Several factual inaccuracies are circulating about the update to the LEED high-performance building rating system, LEED v4.  To correct these distortions, here are  the Top 10 myths about LEED.

1) MYTH: LEED is a mandatory government regulation.

FACT:  LEED is a creation of the private sector and is strictly voluntary.

LEED is not and will never become a tool for mandatory regulation.  Private sector leaders established LEED in 2000 and it quickly became the most widely used high-performance building rating system in the U.S.  Iconic companies such as Coca-Cola, Marriot, Target and Home Depot, among others, use on LEED certification to reduce operating and energy costs and increase their bottom line.  Forty-eight companies in the Fortune 100 use LEED certification.

2) MYTH: LEED v4 will drive up costs for taxpayers.

FACT: LEED saves U.S. taxpayers tens of millions of dollars every year.

The federal government is the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. and as much as 30 percent of that energy is wasted. LEED significantly reduces that waste.  A recent independent study found LEED-certified federal buildings reduced energy use by 25 percent compared to the national average.  The White House’s budget office recently noted that investments in energy efficiency over the last four years are expected to save as much as $18 billion in lifecycle energy costs.  The recently LEED-certified retrofit of the U.S. Treasury building is saving taxpayers $3.5 million each year.

3) MYTH: LEED v4 will destroy jobs.

FACT: LEED actually creates jobs because it has been a catalyst for the explosive growth of energy-efficient building, which supports or creates 7.9 million jobs across all 50 states and contributes $554 billion to the U.S. economy annually. The update to LEED will spur additional job creation from new building construction and energy efficient retrofits.

4) MYTH: LEED v4 bans chemicals, proven products and building materials.

FACT:  LEED v4 will encourage the use of materials that provide information about their ingredients.

LEED utilizes private-market incentives to reward projects that use more transparent, well-documented building materials. There is no “red-list” of banned chemicals. Furthermore, the proposed credits are not requirements, they are completely voluntary. All LEED certification levels – including the highest – can be attained regardless of a project’s decision to pursue these optional measures. The core of the 100-point LEED formula always will be energy efficiency.

5) MYTH: LEED doesn’t improve efficiency and is simply “greenwashing” for corporate

America.

FACT: The business case for LEED is unassailable.

LEED saves money and increases the bottom line for building owners.  High-performing, LEED-certified buildings save money and deliver higher profit margins by reducing energy and operating costs.  LEED-certified buildings also generate higher rental income, have a greater resale value, offer faster leasing and secure higher occupancy rates.

6) MYTH: Manufacturers are excluded from the LEED development process.

FACT:  LEED’s development is open, transparent and inclusive of all points of view. LEED’s 100-point rating system is constructed in a consensus-based process among stakeholders and technical experts.  Nearly 1,300 product manufacturers – including two dozen chemical companies and the American Chemistry Council – are members of the U.S. Green Building Council, which oversees LEED.  Manufacturers are the third largest segment of USGBC membership.  To suggest that they do not have a seat at the table is patently false.

7) MYTH: LEED v4 is unscientific and not consensus based.

FACT:  LEED’s development process meets all of the required federal criteria including openness, a balance of interests, due process, an appeal process and consensus.  More than 20,000 public comments have been received and each has been addressed individually and is available online.  Expert technical committees of building professionals provide a consistent source of sound advice and subject matter expertise for this ongoing process.

8)  MYTH:  LEED discriminates against American hardwood and domestic forest products.

FACT: Wood (and any other product) resourced within 500 miles of a project receives credit towards LEED certification.  Local materials and resources are a focal point of LEED and regional materials credits support local economies.  This strategy is frequently adopted as 90 percent of LEED-certified commercial projects attain the local materials credit.  LEED v4 does not proscribe or eliminate the use of any particular timber or forest product.

9) MYTH:  LEED buildings are too expensive to build and are a bad investment for

taxpayers.

