LEED-CI Focuses on Using Low-Emitting Products

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED™ for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) rating system is designed especially for tenant spaces primarily in new or existing office and institutional buildings. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program is a credit-based rating system, with the overall goal of promoting sustainable design, construction and operations practices in buildings nationwide. Presently, the USGBC LEED rating system has five products in various stages of development, including:

• LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations (LEED-NC)

• LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB), pilot version

• LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI)

• LEED for Core and Shell (LEED-CS), pilot version

• LEED for Homes (LEED-H), under development

For more information about the specifics of the overall LEED program and how buildings can become LEED certified, click here or on the LEED Certification tab above or visit the USGBC website.

Written to address the specifics of tenant spaces primarily in office and institutional buildings, LEED™ for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) fulfills requests from architects, interior designers and their clients for a rating system to help them make sustainable choices with respect to the scope of work under their direct control. Applicable to tenant spaces in new or existing buildings, LEED-CI's mission is to foster market transformation in the construction of high-performance, healthy, durable, affordable, and environmentally sound commercial interiors. [1]

As with the other USGBC LEED rating systems, LEED-CI consists of five environmental categories, including the selection of sustainable tenant space, efficiency of water usage, energy performance optimization (such as lighting and lighting controls), resource utilization for interior building systems and furnishings, and indoor environmental quality (IEQ).

LEED for Commercial Interiors closely follows both the format and structure of LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC), but modifies credits as necessary to make them applicable to an interiors project. In most cases, the Intent of each credit remains the same while the Requirements vary. For example, some of the credits in the Energy and Atmosphere category that are unattainable in an interiors project have been altered to recognize strategies that reduce the environmental impacts associated with excessive energy use; such as connected lighting power density, lighting controls, and connected equipment and appliance loads. [1]

Site Selection credits reward many of the same strategies as LEED NC - encouraging urban development and alternative transportation - while eliminating those out of the interiors scope of work. Many of the Materials and Resources and IEQ credits are nearly identical to the original, but in some cases have been expanded to recognize the significant environmental impact of furniture and furnishings in an interior. [1]

The credits available in the IEQ category target issues related to human health, productivity and quality of life. As is typical, there are two prerequisite requirements followed by other credits that are available to project teams to consider as they determine the design approach most appropriate to their scope of work. [1] The list of credits include:

• Minimum IAQ performance (required)

• Environmental tobacco smoke control (required)

• Carbon dioxide monitoring

• Increased ventilation effectiveness

• Construction IAQ management plan

• Low-emitting materials

• Indoor chemical and pollutant source control

• Controllability of systems

• Thermal comfort

• Day lighting and views

The IEQ category also features comprehensive product and furnishing emissions criteria for volatile organic compounds. Specifically, LEED-CI references the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® Products as a requirement for low-emitting furniture. GREENGUARD is the only resource for tested and certified low-emitting building materials and furnishings. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) governs and administers GREENGUARD Certification.

In addition, LEED-CI offers credits that are specific to the commercial buildings; for example, LEED-CI offers credits for the installation of energy and water sub-metering equipment and the inclusion of a direct pay clause in the lease indicating that energy costs are paid by the tenant. Further, LEED-CI offers a credit point when an occupant elects to negotiate a lease of not less than ten years. These credits are exclusive to the LEED-CI rating system due to the nature of commercial interiors market.

The LEED-CI was designed to complement the LEED for Core and Shell (LEED-CS) rating system presently under development by USGBC member committees. Together, LEED-CI and LEED-CS will establish green building criteria for commercial office real estate for use by developers, designers and tenants.

Reference

1. Bonda, P. LEED program for commercial interiors. Selected Papers From the Aerias Third Annual National Symposium: Protecting Indoor Environments and Building Occupants. Atlanta, Georgia. October 22 - 24, 2003. Aerias, LLC. Marietta, Georgia. 2003.