2 Floor area: 164 m 2 P&B Wood Frame

16 Survey of Building Professionals in China and Japan 406 surveys collected in Japan 150 surveys collected in China More surveys being collected in both countries later this month

17 Relative Energy Use During Manufacturing 80% 70% Env t Score China Japan Wood Concrete Steel Low Medium High Percentage of Respondents 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% China Japan China Japan China Japan Wood Concrete Steel Center for International Trade in Forest Products

18 Relative Pollution Emission During Manufacturing 90% 80% Env t Score China Japan Wood Concrete Steel Low Medium High Percentage of Respondents 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% China Japan China Japan China Japan Wood Concrete Steel Center for International Trade in Forest Products

19 Relative Energy Efficiency of the House 70% 60% Env t Score China Japan Wood Concrete Steel Low Medium High Percentage of Respondents 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% China Japan China Japan China Japan Wood Concrete Steel Center for International Trade in Forest Products

20 70% 60% Relative Resource Sustainability Env t Score China Japan Wood Concrete Steel Low Medium High Percentage of Respondents 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% China Japan China Japan China Japan Wood Concrete Steel Center for International Trade in Forest Products

21 Concerns About Green Building Programs Green building programs should be based on objective LCA data that encourages the use of technologies and materials that reduce the environmental footprint of a structure throughout its life cycle. PERIOD!! However, often they are influenced by political considerations that undermine or compromise the environmental performance of the building, cause confusion in end-users and ultimately will cause suspicion among builders, architects and consumers.

22 Concerns About Green Building Programs Green building programs should not be influenced by political or economic considerations. For example, specifying a single forest certification program for certified wood (based on an ENGO agenda) will ultimately impose an artificial supply constraint and discourage the use of certified wood by builders and architects.

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25 Concerns About Green Building Programs On July 15, 2010, 79 members of Congress representing 35 states sent a letter urging the USGBC to accept all credible forest certification systems for qualification under the LEED rating system. This includes the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI), American Tree Farm System (ATFS), as well as Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Their request is still being considered. Center for International Trade in Forest Products

26 Concerns About Green Building Programs In addition, arbitrarily imposed material transportation distances established without consideration for LCA implications can have perverse impacts on the material specification process as builders and/or architects strive to obtain the highest ratings for their project. For example, favoring locally sourced materials manufactured within 500 miles of a project can result in the use of less environmentally sustainable materials and gain points while actually increasing the environmental footprint of the house.

27 Gains. 5 points per component up to 8 points Which house is environmentally preferable? A concrete house that uses cement that was manufactured 499 miles from the construction site, and shipped by truck or...

28 a wood framed house that uses lumber that was manufactured 501 miles from the construction site and shipped close to the job site by train.

29 Concluding Observations CORRIM LCA research shows that wood is environmentally superior to both steel and concrete across virtually all performance attributes The opportunity exists to steer the trend in products and design standards to LCA performance measures Wood used in long-term products provides the greatest reduction in fossil fuel use and global warming emissions while sequestering carbon for the long-term Green building programs should be based on objective LCA data (not political considerations) that encourages the use of technologies and materials that reduce the environmental footprint of a structure throughout its life cycle. Center for International Trade in Forest Products

30 Upcoming CINTRAFOR Green Building Project This winter, CINTRAFOR will look at US builders and architects perceptions and use of green building programs, their perceptions of the relative environmental performance of wood, steel and concrete, architects attitudes towards designing with wood (and the reasons behind those attitudes) and identify the factors that influence the adoption of innovative environmentally preferred building products and technologies. Research will be done in conjunction with our partners (NAHB Research Center and FP Innovations). Center for International Trade in Forest Products

31 Je vous remercie beaucoup pour votre attention