FACT:  LEED buildings routinely cost the same or less to construct than conventional buildings, yet save taxpayers significant amounts of money because of their high level of energy efficiency. When LEED began in 2000, a premium did exist for high performance construction. But  it has disappeared as LEED has achieved widespread adoption.  The cost of LEED certification for existing buildings is recouped within the first two years the building is operational as a result of lower energy and operating costs, benefits from higher rents and higher occupancy rates.

10) MYTH: Other building rating systems are better suited for federal buildings than

LEED.

FACT: LEED meets federal government performance standards better than all other systems.

Since 2006, LEED has been the preferred building rating system for the federal government.  LEED was extensively evaluated by General Services Administration.  A recent national lab study found that LEED meets 96 percent of federal government performance requirements and concluded that LEED is the best system for retrofitting existing buildings and saving taxpayers’ money in operations and maintenance.

Remember, the 9th Annual Conservation Lobby Day is in Columbia on May 1st. As a partner in the Conservation Common Agenda, this is a premier opportunity for the USGBC SC Chapter to speak with state legislators about our issues.

Attached is an invitation from the event organizers. Activities will be scheduled from morning to night…the 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm time slot listed is just the conclusion. It only costs you your own time and travel to attend. Please include me in your RSVP.

As a legislative update, following are excerpts from the 3/26/12 edition of The Hot list of the Conservation Voters of South Carolina (online at http://conservationvotersofsc.org/the_hotlist/), about two bills of interest:
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Solar Tax Credit Bill (H.3346, Rep. Dwight Loftis) SUPPORT
This bill establishes a 35% state tax credit for the installation of solar energy equipment for both residential and commercial purposes placed in service in taxable years after 2010. This legislation not only promotes renewable energy; it encourages solar installations and creates new jobs. H.3346 passed the House in a 100-10 vote last year, and it received a favorable report from the Sales and Income Taxation Subcommittee two weeks ago. The bill awaits consideration by the full Finance Committee.

Building Codes (S.1110, Sen. Tom Alexander/H.4639, Rep. Bill Sandifer) SUPPORT
These bills would update building energy codes in South Carolina to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code standards. S.1110 is now on the Senate contested calendar. H.4639 was recalled from the Judiciary Committee to receive second (27-9) and third reading (30-12) last week in the Senate. H.4639 now goes to the House for concurrence.
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Opening keynote plenary speaker Jeremy Sigmon, Manager of Building Codes Advocacy for USGBC, sent us this link to his blog about the release of the 2012 International Green Construction Code:

http://usgbcblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/codes-retrospective-with-igccs-arrival.html

Green Schools Summit is being planned for May 2nd in Columbia. More details coming.

Thirty nine buildings in SC were LEED certified in 2011, 15% more than 2010.  Greenville and Spartanburg led the state with four new LEED certified buildings each. The largest SC buildings certified in 2011 were the 291,354 SF Franklin Street Properties 1441 Main Street building in Columbia and the 188,294 SF Tanger Outlet Center on Hilton Head Island.

Of the 2011 SC LEED Certified projects, 38% achieved LEED Gold, 23% more than the state average.  Notable projects certified in 2011 include:
1. Platinum – CRC Federal Building in Charleston
2. Gold – 291,354 SF Franklin Street Properties in Columbia
3. Gold – 175,506 SF Furman University, Townes Science Complex in Greenville, SC.
4. Gold – 80,928 SF Kershaw County School District in Camden
5. Gold – 21,600 SF YMCA of Coastal Carolina in Georgetown

“The people who live, work, learn and play in buildings should be what we care about most,” said USGBC SC Executive Director, Melissa Le Roy. “2011 was a difficult year for much of the SC building industry, but in many areas, the hunger for sustainable development kept the markets moving.”

