UFC 3-530-01
22 August 2006
CHAPTER 3
SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES
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INTRODUCTION. The sustainable characteristics of a building are difficult to
measure and quantify. Two building rating systems attempt to do this. The United
States Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEEDTM) rating system and the Sustainable Project Rating Tool (SPiRiT) may be used
to rate projects. Designers must verify the goals and requirements for an individual
project. Incorporating these rating systems into the design process requires a careful
analysis of both the cost and the benefits of the strategies outlined in the rating
systems. Any design strategy has both synergies and tradeoffs with other building
systems and the project budget. Lighting design addresses several sustainable issues
and presents multiple strategies that can be considered in a particular project: daylight
utilization, lighting controls, energy efficiency, materials, light pollution, and light
trespass. All of these issues have significant impacts on the project budget that can
best be evaluated with a life-cycle cost analysis. Additionally, the most sustainable
solution to a new building project may be to renovate an existing building. In this
situation, certain lighting issues must be addressed to improve the efficiency and
visibility of an existing system.
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BUILDING RATING SYSTEMS. Because interpretations of sustainability
vary dramatically, building rating systems serve as a defined baseline for and a means
of comparison between building projects. Sustainable design inherently requires
integrated design. Rating systems provide design and construction teams with a
framework of sustainable and efficient strategies and the synergies and trade-offs that
exist between them. Refer to the Whole Building Design Guide, Design Objectives at
Sustainable goals for new facility projects vary with the military branch.
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Currently, Army FY06 and MILCON projects must meet a SPiRiT rating of
Gold. Refer to CECW-EE (1110), Sustainable Design and Development for further
details.
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Navy facilities must achieve a LEED Certified level. Refer to NAVFAC
INSTRUCTION 9830.1, Sustainable Development Policy.
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The US Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEEDTM) Rating System. The LEEDTM Version 2.1 rating system measures the
"green" performance of new and existing commercial, institutional, and high-rise
residential buildings. The system is divided into six categories: Sustainable Sites,
Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor
multiple credits can be obtained in addition to certain prerequisites that must be met to
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US Green Building Council. "Introduction". LEEDTM Reference Guide. Copyright 2001. p 3.
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