CC_Minutes_2011_1121 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday,November 21, 2011 Page 15 the end of the project; while LEED used a documentation process, thus creating a more expensive system. Discussion included differences in the processes; LEED documentation and di- vided by points and proving how you achieved those specific points via documen- tation throughout the process; geothermal not being part of the point system, even though saving energy; benchmark levels for efficiency in the LEED system, with geothermal helping to achieve those points; creation of a baseline for a generic building with no energy efficiency aspects, and energy-modeling a final design for anticipated energy use for the building; and differences in the two (2) certifi- cation programs and why one is so much more well-known than the other. Mr. Hilbert noted that both the Green Globes and LEED certification programs originated in the United Kingdom, with both systems using different weighting aspects; accuracy of third party verification; cost for Green Globe certification es- timated at $50,000 and LEED certification estimated at $100,000 and the various levels pursued from silver, gold and platinum for the LEED certification and how that impacted costs for the certification programs and ultimately impacted design costs; and those silver range items that are already proposed to be built into the design. Discussion ensued regarding energy modeling and commissioning; different strat- egies to achieve various levels for certification goals and related costs; function versus form for a fire station; and time to set benchmarks or standards later in the design process, depending on the direction of the City Council. Mr. Hilbert opined that, based on the building's current design and construction costs, silver certification was achievable with little additional effort; with higher certification levels potentially having additional or higher costs. Mr. Hilbert ad- vised that few fire stations had achieved LEED certification to-date; and that there was no stigma between certification of either LEED or Green Globes systems. In response to the requested City Council directive being sought, Councilmember Willmus stated that he was supportive of design sustainability; and that certifica- tion was important to him at the silver level given a limited number of additional dollars required; however, he opined that without knowing the actual additional costs to go further, certification was not that important to him. Councilmember McGehee expressed interest in knowing more about the curve on the displayed graph and construction costs for LEED certification and differences between the silver and gold columns and whether there was a large difference in the two categories. Based on the previous HRA presentation on the Green Re- modeling Book and the HRA's Living Smarter Campaign, Councilmember McGehee stated that sustainable building was important to her, as well as having