The largest number of the SC LEED certified projects overall has been from the Higher Education sector. The top Higher Education owners by number of LEED Certified buildings:
1. Clemson 13
2. University of SC 10
3. Furman 8
4. Coastal Carolina University 3
5. Wofford 2

The top SC cities by number of LEED Certified buildings
1. Greenville: 22
2. Columbia: 13
3. Spartanburg: 9
4. Charleston: 7
5. Clemson: 4

The top SC cities by amount of LEED Certified SF
1. North Charleston 12,715,069
2. Greenville 2,383,664
3. Graniteville 2,000,000
4. Columbia 1,051,740
5. Spartanburg 578,234

USGBC’s LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings. Over 44,000 projects currently participate in the LEED rating system, comprising over 9 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 117 countries. In addition, over 10,000 homes have been certified under the LEED for Homes rating system, with nearly 50,000 more homes registered.

For the full list of LEED certified projects, visit: https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=8784
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U.S. Green Building Council SC
The U.S. Green Building Council SC is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our state through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising over 1,300 LEED Professionals, USGBC SC is a diverse constituency of builders, architects, engineers, environmentalists, corporations, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, and concerned citizens.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of the energy consumption, and thirteen % of the water consumption. This makes green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and green building has the potential to generate thousands of SC jobs.

By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. For more information, visit www.usgbcsc.org.
Contact: Dan Gerst
Communications Chair, USGBC SC
Dangerst.usgbcsc@gmail.com

Senate Briefing
“Conversations with Conservationists”

Hosted by Senators John Courson and Phil Leventis

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
10:00 am – 11:30 am
Gressette Building, Room 105
1100 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC

House Conservation Briefing
“Conserving Communities…naturally”
Hosted by House Majority Leader, Rep. Kenneth Bingham
and House Minority Leader, Rep. Harry Ott

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
9:00 am – 10:00 am

(Please note that the House Briefing date is subject to change
due to House Committee schedules.)
Blatt Building, Room 110
1105 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC

We invite legislators and our conservation friends to join us for one or both of these brief presentations by South Carolina business leaders for the House and Senate, unveiling the 2012 Conservation Common Agenda priorities.

This second annual event will be focused on renewable energy development in South Carolina and the potential economic impact from the growth of a strong green energy industry.  The event will feature speakers from in-state electric utilities, government agencies, political experts, researchers, and commercial industries who will share their vision and expertise on how South Carolina can play a role in this growing sector.
The forum will be a full-day event. The registration fee includes a continental breakfast, lunch, and networking reception at the conclusion of the forum.

Event agenda
8:00am Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00am Welcome – Daniel Rickenmann, Chair, Columbia CPAC  Overview and Introduction – Bruce Wood, Chair, SC Solar Council
9:15am National Perspective on Alternative Energy – Senator Lindsey Graham
9:30am Utility Perspective on Renewable Energy Integration – Moderator:  Bruce Wood  (with Mark Svrcek, VP Wholesale Business and Renewables at Duke Energy;  Mark Tye, VP Renewable Energy and Efficiency at Santee Cooper;  Bob Long, General Manager of Resources Planning at SCE&G;  Ashlie Lancaster, Director, SC Energy Office at PURC – Renewable Energy Working Group)
10:45am Break
11:00am Impacts of Economic Development from Renewable Energy – Moderator:  Shannon Baxter-Clemmons, Director, SC Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance  (with Jeffrey G. Ruble, Director of Business Recruitment at SC Power Team;  Ivan Urlaub, Executive Director at NC Sustainable Energy Association;  Fred Humes, Director at Center for Hydrogen Research)
Noon Lunch   Alternative Energy and Jobs – Bobby Hitt, Secretary, SC Department of Commerce (invited)
1:00pm Panel – Applied Economic Development – Moderator:  Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, Director of Development, Clemson University Restoration Institute   (with Nick Rigas, Director of Renewable Energy, Clemson University Restoration Institute (Wind Turbine Test Stand);  J. Scott Roberts, Director of Marketing at Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd. (Transmission cable for offshore energy production); Ron Seftick, President at Trulite, Inc. (Hydrogen plug power);  Jason Epstein, VP at Baker Renewable Energy (Solar energy potential))
2:15pm Break
2:30pm Panel – Alternative Energy Research in SC – Moderator:  Tom French, SC Biomass Council   (with Dr. Stephen Kresovich, VP of Research and Graduate Education at USC;  Dr. John Kelly, VP for Public Service and Agriculture at Clemson University;  Dr. Joette Sonnenberg, Associate Lab Director at Savannah River National Laboratory;  Dr. Paul Gayes, Director, Burroughs & Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland at Coastal Carolina University;  Catherine Vanden Houten, Policy Analyst at SC Energy Office)
3:30pm South Carolina’s Future Focus on Renewable Energy – Senator Paul Campbell – District 44, Berkeley County
3:45pm Final Thoughts and Action Items – SC Clean Energy Business Alliance
4:00pm Reception

