Future UW buildings 'green' by mandate

Kayla Webley
2005-04-18
The Daily

Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a bill into law that will force the UW to go green.

Senate Bill 5509 mandates all buildings over 5,000 square feet that receive state funding to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standard.

The LEED standards, set by the U.S. Green Buildings Council, provide standards for energy and environmentally efficient buildings.

"[Gregoire] supported it because it represents a way to provide both benefits to the environment and for schools and the state government to save money," said Jerry Gilliland, deputy communications director for Gregoire. "She also believes this bill will be an example for private industry all the way from shopping centers to homebuilders to look at using green alternatives in their buildings."

The law will require the UW, as well as any other institution, to use LEED specifications in their buildings.

"This new law positions Washington State and the University at the leading edge of green-buildings policy," said Aaron Best, co-chair of Sustainable UW Alliance (SUWA). "I'm proud of the University for supporting the legislation."

Though the UW was not previously required to LEED certify under state law, there are two buildings in the LEED review process -- Merrill Hall, newly rebuilt in the Center for Urban Horticulture, and an off-campus housing complex, Nordheim Court.

The UW is optimistic about both buildings being certified, said JR Fulton, project manager of UW Capital Projects. Merrill Hall will most likely be certified silver, but has a chance of being certified as the higher standard, gold.

UW Tacoma has one building that has already met LEED specifications.

"The UW has been very proactive in the last couple of years on LEED," said Fulton. "The majority of larger projects have been considered for LEED, if not actually followed through on."

The UW largest renovation projects, Architecture and Guggenheim Halls, are planned to be LEED projects, though the final decision is contingent on getting enough funding, said Fulton.

Green buildings typically cost more upfront to meet specifications, but that cost generally comes back, said Bethany Van Etten, co-chair of SUWA.

"Upfront cost of the building is between zero and three percent more on top of the initial cost of the building," said Van Etten. "But over a 20 years lifecycle ... they gain back 20 percent of their initial capital cost from savings in electricity and water."