Using Leed® to Facilitate The Eisa Goal of Zero Fossil Fuel Use in New Federal Buildings*
Abstract
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) intro-
duced numerous requirements to improve the energy and environmen-
tal performance of federal buildings. Section 433 of EISA established
aggressive fossil fuel reduction targets for federal construction projects
which exceed $2.5 million in total cost (adjusted annually for inflation)
and/or require a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) prospec-
tus. These reductions, measured using the 2003 Commercial Buildings
Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) as the baseline, begin with 55%
for projects initiated in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 and increase stepwise to
100% for projects initiated in FY 2030.
The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Leadership in Ener-
gy and Environmental Design (LEED®) system is the most widely used
and widely accepted sustainable building rating system in the United
States. It is a performance-based, quantifiable standard that evaluates
the energy and environmental performance of buildings from a whole
building, full lifecycle perspective. The project developer applies for
points under a system of credits, which are grouped into six categories:
Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere
(EA), Materials and Resources (MR), Indoor Environmental Quality
(IEQ), and Innovation in Design (ID). Based on the total points earned,
buildings are certified at the Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum level.
Downloads
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