Pacific Northwest National Laboratory U.S. Department of Energy Materials Tools for Sustainable Design Kim M. Fowler Senior Research Engineer Pacific Northwest National Laboratory May 2, 2006 NOTE: This presentation provides a sampling of available tools. Mention of tools in this presentation does not imply PNNL recommendation or support for the tools.

2 Sustainable Design: Building Materials  Sustainable design requires more than good materials choices!  Sustainable design is integrated, whole building design that offers an optimal balance of economic, environmental, and societal considerations. The fundamental principles of sustainable building design are: Optimize site potential Optimize energy use Protect and conserve water Use environmentally preferable products Enhance indoor environmental quality Optimize operational and maintenance practices Economy EnvironmentSociety

3 What to consider when selecting sustainable building materials  Minimize quantity of materials  Durability  Flexibility  Maintainability  Impact on building occupants  Use of other resources during operation and maintenance of building  Low emitting materials  Regionally available  Anti-microbial treatments  Life cycle impact  Salvaged materials  Sustainably managed wood products  Renewable resources  Recycled content  Recyclability  Toxicity  Ozone depleting potential  Global warming potential  Reusability  Manufacturing environmental impact  Packaging  Aesthetics  Cost

4 Types of Tools  Design Strategy Federal drivers Product selection  Specific Material Selection Paint Carpet Adhesives Wood  Impact Evaluation Life cycle assessment Rating systems

5 Design Strategy  Federal drivers EPA’s Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program (FB4P) Executive Order reporting requirements Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)  Product selection Design specifications Product selection guides

6 Resources for Sustainable Design Specification Wording  EPA Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers  WBDG Unified Facility Guide Specifications  Building Green’s GreenSpec Directory  EPA’s Research Triangle Park Specifications  WasteSpec  New York

7 Product Selection Guides  GSA Environmental Products and Services Guide psg_optB(final%20web%20version2)_R2OP1-z_0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR.pdf psg_optB(final%20web%20version2)_R2OP1-z_0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR.pdf  The Green Building Advisor  Architectural Record – Green Product Guide  City of Austin Sustainable Building Sourcebook  King County Environmental Purchasing Program  Environmental Home Center

8 Material Specific Tools  The Master Painters Institute  (MPI) Green Performance TM Standard Paint  GreenSeal – Choose Green Reports In-depth environmental impact reports on over 15 different construction materials/products ranging from lighting to particle board  Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) – Green Label Plus Carpet and adhesives  Forest Stewardship Council Certified wood

9 Impact Evaluation  Life cycle assessment Building for Environmental Economic Sustainability (BEES 3.0) Envest (Europe) Environmental Impact Estimator (Athena Model - Canada) LISA (Australia)  Rating systems Building Research Establishments Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE) GBTool Green Globes U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED 2.2)

10 How can Environmental Professionals assist building designers?  Provide information on the requirements for sustainable design  Identify which materials are available at a comparable cost and quality in your location/region  Provide targeted summaries of resources that address the current need of the design professional  Research and summarize product quality information for design professionals

11 With so many resources/tools, how do I know which one to use?  Determine if the resource/tool is applicable Is it a fit for the building function/type? Is it a match for the geographic region? Does it match the organization or community needs? Does the level of innovation match the organization’s willingness to take risk?  Check the validity of the resource/tool Who is the sponsor? Is similar information provided on more than one site? Is the information up-to-date?

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory U.S. Department of Energy Questions? Contact Information: Kim M. Fowler Senior Research Engineer Pacific Northwest National Laboratory