LEED principles promote healthy human environment

This column recently discussed a perceived market opportunity to create model homes that bring together efficient use of green energy, water purification, eco-friendly building materials, recycling and edible gardens. It challenged leaders of the solar industry to consider new partnerships to develop comprehensive healthy, sustainable communities that combine cutting-edge technology for energy and transportation together with lifestyle solutions through partnerships with innovative architects, developers and the health care industry.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, is a set of criteria used to rate green buildings and offers an excellent point of departure for this concept. LEED includes the following five main categories:

» Sustainable Sites
» Water Efficiency
» Energy and Atmosphere
» Materials and Resources
» Indoor Environmental Quality

According to Susan Irvine of Architects Pacific Inc., LEED is not only about architecture, but also healthy human environments for people who occupy these cutting-edge buildings. One of the prime goals of the LEED program’s Indoor Environmental Quality category is to employ building materials with low volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.

The Environmental Protection Agency describes the negative health effects of VOCs as "eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, damage to liver, kidney and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans." The good news, Irvine says, is that as a result of the LEED program and other sustainable programs, low-VOC building materials are more readily available today than they were just five years ago.

Paint and carpet are obvious culprits, but plywood and formaldehyde are also important considerations. Did you know that corian, commonly used for countertops, is free of formaldehyde and VOCs?

LEED also advocates that VOCs get flushed out of new buildings before they are occupied. Ventilation and air conditioning are all turned to high for up to a month, and the air is monitored for safety. Irvine says that one positive development since the 1970s is the introduction of fresh air and CO2 monitors enabling better control of indoor air quality.

In Hawaii’s humid climate, healthy indoor air must include effective prevention of mold. The key is a good initial design that controls humidity and eliminates condensation within the building envelope. The challenge is that more fresh air means more moisture. This moisture has to be removed, which takes more energy and increases operating costs. Efficient air-conditioning and ventilation systems can be designed by mechanical engineers to achieve such balance.

According to Elliot Oka­mura, president of Team Going Green LLC, "The first thing to do is make the building run with maximum energy efficiency." This includes an upgrade of appliances, motors and equipment. Use cool LED lighting, which saves 40 percent on electricity consumption while providing more light. Then purchase the photovoltaic system. This might be able to cut back the size and cost of the solar panel array. Team Going Green was a major factor in the Building of the Year Award being given to 1717 Ala Wai condominium by the Institute of Real Estate Management.

Another useful tool is daylighting, the practice of placing windows, skylights and reflective surfaces in such a way that natural light provides effective internal light.

A healthy indoor physical environment results in enhanced productivity whether at home or in the workplace. Studies have shown that better-built environments enable improved attention span and better attendance at school or on the job.

Expanding partnerships among the solar industry and architects and developers knowledgeable and committed to LEED principles will benefit all concerned.

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Ira Zunin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., is medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Services Inc. Please submit your questions to info@manakaiomalama.com.