Evaluation of LEED Certification Program for Buildings A Case Study Investigator: Michael Chimack, MIE

1. Evaluation of LEED Certification Program for Buildings A Case Study Investigator: Michael Chimack, MIE Prime Grant Support: National Center for Energy Management and Building Technology Problem Statement and Motivation • The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings • Very little empirical data exists that demonstrate the short- and long-term benefits of constructing a LEED building Current LEED Projects Worldwide Technical Approach Key Achievements and Future Goals • Select two identical or nearly identical buildings, one LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rated and one non-LEED rated, to monitor the following variables for a period of one year: • Temperature, Humidity, Carbon Dioxide concentration, Lighting levels and Power consumption of all pertinent heating, ventilating and air conditioning subsystems • Use building simulation software to normalize data for differences in building orientation, occupancy, equipment scheduling, etc. • Two City of Chicago buildings have been selected for the case studies • Preliminary building equipment assessments are complete • Monitoring equipment has been ordered. Monitoring of buildings should commence in August 2006.