What is LEED?
Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC’s) LEED program is an internationally recognized green building certification system, which rates the sustainability of design, construction and operation of new or renovated buildings. Everything from materials and energy efficiency to natural light and wastewater treatment are assigned credits. The enclosure’s rating level—Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum—is based on the number of credits earned overall. Different projects have different rating systems. For example, the program for new construction, core and shell updates (base building elements including structure, envelope and heating, ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC]) and additions to existing buildings all have different criteria based on the following categories:
- Sustainable sites;
- Water efficiency;
- Energy and atmosphere;
- Materials and resources;
- Indoor environmental quality;
- Innovation in design; and
- Regional priority.
Enclosures and LEED
How does a building that opens up above a swimming pool boost the ‘green’ quotient of a project? With energy-saving technology, innovative design and forward thinking, a swimming pool enclosure can contribute to credits in a number of LEED categories. Through certification, architects and builders can minimize their building’s impact on the environment, while also sparking new ideas for saving energy and maximizing usage.
The following is an overview of how a retractable roof enclosure can make a structure more sustainable and help qualify the project for LEED credits, organized by category:
Sustainable Sites (SS)
(Includes pollution reduction, storm water management, maximizing open space, urban heat island [UHI] effect-roof.)
How a retractable enclosure helps earn credits:
- Retractable enclosures open easily to the outdoors, providing accessible open space to users;
- Many roof systems can collect storm water and be integrated into whole-site storm water management systems; and
- Aluminum framing systems can be easily integrated with other roofing systems that meet LEED requirements.
Water Efficiency (WE)
(Includes reduced water consumption, innovative wastewater technologies and water efficient landscaping.)
How a retractable enclosure helps earn credits:
- Storm water collected on the roof can be integrated into landscaping irrigation systems.
Energy and Atmosphere (EA)
(Includes maximized energy performance, use of renewable energy and green power.)
How a retractable enclosure helps earn credits:
- When the roof is open, fresh air flows easily through the building, eliminating the need for air conditioning and dehumidification systems;
- During the winter, solar heat from the enclosure’s glazed panels naturally warms up the inside air and reduces the amount of heat required;
- Natural light eliminates the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours;
- It can be integrated with renewable energy systems, such as building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems, which can be used as an alternative source of generating power; and
- Depending on the enclosure solution, some companies have shown buildings with retractable roof enclosures can save between 20 to 30 per cent in energy costs.
