Design by Forest Service Staff

If the design is done by Forest Service architects and engineers, they should possess the same knowledge, skills, and abilities that are important for contracted design professionals. Forest Service staff members who are unfamiliar with LEED should take training such as that offered by the USGBC (http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=283). Forest Service employees who design LEED buildings should become LEED-accredited professionals. Although self-study materials are available, most employees should take training to prepare for the exam to become a LEED AP. The cost per student for each USGBC-sponsored LEED technical review class and a textbook is $470. The LEED AP exam (http://www.gbci.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=28), which is administered regularly at sites across the country, costs $300.

LEED Credits That Work for Forest Service Buildings

Some LEED credits are generally more compatible with Forest Service buildings than others. For instance, it's usually easy to achieve the credit for preserving open space around Forest Service buildings. In contrast, it's usually not possible to achieve the credit for public transportation. The reason the open space credit works and the public transportation credit doesn't is because most Forest Service buildings are in remote or rural areas. These areas are blessed with plenty of open space, but usually aren't served by public transportation systems.

The strategies most likely to provide long-term cost benefits are those that lead to a more durable and energy-efficient building. Forest Service Handbook 7309.11, chapter 70, section 71.2 (http://www.fs.fed.us/im/directives/fsh/7309.11/7309.11_70.doc) and the USDA's Sustainable Buildings Implementation Plan, section 3.2.2, Guiding Principle 2–Optimize Energy Performance and Use of Renewable Energy (http://www.da.usda.gov/energyandenvironment/facilities/sbip/elements.htm) contain a number of requirements for Forest Service buildings (even those that are not LEED certified) that will improve energy efficiency. These requirements include building energy performance targets, increased energy efficiency, measurement and verification of energy use, and use of renewable energy.

Successful Forest Service LEED office buildings usually emphasize reducing energy transfer through the building walls and roof. The buildings are well insulated. Heat or cold that moves more rapidly through framing (particularly metal) than through the adjacent insulation is called thermal bridging. Thermal bridging is minimized or eliminated by using exterior insulation or structural insulated panels. Energy-efficient windows, with low-emissivity glass coatings, inert gas between the double glass panes, and nonmetallic frames also reduce heat loss and gain through the building walls. In addition, many Forest Service offices use air-to-air heat exchangers for their ventilation systems and efficient heating and cooling systems, such as groundcoupled heat pumps.

A table has been developed using data from 19 Forest Service LEED offices across the country that shows how likely it is that each available LEED credit can be successfully incorporated into Forest Service offices. See the "LEED Prerequisites and Points for Forest Service Offices" table in appendix A. The table shows the average likelihood that sustainable strategies including particular points can be incorporated successfully. Because of local conditions and climate, the actual strategies used will be different in different areas.

Life-cycle cost analysis is a great tool for determining which strategies will be most cost effective over the life of the building. More information about life-cycle cost analysis is in the publication "Life-Cycle Cost Analysis for Buildings Is Easier Than You Thought," at http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm08732839/ (Username t-d, Password: t-d).