| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Principle 4 | Green Building Design and Sustainable Campus Operations – Strategies to address emissions associated with designing, building, maintaining, and operating campus buildings and grounds. |
| Goal 4.1 | Any new construction must meet the MA LEED Plus green building standards (LEED most current version) or other standards as identified in Goal 1.1 as being necessary to achieve carbon reduction commitments and meet sustainability objectives and continue to research and employ improved sustainable building practices. |
| Metric | Annual report of building construction and LEED Certifications |
Define the goal issue and provide background info to understand the goal in lay terms.
In 2006, the Massachusetts Sustainable Design Roundtable was assembled consisting of a public-private collaboration of 54 state agencies, private firms and non-profit organizations to create An Action Plan for Green Building in Massachusetts State Construction Project.The Roundtable has recommended adoption of a new “Massachusetts LEED Plus” standard that specifically mandates certain LEED points for energy performance, building commissioning (i.e. 3rd party verification that a building’s systems work as designed), achievement of smart growth objectives, and water conservation.
This criterion evolved into LEED Silver for new buildings and the basic LEED Plus for construction projects less than 20,000 SF.
Why is this goal important to highlight?
The Roundtable’s report found that in studying 33 green buildings that were already built, by spending an additional $3-5 per SF in building costs, a savings of $15 per SF in operational costs from lower energy, water and maintenance was observed.
Where do the University/campuses currently stand in meeting this goal?
The University of Massachusetts Building Authority has established the Massachusetts LEED Plus and LEED Silver minimum standard for all new construction. Where applicable the campuses have been designing to the LEED Gold standard or higher.
Are there other groups/departments who will be critical in meeting this goal?
There are numerous stakeholders associated with the success of this goal: DCAMM and UMBA, Campus Leadership, University’s Facility Management (Planning, Project Management, Operations & Maintenance), Sustainability and Energy Management, and EH&S.
What has been done in the past to advance towards this goal?
The establishment of an energy and sustainability standard of LEED Plus & LEED Silver for the Facilities departments to use when considering the renovations and designs for new buildings.
What does the University/campus need to do in order to reach this goal?
The design of new construction and renovations provides the opportunity to evaluate the impact of energy infrastructure from a financial and energy efficiency perspective. The diligent application of these standards on all projects, no matter how large or small, will continue to demonstrate progress towards our goal.
The University must also examine opportunities to design beyond LEED standards depending on the project. Other building standards might be more suitable depending on the project details such as Zero Net Energy Buildings (ZNEB), Passive House, Lab 21 Green Lab Standards, Greening IT practices, Living Building Challenge, and Architecture 2030.