Transcript Document

Life Cycle Assessment and the LEED®
Green Building Rating System™
Dr. James L. Hoff, DBA
TEGNOS Research, Inc. /
Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing
Originally Presented at the RCI 23rd International Convention & Trade Show
March 2, 2008
Phoenix, AZ
Background
The U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC)
Background
The U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC)
•
Over 11,000 member organizations
•
Mission: “Transform the way buildings are
designed, built and operated”
•
Sponsor of Greenbuild, the world’s largest
green building convention
•
Founded the LEED® Green Building
Rating System™ in 2000
Background
The LEED® Rating System
•
Sets a “nationally accepted benchmark for
the design, construction, and operation of high
performance green buildings”
•
Gives building owners a tool for “immediate
and measurable impact on their buildings’
performance”
•
Provides a roadmap for “measuring and
documenting success for every building type
and phase of a building lifecycle”
Background
The LEED® Rating System
•
A comprehensive but simple approach
focused on five key concepts:
–
Sustainable Building Sites
–
Water Efficiency
–
Energy Efficiency / Atmospheric Impact
–
Sustainable Materials Selection
–
Indoor Environmental Quality
Background
The LEED® Rating System
•
Different forms for different building types
and phases of the building lifecycle:
–
LEED for New Construction / Major Renovations
–
LEED for Existing Buildings and Maintenance
–
LEED for Commercial Interiors
–
LEED for Core & Shell
–
LEED for Homes (Pending)
–
LEED for Neighborhoods (Pending)
Background
The LEED® Rating System
•
A weighted scoring system based on
relative importance of each key element:
Sustainable Sites
Water Efficiency
Energy / Atmosphere
Materials / Resources
Indoor Environ. Quality
Innovation / Design
LEED Certified: 26-32 pts.
LEED Silver:
33-38 pts.
14 Points
5 Points
17 Points
13 Points
15 Points
5 Points
69 Points
LEED Gold:
39-51 pts.
LEED Platinum: 52-69 pts.
The LEED® Rating System
Advantages of LEED
• Promotes the “Big Picture”
• Keeps it Simple
• Fosters Competition
• Builds Green Awareness
The LEED® Rating System
Limitations of LEED
• Limited Reach
–
Less than 2% of all buildings since 2000 have achieved
certification
• Potential for Confusion
–
“Is your roof LEED-approved?”
• Inadequate Emphasis on Durability
LEED, Roofing & Durability
Looking Back to 1970:
 OPEC oil embargo
• Quality of roofing asphalt decreased as
more gasoline was extracted from every
barrel of oil
• Roofing asphalt became more brittle,
less plastic
 Asbestos
• Traditional roofing “felts” relied on
asbestos fibers for strength
• Asbestos fibers replaced by lower
strength organic (paper) fibers
LEED, Roofing & Durability
Looking Back to 1970:
Thicker insulation caused “thermal shock” as surface
temperatures varied by over 1500 F in a single day…
… causing roof membranes to age prematurely.
LEED, Roofing & Durability
Looking Back to 1970:
New material alternatives were introduced…
… but with a steep learning curve and some initial failures
LEED, Roofing & Durability
Looking Back to 1970:
“With the green building movement still in its
infancy, the construction industry is rushing to
promote ‘green’ products with all the excitement
that comes with building a new market. History
shows us, however, that while we must move
forward with innovation and excitement, we must
also take care to be responsible market stewards.
‘Green’ products manufacturers should be careful to
provide defendable proof that these products
perform as stated.”
Kenneth Mentzer, President, North American Insulation Manufacturers Association.
Building Design and Construction “White Paper on Sustainability”, 2003, p. 13.
LEED & Durability
The USGBC Response
Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA)
LEED & Durability
The USGBC and LCA
•
LCA working group established in 2005
•
LCA guidelines published January, 2007
•
Formal implementation proposed for 20082009
•
Informal implementation started in 2007
by adding several proprietary rating
systems under Innovation / Design credits.
Life Cycle Assessment
What is LCA?
•
A scientific approach to evaluating the
environmental impact of a product
throughout its life cycle.
– Scientific Approach: Based on measurable
and predictable attributes
– Focused on Impact: What is the net result
to the environment?
– Throughout the Life Cycle: A “cradle-tograve” – or “cradle-to-cradle” approach
Life Cycle Assessment
The Product Life Cycle
Processes:
Inputs:
Raw Materials Acquisition
Raw
Materials
Energy
Outputs:
Atmospheric
Emissions
Manufacturing
Use / Re-use / Maintenance
Waterborne
Waste
Solid Waste
Co-Products
Recycling / Waste Mgmt.
Other
Releases
System Boundary
Source: Life Cycle Assessment: Principles and Practice. Scientific Applications International Corporation, 2006, p.1.
