Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED O+M: Existing Buildings, LEED BD+C: Core and Shell, LEED BD+C: Schools

Rating System Version

v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - Schools 2007, v2 - LEED 2.2

Inquiry

Our project is a 238,000 SF brick manufacturing facility in Terre Haute, Indiana. The project consists of 5,000 SF of office space and 233,000 SF of manufacturing area, including extrusion, drying, and kiln equipment. The energy required for the manufacturing process exceeds 90% of the facility\'s total energy load. We are submitting a separate CIR to address quantifying energy savings for the manufacturing process. In the brick industry, the typical manufacturing process (specifically the kiln) utilizes natural gas as a primary energy source. To maximize energy savings and reduce the environmental and economic impact of brick-making, our Client has selected a site that is directly adjacent to a municipal landfill, with plans to fuel the kiln with methane off-gassing from the landfill. Currently, the methane is collected, burned, and flared directly into the atmosphere; however, it can be contained, cleaned and pressurized so that it may be used constructively in lieu of natural gas. Our Client has obtained permission from the landfill to tap into this energy source. As part of our project scope, we will install compressors and an underground pipeline to transport the landfill gas to the manufacturing facility. This will replace the majority of natural gas that powers the kiln and vastly reduce the amount of on-grid energy required by the facility. Our Client will install and maintain all equipment required to prepare, transport, and apply this methane to the manufacturing process. Other than allowing us to tap into this un-used resource, the operator of the landfill will have no involvement or responsibility in this venture. Please verify that landfill off-gassing qualifies for credit under EA credit 2 in this case, even though the landfill itself is not owned by our client or located within our project site. We will calculate renewable energy as a percentage of the total building annual energy cost, including process energy.