DENVER, Jun 21, 2006 -- BUSINESS WIRE

 

The Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC) announces the release of a new guide to help building owners and design teams build better, more energy efficient buildings in Colorado. "Using LEED-NC(R) in Colorado: Tips, Resources & Examples" is now available at no cost, on the OEMC website. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is the standard for green building rating systems.

This Guide provides recent examples of green buildings in Colorado. It shows how building managers and designers can use the LEED rating system to consider practical, cost-effective features for new construction and that incorporating smart design doesn't have to cost more than conventional buildings. Additionally, LEED buildings can save money for decades to come through lower energy and water bills and are better places to work with benefits such as improved air quality, temperature control, and daylighting.

"Our goal is to promote smart green building strategies in new buildings," said Drew Bolin, OEMC director. "This Guide uses Colorado examples to demonstrate how new construction including LEED features can be done practically while providing benefits in energy savings and comfort over the long term."

"This Guide provides a bridge between the reference material in official rating systems and on-the-ground experiences of Colorado building owners, architects, contractors and LEED consultants," said Amy Jiron, Executive Director of the U.S. Green Building Council's Colorado Chapter, with whom the guide was collaboratively developed. "The photos and examples from these projects illustrate what really works in Colorado, and prove the benefits of green buildings for state and local governments, schools, and private building owners."

The Guide provides over 100 pages of information and links, including:

-- An introduction to the USGBC and the LEED-NC version 2.1 rating system

-- A list and photos of all LEED certified projects in Colorado

-- Credit-by-credit guidance for the LEED-NC version 2.1 rating system

-- Resources for more information in every category: site selection and development, water quality and efficiency, energy efficiency and renewable energy, indoor air quality, and material selection

-- A list of green building associations in Colorado and general green building resources

-- A list of funding sources for green buildings and high performance design

-- Links to research on the costs and benefits of green building, and

-- A quick overview of major changes in LEED-NC version 2.2. Future updates of this Guide are planned.

OEMC also provides support to help Colorado's state and local governments initiate this process to build better buildings through its Rebuild Colorado program. To learn more about this Guide, OEMC, Rebuild Colorado, LEED and other information, contact:

-- OEMC & Rebuild Colorado: www.colorado.gov/oemc, Linda Smith, 303-866-2264, Linda.smith2@state.co.us

-- Using LEED-NC in Colorado: Tips, Resources & Examples free download: http://www.colorado.gov/rebuildco/services/highperformance/ leed_co/index.htm (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

-- USGBC Colorado Chapter: Amy Jiron, amy@usgbccolorado.org, 303-229-9424, www.usgbc.org/chapters/colorado

-- General LEED information: www.usgbc.org/leed. LEED is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council.

SOURCE: Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation

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