Rating System

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

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.0, v2 - LEED 2.2, v2 - LEED 2.2, v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - Schools 2007, v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - LEED 2.0, v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - LEED 2.0, v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - LEED 2.0, v3 - LEED 2008, v3 - LEED 2009

Inquiry

Grants for PV Panels The Design Build Team for a government office building in California was given a stipulated sum for the entire scope of the project. In an effort to incorporate green strategies to the project that would otherwise not have economically feasible with the limited budget, the Design Build Team sought out new sources for funding, outside the Project stipulated sum, including federal, state and local grants and industry incentive programs. One identified source was a local utility that would donate photovoltaic panels under the stipulation that the panels had to be incorporated into the architecture, and not just added onto the building. The design team re-designed parts of the exterior, and worked with the exterior building envelope sub-contractors and the PV panel suppliers to develop systems to incorporate the PV panels directly into the exterior curtain wall. As a result, over 300 PV panels were incorporated into the project at no cost to the Owner. The PV wall system includes both structural butt-glazed panels and captured panels, which kept intact the original design intent. Question: Would the seeking out of funding sources for green features be considered an innovation point?