7/1/11

Regular registration:  $35
http://screnewableenergyforum.eventbrite.com

USGBC SC Chapter Members are invited to participate in the USGBC SC Chapter Lobby Day in Columbia on Tuesday, March 29th.

Please let Advocacy Chair – Michael Criss (mcriss@sc.rr.com) know if you will be able to join us.

Hosted by the Conservation Voters of South Carolina (online at https://conservationvotersofsc.org/take_action/lobby_team/), this event will also include members of the Solar Business Alliance, the South Carolina Solar Council, and the Kitchen Table Climate Study Group. The solar tax credits bills, H 3346 and S 0474, are of particular interest. This will also be an opportunity to encourage legislators to join the Green Schools Caucus.

The USGBC – SC Chapter’s Advocacy Committee promotes public awareness of, and demand for, high performance green buildings.  We also support legislative initiatives that advance green building policies, programs, and standards.

As part of that mission, we’re compiling a database of our members’ legislators.  This enables the Chapter to convey our legislative priorities directly to the legislators who represent our members.  Conversely, we can alert our members to the legislative actions of their representatives, and enlist constituent support on specific legislative matters.

To identify your legislators, we need the 9-digit ZIP Code of your voter registration address (rather than the 5-digit company ZIP Code we have for most of our members).  Please send your 9 digit zip to the SC Chapter Advocacy Chair “Michael P. Criss” <mcriss@sc.rr.com>.  The US Postal Service has an online ZIP Code Lookup at http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp.

We also welcome your comments on the Chapter’s legislative priorities, especially for the South Carolina General Assembly.  Thank you for your consideration.

From 2011 USGBC SC Chapter Chair, Adam Bernholz:

Why ‘Green Buildings’ matter, and why they mattered to Roger Milliken

As Chairman of the South Carolina Chapter of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC SC), I wanted the public to be aware of the critically important work that USGBC SC does for the State of South Carolina. Ironically, I write this letter on the cusp of Roger Milliken’s death.

What are ‘green buildings’, and why should they be important to me?

Green buildings are three things:

1)    HEALTHY for their occupants, minimizing the use of known carcinogens and toxins in their building materials.

2)    EFFICIENT in their use of both energy and water (typically 20-40% less than a ‘standard’ building.)

3)    SUSTAINABLE in their utilization of finite resources, encouraging the use of recycled, reused, bio-based, and properly-harvested wood materials that are available without depleting existing resources.

Green building is politically color blind as well. Roger Milliken, one of the leaders of the SC Republican party, was a passionate believer in green building. Mr. Milliken said:  “We are committed to strive for a goal of zero waste generation to all media—land, air, water—to be achieved by continual improvement in all of our operations. This goal will guide the conduct of our manufacturing operations, the development of new products, and our interaction with suppliers and customers. Recycling of materials is an integral part of this on-going effort. We are committed to encouraging our families, our associates and our communities, through education and leadership, to conserve our natural resources and protect the environment in our daily lives. We reaffirm our commitment to work with local, state and federal authorities to develop effective environmental solutions that meet tests of practicality and feasibility.”

The USGBC was formed about 15 years ago as a non-profit organization to advocate for green buildings. Because there is no regulatory body for buildings, as the FDA does with food and drugs, the USGBC and its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standard set a benchmark for what a green building should be. A few years ago, any building material, regardless of its impacts, was regularly included in buildings simply because it was the cheapest material. Clear rules and benchmarks have now been established for what are healthier, more efficient, and more sustainable building materials. Roger Milliken was a Founding member of USGBC.

