Helios Resources, Ltd. provides LEED Building and Sustainable (Green) Building Consultation

Sustainable (Green) Building

Green building can be viewed as the convergence of at least three fundamental objectives:
  1. Conserve and protect natural resources
  2. Increase energy and water efficiency
  3. Improve indoor environmental (air) quality
Green building is a whole systems approach to the design, construction and operation of buildings � from the early stages of development through the final finishes in the building. This approach benefits all stakeholders by reducing resource consumption and improving livability and consequently productivity. Green building benefits are spread throughout the systems and features of the building. Green buildings use recycled-content building materials, consume less energy and water, have better indoor air quality and use much less wood fiber than conventional buildings. Green buildings reduce potentially carcinogenic volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde from the interior, and construction waste is often recycled and remanufactured into other building products.

Building green is good for both the economy and the environment.

LEED System

According to the administrator of the LEED rating system (developed largely as an investment by US taxpayers), LEED was created to define Green Building by establishing common standards of measurement. It is meant to promote integrated, whole-building design practices and recognize environmental leadership in the building industry. Through the efforts of companies like Helios Resources Ltd. and other leading Green Building advocates, we are raising consumer awareness of Green Building benefits and transforming the building market.

LEED uses a points system (69 points available) which allows site (re)developers, owners, architects, engineers, and Green Building consultants to mix and match strategies in the following areas:
  1. Sustainable Sites (14 points)
  2. Water Efficiency (5 points)
  3. Energy Efficiency and Atmospheric Protection (17 points)
  4. Materials and Resources (13 points)
  5. Indoor Environmental Quality (15 points)
  6. Innovation in design (4 points)
  7. Use of LEED Accredited Professional in Process (1 point)
By attaining various points levels (26 for LEED Certified, 33 for LEED Silver Certified, 39 for LEED Gold Certified, 52+ for LEED Platinum) out of the total possible 69 points and filing a series of detailed reports, the building can be certified as having reached the appropriate LEED level.

Note that by hiring a LEED Accredited Professional consultant (such as Helios Resources Ltd.) as part of the design team the building will obtain one point simply for that. Further, by using a 3rd party commissioning agent such as Helios Resources Ltd. you will obtain a further point towards LEED certification. These are likely to be the easiest and least expensive points you will obtain!

Certain aspects are considered to be baseline - these prerequisites must be done for LEED certification but they earn no additional points. For instance, in energy performance the building must at least meet ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-1999 or other local code, whichever is tougher. Only by outperforming that standard can additional points be added. Other prerequisites include a requirement to commission the building, plus CFC reductions, erosion controls, recycling plans, tobacco smoke control and others.

Furthermore, there are many points categories that most buildings are unable to meet. The trick is to find the points that will cost very little at your particular site. For instance, a site must be a brownfield site in order to obtain the brownfield credit. Geographic constraints are further examples - if your site is some distance from a rail station it is unlikely you will be able to move a rail station to within half a mile of the building. However, adding bike racks and lockers is quite likely to be achievable. That's where your consultant should be able to assist in determining which points you can most easily qualify for and should therefore pursue.

You will also want to keep a few additional points in reserve in case any of the primary ones are judged non-qualifying. Certification is a somewhat subjective process, despite the pains that USGBC has gone to in trying to remove any subjectivity from the process there are questions that inevitably arise and that need judgment.

LEED has a judicial process for these occurrences called Credit Rulings, but if you need more than two Credit Rulings per registered project these begin to cost money, and again your consultant should be able to retrieve past judgments on similar cases and determine whether you really need to go the expense of filing a Credit Ruling of your own. Despite the fact that buildings are all unique, most questions have been posed before and reading the past Credit Rulings should help clarify matters quite quickly.

We are happy to discuss how Helios Resources Ltd. may fit into your Green Building strategies.

Feel free to call or email about your upcoming projects, or even your pipe dreams. We love to talk about this stuff and initial telephone consultations are free and without further obligation.

Please contact Andrew Holden - Principal 610-917-9111, or email: info@heliosltd.com

Thank you.

LEED is a trademark of the US Green Building Council. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.