LEED & Maintenance Management
September 25, 2009
I�m Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today�s topic is LEED and maintenance management.
When facility managers with Philips Arena in Atlanta decided to pursue certification under the U.S. Green Building Council�s rating system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, they knew they faced a major challenge.
Despite tight budget constraints and a timeline of about a year, the arena � home to the Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Thrashers of the National Hockey League (NHL) � became the first NBA or NHL arena to achieve LEED certification for an existing building.
Philips Arena completed a handful of projects in each of the rating system�s six categories to earn 39 points and LEED certification. Here are examples of projects in two categories:
First, Sustainable Sites. Landscaped areas outside the arena are limited, but staff developed a hardscape-management plan, including more intense cleaning of concrete to increase reflectivity, to earn points under Credit 7.1, Heat Island Reduction, Non-Roof. The arena also makes sure its contract landscape maintenance company follows green practices, including composting clippings and trimmings.
Second, Water Efficiency. Atlanta is the largest U.S. city serviced by the smallest aquifer per capita, so initiatives to conserve water are critical. The arena installed urinals that use one-half gallon per flush during original construction in the late 1990s, and it has added one-half-gallon-per-minute aerators to faucets. All public restrooms also feature automatic faucets.
To meet LEED�s Minimum Indoor Plumbing Fixture & Fitting Efficiency prerequisite in the water-efficiency category, the arena has implemented a strict preventive maintenance program to monitor the performance of plumbing fixtures.
Finally, technicians are conducting whole-building metering to achieve Credit 1.1, Water Performance Measurement, Whole Building Metering, as well as sub-metering water use for the arena�s cooling towers, irrigation, and fire system for Credit 1.2, Water Performance Measurement, Submetering.
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