Region to look at going green
Sep 08, 2008 - 02:37 PM
By Reka Szekely
DURHAM -- The Region is taking a look at greening up its buildings by constructing them to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
Under the LEED system, buildings get points for a range of environmentally friendly options, including using recycled building materials, conserving water and energy and maximizing air quality within the building.
There are four levels of certification: LEED Certified; Silver; Gold; and, Platinum. The higher the level, the higher the construction costs, but also the bigger the energy savings. Staff will make a recommendation on which level is best suited for the Region’s buildings.
One Durham municipality, Ajax, has already gone the LEED route. The new Ajax fire hall at Rossland Road and Salem Road is the first LEED-certified building in Durham.
Ajax Councillor Colleen Jordan said she was pleased the Region is heading in the same direction.
“It’s the right way to go, it saves money in operating costs and it’s a benefit to the environment,” she said at a recent works meeting.
Overall, studies show buildings have a big environmental footprint.
According to the United States Green Building Council, buildings in North America use 25 per cent of wood forest products and 17 per cent of fresh water. They also produce 35 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions and account for 54 per cent of energy consumption on the continent.
Studies conducted in Vancouver show LEED-certified buildings may carry an extra initial cost of two per cent, but over their life cycle, they can save 10 times the initial extra capital investment.
The study found annual utility savings ranged from 75 cents per square foot to $1.50 per square foot, depending on the level of certification.
Regional Chairman Roger Anderson said he wants to know what kind of impact LEED buildings would have on the bottom line.
“It might be the way to go, but I want to know how much it’s going to cost,” said Mr. Anderson.
He’d like to see analyses on current Regional projects.
“We’ve got a couple of ambulance stations out right now; find out how much more it would cost to build them to LEED standards.”
Region staff will further report on the issue at an October meeting.
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