Life Cycle Assessment
Environmental Impacts
EPA “Top-Ten” Environmental Impacts
Impact:
Measure:
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP)
Photochemical Oxidant Potential (PCOP)
Acidification Potential
Eutrification
Health Toxicity (Cancer)
Health Toxicity (Non-Cancer)
Health Toxicity (Air Pollutants)
Eco-Toxicity Potential
Fossil Fuel Use
kg CO2 Equivalent
kg CFC Equivalent
kg NOX Equivalent
H+ Moles Equivalent
kg Nitrogen Equivalent
kg Benzene Equivalent
kg Toluene Equivalent
kg: DALYs Equivalent
kg 2,4-D Equivalent
mJ Surplus Energy /
mJ Extracted Energy
Source: EPA Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other Environmental Impacts (TRACI)
Life Cycle Assessment
The LCA Process
•
•
Three Basic Steps
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Compile inventory of relevant inputs / outputs
–
Evaluate the impacts associated with each input /
output
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Interpret the results to help make informed decisions
A Comparative Approach: Not Absolute
–
Typically used to choose among alternatives and
drive continuous improvement
–
Example: 1970 Coca-Cola LCA
Life Cycle Assessment
LCA Benefits
• Avoids Shifting of Impacts
• Allows Consideration of Trade-Offs
• Promotes Situation-Based
Decisions
Life Cycle Assessment
LCA Benefits
Building Construction Examples:
Limestone Concrete v. Fly Ash Concrete
(USA)
Plastic Insulation v. Mineral Wool & Cork
(Europe)
Life Cycle Assessment
LCA Limitations
• Expensive: Takes Time & Money
• Complex: Difficult to Understand &
Communicate
• For Reference Only: Cannot by
Itself Determine Cost-Effectiveness or
Practicality
Life Cycle Assessment
LCA Limitations
Building Construction Example:
Use of Cover Boards in Insulated
Roof Assemblies
Life Cycle Assessment
LCA, LCC, and Durability
LCA not focused on durability as
directly as Life Cycle Cost (LCC)…
…but LCA may be a more accurate
approach to LCC if long-term
environmental impact is the best
economic measure of construction
cost
Life Cycle Assessment
LCA, LCC, and Durability
Building Construction Example:
20-Year “Eco-Friendly” Roof
v.
30-Year Traditional Roof
Life Cycle Assessment
Current Status of LCA
• Part of ISO 14000
– Standard for Environmental Management
– Similar to ISO 900 Standard for Quality
Management
– Describes how LCA should be used to evaluate
products
– Describes how LCA should be communicated
(Environmental Product Declaration or EPD)
Life Cycle Assessment
Current Status of LCA
• Growing Rapidly in Europe
– Hundreds of EPDs currently in place for
construction products
– Driven by global manufacturers seeking the
highest common denominator to simplify
product lines
Life Cycle Assessment
The Future of LCA
• ISO 14000: The new global model
–
ISO 14000 has been endorsed as the basic model for
managing environmental impacts
–
Almost all major global companies are seeking ISO
14000 registration for facilities – and this will carry over
to products
• EPD: The new MSDS
–
Specifiers will require EPDs or similar data for all
products
Life Cycle Assessment
Short-Term Impact on the Roofing Industry
•
•
Confusion Will Reign
–
ISO 140OO is a standard method – not a standard
–
USGBC’s ‘kick-start” endorsement of different
proprietary approaches will only add to the
confusion
The Early Adapters Will Make the Rules
–
New attachment technologies
–
Industry recycling programs
Life Cycle Assessment
Long-Term Impact on the Roofing Industry
•
•
LCA will favor thinner, stronger products
–
Lightweight membranes
–
Lightweight foam insulations
LCA will favor systems that can be installed
quickly – and removed & recycled quickly
–
New attachment technologies
–
Industry recycling programs
Life Cycle Assessment
What Can the Roofing Industry Do?
• Get Educated and Involved
– Be prepared to address the coming confusion
– Be prepared to assure that durability is a key
consideration
Life Cycle Assessment
What Can the Roofing Industry Do?
• Consider Industry-Wide LCA / EPD
Programs
– Establish a common baseline of generic
product groupings
– Support differentiation and competition above
the baseline
Life Cycle Assessment
What Can the Roofing Industry Do?
• Support the new Center for
Environmental Innovation in Roofing
– Broad-based industry voice for green building
education, research, and advocacy
– Washington-based for policy effectiveness
Life Cycle Assessment and LEED
The Roofing Industry Challenge
"As an industry, we have spent far
too much time and far too many
dollars fixing past problems related
to durability not to become
unflinching advocates for the utmost
importance of durability in any green
building initiative.”
James L. Hoff. “Advancing Sustainable Roofing: LEED and the Commercial
Roofing Industry." Proceedings of the 20th International Convention of the Roof
Consultants Institute, Miami Beach, Florida, March, 2004.