Sustainable Sites | Energy & Atmosphere | Materials & Resources | Indoor Environmental Quality
Earning LEED® Credits with Kalwall Corporation and Structures Unlimited, Inc.
The green concept has been advanced by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a coalition of building industry leaders working to promote environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Light, airy, open environments are the key. And these are building environments that have been proven to boost worker productivity, reduce absenteeism, help students learn and increase worker satisfaction.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has become a cornerstone of sustainable design among building owners, architects, engineers and contractors. Many municipalities across the country have mandated that all new public buildings, even if not actually submitted for LEED certification, must at least be designed and built with the goal of achieving certification.
One of the easiest ways to gather LEED credits revolves around lighting. Kalwall's translucent skylight, window replacement and wall systems, plus Clearspan skylights and pool enclosures from Structures Unlimited, are uniquely suited to achieve the desired results.
Possible LEED credit contributions as a result of incorporating into your design Structures Unlimited's unique, self-supporting aluminum structure technology blended with Kalwall's translucent skylight and wall systems include:
Sustainable Sites
Credit 8 – Light Pollution Reduction (1 point) "Minimize light trespass from the building and site, reduce sky-glow to increase night sky access, improve nighttime visibility through glare reduction, and reduce development impact on nocturnal environments."
• Kalwall light-diffusing characteristics prevent direct-beam illumination from leaving the building interior.
Prerequisite 2 – Minimum Energy Performance (prerequisite)
"Design the building project to comply with ... ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004..."
• Kalwall is the most highly insulating, diffuse-light-transmitting system available. With insulating values up to and exceeding R-20 (.05 U), conductive winter heat loss is kept to a minimum. Additionally, Kalwall's low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), as low as 0.05, significantly reduces summer heat gain, greatly reducing tonnage requirements for air conditioning systems, while lowering utility bills.
Credit 1 – Optimize Energy Performance (1 point each, up to 10 points)
"Demonstrate a percentage improvement in the proposed building performance rating compared to the baseline building performance rating per ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004..."
• As stated above, Kalwall provides superior winter and summer energy efficiency while transmitting diffuse daylight.
Credits 2.1 through 2.3 – Renewable Energy, 2.5%, 7.5%, 12.5% (1 point each)
"Use on-site renewable energy systems to offset building energy cost. Calculate project performance ... as a percentage of the building annual energy cost (2.5%, 7.5%, 12.5%) ... "
Structures Unlimited can incorporate a glazing system into their skylights that will accept Photovoltaic (PV) panels.
Credit 4.1 – Recycled Content, 10% (post-consumer + ½ pre-consumer) (1 point) "Use materials with recycled content such that the sum of post-consumer recycled content plus one-half of the pre-consumer content constitutes at least 10% of the total value of the materials in the project."
Credit 4.2 – Recycled Content, 20% (post-consumer + ½ pre-consumer) (1 point) "Use materials with recycled content such that the sum of post-consumer recycled content plus one-half of the pre-consumer content constitutes an additional 10% (total 20%)"
• A typical Kalwall system contains ± 20% post-consumer/pre-consumer recycled content, primarily in the aluminum extrusions used in fabricating the Kalwall panels and in the aluminum Clamp-tite installation system. Structures Unlimited's clearspan skylights and pool enclosures have an even greater recycled content, up to 30% or more, due to the aluminum box beam structure inherent to these systems.
Credit 6.2 – Controllability of Systems (1 point)
"Provide individual comfort controls for 50% (minimum) of the building occupants to enable adjustments to suit individual task needs and performance. Operable windows can be used in lieu of comfort controls..."
• Kalwall wall panels, curtainwall and window replacement systems can have project-in, project-out and casement windows for fresh air ventilation.
Credit 8.1 – Daylight & Views, Daylight 75% of Spaces (1 point)
"Demonstrate, through computer simulation, that a minimum daylight illumination level of 25 footcandles has been achieved in a minimum of 75% of all regularly occupied areas. Modeling must demonstrate 25 horizontal footcandles under clear sky conditions, at noon, on the equinox, at 30 inches above the floor."
• A computerized daylight modeling analysis is available to assist in achieving proper footcandle levels within a building. The daylight simulation (RADIANCE) shows compliance with LEED daylighting requirements. Annual Daylight Autonomy levels can also be shown, using real-world weather files for project location. Both methods show the impact of daylight design on any building space. Visit daylightmodeling.com.
Credit 8.2 – Daylight and Views, Views for 90% of Spaces (1 point)
"Achieve direct line-of-sight to the outdoor environment via vision glazing ... for building occupants in 90% of all regularly occupied areas."
• Kalwall wall panels, curtainwall and window replacement systems can easily and effectively integrate fixed and operable windows glazed with glass for connection to the outdoors. Skylights from Structures Unlimited can integrate fixed-glass panels as well as operable roof systems for natural ventilation.
View and print a Score Sheet in Excel format of possible LEED credit contribution for Kalwall/Structures Unlimited products.
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LEED Accredited Professional
Michael Crowder, CSI, National Sales Manager for Structures Unlimited, Inc., has demonstrated his knowledge of integrated design and his capacity to facilitate the LEED certification process by becoming a LEED Accredited Professional. Crowder brings his understanding of green building practices and principles and his familiarity of the USGBC and LEED requirements, resources and processes to projects for both Kalwall Corporation and Structures Unlimited.
Kalwall Corporation and Structures Unlimited, Inc., are strategic partners.