Green Construction. An introduction to a changing industry. Alison Dykstra. See

Transcription

1 Green Construction An introduction to a changing industry Alison Dykstra

2 Also by the Author Construction Project Management: A Complete Introduction LEED Certification: An Introduction to Certifying a Green Building Copyright 2016 Alison Dykstra This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, photos, in any form (beyond that of copying permitted by Section 107 & 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and excerpt by reviewers for public press), without written permission from the publishers. Library of Congress Control Number: Printed in the United States of America ISBN: Cover design and cover photograph by Andrea Young Arts, Berkeley CA Interior design by Lauren Woodrow Design, Chicago IL Kirshner Publishing Company Production Offices: PO Box Santa Rosa, CA Editorial Offices: San Francisco, CA

3 Contents Introduction xv Background xv Workers in a changing industry Organization of the book xvii xvi Part 1: Setting the Stage: An Industry in the Midst of Change xix Chapter 1: Our Buildings: Fabulous but Flawed 1 The problems with our buildings 2 Energy 4 Energy and efficiency 5 Water 8 Paying for our water 8 Toilets and water use 9 Reduced human health 9 Construction and demolition waste 11 Development patterns 12 Summary 14 Glossary 14

4 viii Green Construction Chapter 2: The Green Alternative 17 Defining green construction 18 Conventional buildings 20 Location and environment 22 Orientation 24 Energy 26 A high-performance building 26 Net energy isn t the whole story 29 The rebound effect 30 Water 31 The link between water and energy 33 How much water can we collect from rain? 34 Human health 37 Durability, operations, and maintenance 38 Watch out for tight buildings 39 Sustainable vs. green construction 39 Summary 41 Glossary 41 Chapter 3: A Changing Construction Industry 45 The impacts of green construction 46 Changes to industry jobs 47 Changes to construction operations and practices 48 Tightening codes and standards 54 Technology 56 New materials, products, and systems 57 Changes to liability 58 Summary 60 Glossary 61 Chapter 4: Green Standards, Codes, and Rating Systems 63 Standards 64 ANSI 65 Codes 65 Green standards and codes 66

5 Contents ix Table 4.1 Examples of Green Codes and Standards 68 Codes and plug-loads 69 Green building rating systems 70 Major building rating systems used in the U.S. 70 GBCI administers more than LEED 71 LEED green building program 72 Table 4.2 Credits and Points 75 Green Globes 80 Comparing LEED and Green Globes 82 Table 4.3 Assessment Areas Green Globes New Construction (NC) Rating System 81 Living Building Challenge 84 Other rating systems 85 ANSI/NAHB/ICC 700 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) 85 Energy Star Certified Buildings and (Industrial) Plants 86 Phius+ Passive House 87 Home Energy Rating System (HERS) 88 Infrastructure rating systems 89 International rating systems 89 Summary 90 Glossary 91 Chapter 5: Green Materials and Products 93 What are green materials and products? 94 The challenge in product selection 95 Greenwashing 96 Green labels and product certifications 98 Table 5.1 Examples of Product Labels and Certifications 99 Other product assessment tools 101 Life-cycle costing (LCC) 102 Other resources 104 The look of green products 104 Table 5.2 Examples of Online Resources 105 Get ready for visible green 106 Summary 106 Glossary 107

6 x Green Construction Chapter 6: The Economic Benefits of Green Buildings 109 The creation of construction industry jobs 110 Jobs and green not everyone agrees 110 Turner Construction s Green Market Barometer 111 Improved worker health 111 Reduced material and waste disposal costs 112 Do green buildings cost more? 113 Tax credits, density bonuses, and other incentives 114 A source of information on incentives 115 Lower energy and water costs 115 Reduced operation and maintenance costs 117 Increased property values and higher rental income 118 Insurance and green buildings 118 Healthier, more productive building occupants 118 Environmental and community cost benefits 119 Summary 119 Glossary 120 Part 2: Workers and Green Construction: Challenges and Opportunities 121 Chapter 7: Green Construction and the General Contractor 123 Industry sectors 124 Getting off the ground: project organization and the delivery method 125 The players 128 The owner s team 128 The designer s team 130 The contractor s team 132 The GC s management team 134 The general contractor s role on a green project 135 Design phase 136 Preconstruction phase 137 Construction phase 138 Smart buildings 141

