Get educated: Go green
By Timothy J. O'Brien, May 2007
Global warming has heated up the debate about energy consumption and its effect on our environment. Less than two years ago General Electric adopted a company wide environmental initiative and became the largest corporation to call for the reduction of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Just a few short months ago Exxon took its first baby step towards dealing with global warming by cutting funding to several think tanks that produced papers disputing global warming.
There are a myriad of ways to deal with increased energy costs, the depletion of fossil fuels and the global conflict that goes along with them. One of the easiest ways to cut energy bills is to use less energy. Conservation can take many forms. The use of energy efficient designs and materials in buildings has become one of the more popular and sensible ways to address skyrocketing energy costs.
The U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit that is dedicated to sustainable building design and construction, originated the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard which is the benchmark rating system for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Attaining different levels of LEED certification involves some costs. The higher construction costs average less than two percent more to make building LEED compliant according to a report by Greg Kats. Those costs have come down in the four years since Kats study was published. The higher start up cost is recouped twenty times over through energy and waste reductions throughout the life cycle of the building. The green building standard is made up of five main components, materials and resources, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, sustainable sites and water efficiency.
Both the City of Houston and the Houston Community College System have adopted LEED certification standards. When HCCS adopted LEED standards in July 2004 HCC board chair Herman Litt noted that “HCC wants to be at the forefront of a conscientious movement to save energy and be environmentally friendly.”
In addition to lower energy bills, waste reduction and emissions, studies show green buildings also increase worker productivity and students grade. Then why hasn’t the University of Houston system adopted the LEED standards?
Apparently University of Houston System is stuck in its fourth tier mentality because it has not even considered adopting LEED standards. The Gerald Hines School of Architecture has two LEED accredited faculty members and offers a class that covers LEED principles. When asked why the University didn’t use LEED certification, a UH staff architect said that she didn’t need anyone “looking over her shoulder” when designing new buildings.
One of the most recent construction projects completed on the main campus was the Science and Engineering complex which cost taxpayers over fifty-three million dollars. Although some energy saving features were included in its design it does not meet LEED certification standards nor did the planners or architects even consider attaining LEED certification. One would think that a building that is used for science and research would itself use cutting edge design techniques.
The University’s master plan calls for main campus building square footage to double. The University, students and taxpayers cannot allow this amount of construction to take place without the considering adopting LEED standards for all new construction. The Board of Regents Priorities, printed in the preface of the Campus Design Guidelines clearly state “To position UHS as a leader in the dynamic and challenging environment of a metropolitan university system.” Then why is the University trailing Houston Community College system when it comes to green buildings? Why aren’t they acting like leaders on this issue?
Last year the Daily Cougar, the University student paper revealed that there was a $17 million dollar deficit in the UH budget due to energy costs. That’s reason enough for the University to take the LEED and go green.
Timothy J. O’Brien is a Doctoral candidate at the University of Houston.
