Overview
LEED®, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations, and maintenance solutions.
LEED® certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:
- Sustainable site development
- Water savings
- Energy efficiency
- Materials selection
- Indoor environmental quality
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2000, the LEED® rating systems are developed through an open, consensus-based process led by LEED® committees.
As LEED® has evolved and matured, the program has undertaken new initiatives. In addition to a rating system specifically devoted to building operational and maintenance issues (LEED® for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance), LEED® addresses the different project development and delivery processes that exist in the U.S. building design and construction market.
Project teams interact with the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) for project registration and certification. GBCI was established in 2008 as a separately incorporated entity with the support of the U.S. Green Building Council. GBCI administers credentialing and certification programs related to green building practice.
Features of LEED®
The LEED® Green Building Rating Systems are voluntary, consensus-based, and market-driven. Based on existing and proven technology, they evaluate environmental performance from a whole building perspective over a building’s life cycle, providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a green building in design, construction, and operation.
The LEED® rating systems are designed for rating new and existing commercial, institutional, and residential buildings. They are based on accepted energy and environmental principles and strike a balance between known, established practices and emerging concepts.
Process
The LEED® 2009 Green Building Rating System for New Construction and Major Renovations is a set of performance standards for certifying the design and construction of commercial or institutional buildings of all sizes, both public and private. The intent is to promote healthful, durable, affordable, and environmentally sound practices in building design and construction.
LEED® 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations certifications are awarded according to the following scale:
- Certified 40–49 points
- Silver 50–59 points
- Gold 60–79 points
- Platinum 80 points and above
GBCI will recognize buildings that achieve 1 of these rating levels with a formal letter of certification.
LEED® and PRIMUS
PRIMUS works with many architects, construction contractors and end users to provide sterilizer product features that help them achieve LEED® standards. These features include:
- Water conservation systems (PRI-Saver™) that reduce water consumption up to 90%
- Sterilizer insulation to reduce energy consumption
- Sterilizer refurbishing program (PRI-Furb™) at end of useful life (99% of the sterilizer metal is reused through the refurbishing process)
- Large percentage of sterilizer materials by weight are fully recyclable
- Compliance with Restriction of Use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. This international legislation restricts the use of six specific substances within electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) to protect people and the environment
While not a formal part of end-user LEED®, PRIMUS also recycles all metal scrap, packaging cardboard, paper, plastics, and aluminum cans at its Great Bend, Kansas manufacturing location and at the Omaha, Nebraska headquarters. Only true waste products are sent to the local landfills.
PRIMUS has also encouraged its suppliers to work to reduce or eliminate unnecessary packaging materials under the principle that “recycling is good, but elimination is better.”
PRIMUS also built and uses reusable shipping containers for shipping loading equipment for outside processing.
Additionally, PRIMUS is significantly reducing its corporate footprint through facility consolidation, building upgrades, and more efficient use of space. This has significantly reduced PRIMUS’ consumption of water, natural gas, and electricity. Savings are also attained through shorter commuting distances and eliminating inter-facility travel for many associates.
Have a question or having difficulties? Talk to Dave Schall, our PRIMUS sterilizer expert who is here to assist you anytime at 877.679.7800 extension 1212 or email at dschall@spire-is.com.
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