7 Contents xi Close-out phase 141 Resources for general contractors 142 Energy retrofits and construction jobs 143 Table 7.1 Resources of General Interest to the Construction Industry 144 Summary 145 Glossary 146 Chapter 8: Green Construction and the Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Trades 149 Mechanical: HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) 150 Installing a radiant floor system 153 Table 8.1 Resources of Special Interest to HVAC Contractors 155 Electrical 156 Electrician hooking up a control module 156 Lighting retrofits 157 Table 8.2 Resources of Special Interest to Electricians 158 Plumbing 159 The role of plumbers in green construction 160 Table 8.3 Resources of Special Interest to Plumbers 162 Summary 163 Glossary 163 Chapter 9: Green Construction and the Trades 165 Introduction 165 Carpentry 167 Table 9.1 Resources of Special Interest to Carpenters 168 Finishing trades: painters, drywall installers, and floor coverers 169 Painters 169 Drywall installers 170 Floor Coverers 171 Table 9.2 Resources of Special Interest to the Finishing Trades 172 Glaziers 173 Window replacements for the Empire State Building 173 Table 9.3 Resources of Special Interest to Glaziers 174 Insulation installers 175

8 xii Green Construction Table 9.4 Resources of Special Interest to Insulation Installers 176 Roofers 176 Green roofs 177 Table 9.5 Resources of Special Interest to Roofers 178 Other specialty trades and green construction 179 Masonry tradespeople 179 Landscape contractors 179 Green landscaping 180 Heavy equipment operators 180 Laborers 181 Other industry workers 181 Manufacturers/product representatives and suppliers 181 Testing, inspection, and commissioning agents 182 Environmental health professionals/indoor air quality managers 183 Facility and building managers 184 Summary 184 Glossary 185 Chapter 10: Renewable Energy and the Trades 187 Renewable energy systems 187 Solar energy systems 188 Photovoltaic (PV) 189 Installation of flat plate PV panels 190 A quick look at units of measurement 192 Solar thermal 193 Table 10.1 Resources of Special Interest: Solar Energy Systems 196 Wind powered systems 197 The manufacture and installation of wind systems 198 Concerns about large-scale wind farms 199 Wind systems take flight 200 Table 10.2 Resources of Special Interest: Wind Energy Systems 201 Geothermal systems 201 A note about geothermal heat pumps 202 Table 10.3 Resources of Special Interest: Geothermal Energy 203 Hydropower 203 Table 10.4 Resources of Special Interest: Hydropower 204

9 Contents xiii Bioenergy 205 Table 10.5 Resources of Special Interest: Bioenergy 206 Summary 206 Glossary 207 Chapter 11: Green Professional Credentials 209 Introduction to credentialing 209 Licenses 210 Certificates 211 Academic degrees 212 Green credentials 212 A problem with terms 213 LEED professional credentials 214 LEED professional credentials: an overview 216 Other non-degree green credentials 217 Table 11.1 Examples of Green Credentials 218 Green degrees 220 Is a credential worth the time and cost? 221 Tip 222 Summary 223 Glossary 224 Chapter 12: Polishing Skills and Moving Ahead 225 The importance of green education 226 Classes and workshops 227 Nonprofit and for-profit organizations and businesses 228 Unions and trade associations 229 Table 12.1 Examples of Union and Trade Association Training Programs 230 Community colleges and technical schools 231 Useful lists of colleges and technical schools 232 Training by federal and local governments 232 Conferences and expositions 233 Table 12.2 Green Conferences and Expositions 234 Publications, blogs, and other online resources 235

10 xiv Green Construction Table 12.3 Publications and Blogs 235 An industry and work force that continues to change 236 Finding work 237 Appendix A: How Did We Get Here? A Short History of the Green Movement 239 Birth of the contemporary green movement 241 Appendix B: Our Power: Where Does It Come from and How Is It Used? 245 How we get our power 245 Energy flow charts 246 A great idea body heat as an energy source 248 Appendix C: How to Get a Building LEED Certified 249 Certification Step 1: Verify minimum project requirements (MPRs) and select the appropriate rating system 250 Certification Step 2: Register the project with the Green Building Certification Institute 252 Certification Step 3: Identify credits with points sufficient to meet desired level of certification 252 Credits and Points: Energy and Atmosphere for the LEED Building Design and Construction Rating System (LEED BD+C) 254 Certification Step 4: Fulfill prerequisites and selected credits; document as required by the rating system 255 Certification Step 5: Apply to GBCI for review and certification 256 Appendix D: Helpful Web Addresses 258 Glossary 272 Bibliography 287 Endnotes 294 Index 309