These are not ‘tree hugger’ issues, but rather issues that face all of us, regardless of our political leanings. Surprisingly, building product manufacture and building operations are responsible for 72% of all electricity consumed in the U.S. and 50% of U.S. overall energy usage – a tremendous number! Moreover, we spend roughly 80% of our time inside, where indoor air quality is often 3x-7x worse than outside air. Certain rates of disease in our society have more than quadrupled over the last 30 years, and virtually all of the scientific community have attributed these increased incidence rates to environmental toxins. In sum, there is a clear correlation between the built environment and our health, our environment, and our society.

Despite the popular press, green buildings are much more than energy efficient buildings, and certainly contribute to a healthier and more sustainable society. However, reduced foreign energy reliance is one area that most every color of the political spectrum can agree upon. Irrespective of one’s views on climate change – our 2 Senators obviously have differing views – the correlation between burning fossil-based fuels, CO2 release, degradation of our Ozone layer and associated climatic changes – “global weirding” according to Thomas Friedman – virtually all agree that foreign dependence on fossil-based fuels is a lose-lose for our society. Whether this desire to be energy independent is caused by our foreign wars, distasteful political alliances, environmental catastrophes (as in the Gulf), unacceptable oil prices, or the known health impacts of releasing mercury and arsenic during the burning of fossil-based fuels, most all of us have a desire to stop being beholden to our current ‘life-blood’.

Today, a LEED building can be built for the same cost as a non-green building, and an upper-level green building – say LEED Silver or Platinum – can be built for just a 2-9% cost premium, all of which is typically recouped in the first 2-4 years of operation due to decreased operating expenses.

Due to the impact of a healthy learning environment on developing minds, a number of separate studies have been able to demonstrate that students in green buildings test at 2-4% above their non-green building peers on standardized tests. Adequate natural light, ventilation, CO2 monitoring, and eliminating or minimizing known carcinogens and endocrine disrupters play into this.

In the last year, USGBC SC actively worked towards establishing a Green Schools Caucus within our legislature. We produced 46 educational courses around the state, 21 conference education courses, educated over 2,500 professionals on the specifics of green building, and now have over 80 buildings that have completed the process to become LEED certified.

What can we all do? First, as a society, we need to realize the very dramatic impacts of the ‘built environment’ upon our everyday lives, whether these impacts are our health, economics, the environment, or our society as a whole. Secondly, please encourage your elected representatives to support green buildings as our Federal and State governments already have for Federal employees, school children, our military, and anywhere our tax dollars are being utilized to provide shelter.

Lastly, we would welcome you to become engaged with USGBC SC, either as a member, a donor, or as a volunteer. Aside from one paid employee, we are a volunteer organization, and are solely funded by our members, grants, and donations.

To the USGBC SC, the health, security, and environment of the People and the State of South Carolina are incredibly important. This is why I personally agreed to become involved with the USGBC SC, and I dare say why Mr. Milliken became involved. I would strongly encourage, and appreciate, you all to become involved as well.

Adam Bernholz, JD/MBA, LEED AP

Chairman of USGBC SC

1036A eWall St.

Mt Pleasant, SC 29464

Email: Adam@greenwizard.com

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In response to the growing number of requests to provide information about green building to groups around the state, the SC Chapter is organizing a Speakers Bureau, which will allow our Chapter to provide up-to-date, accurate information on the growing green building movement, in the form of presentations given by Chapter Members to civic, professional, government and academic organizations.

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Are you comfortable speaking to groups about a topic about which you are passionate? Are you eager to be a part of spreading the word about the benefits of green building and sustainable communities?
We hope you will volunteer to serve the Chapter as a member of our speakers bureau and be “on call” to speak with groups about the benefits of green building!
Please see our Speakers Bureau Program Description & FAQ for more details about how the program will operate and how to apply!