USGBC: Strategies, Challenges in Designing Environmentally Responsible Buildings
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering prosperous, healthy, and resilient communities through sustainable practices. With a focus on shaping the built environment, USGBC believes that buildings and communities can be designed, constructed, and operated in ways that benefit both people and the planet. To this end, USGBC launched the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program in 2000, which is now one of the most widely recognized and used green building rating systems in the world, promoting sustainable building practices and helping to reduce the environmental impact of buildings and communities. SBD Detroit interviewed Lana Crouse, Regional Director U.S. Market Transformation & Development for USGBC, and joining us was Laura Long, who – as a Senior Designer at NORR, a global architecture and engineering firm – offers insights from a design perspective as it relates to Southeast Michigan. Q: What role do buildings play in greenhouse gas emissions? Long: 42% of annual CO2 emissions come from the built environment. 27% of this is from operational carbon, which is the carbon created from operating and maintaining the life of the building. The remaining 15% of CO2 emissions come from embodied carbon, the greenhouse gas emissions emitted from the manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, construction, and disposal of building and infrastructure materials. Crouse: Since buildings account for this significant portion of greenhouse gases and resource depletion, it’s crucial that we design them to minimize resource use such as water and electricity and focus on site selection so that ultimately buildings are healthier for those who inhabit them. By doing so, they do less harm to the environment. When designing and building structures, we can create spaces that also address critical issues like embodied carbon and operational carbon – the issues Laura outlined. Q: What are the biggest trends in green building currently? Long: One major trend is the requirement to track greenhouse gas emissions, which became a prerequisite in LEED 4.0 in March. This means that buildings cannot achieve LEED certification without accounting for these emissions. Another emerging trend is creating a full building lifecycle assessment (LCA) early in the design process. This assessment allows architects to evaluate the environmental impacts of products across their entire lifecycle. LCAs are pushing designers to focus on selecting materials that can reduce both embodied carbon and operational carbon, while also promoting a “cradle-to-cradle” approach to eliminate waste and help encourage manufacturers to develop systems to reclaim products at the end of their lifecycle and reuse them. Crouse: This approach – and LEED Certification – applies to all building types, including homes, communities, and districts. In Southeast Michigan, Royal Oak and Oakland County just certified under the LEED for Cities program, which shows that it’s not just about individual buildings — it’s about creating more sustainable communities where all factors, including utilities and quality of life, are taken into account. Q: How does Michigan’s approach to green building compare to the rest of the country? Crouse: Michigan ranks 20th in the total number of LEED projects among all U.S. states and territories. Progress made in green building across the U.S. is driven by both policies or mandates at the state or local level as well as by the market. While we are seeing market-driven growth in the state, Michigan lacks some of these comprehensive mandates. However, we are seeing some local governments take action. Cities like Ann Arbor and Detroit have started to establish benchmarking ordinances, but we still have opportunities to grow and implement more sustainable building codes. Q: What are the challenges for green building in Southeast Michigan? Long: One challenge is having enough builders and contractors who understand green building practices. Another is that municipalities and local governments need to drive the shift toward more sustainable building codes. While we have champions in the private sector, like Bedrock and the Erb Family Foundation, sustainability often needs to be dictated by governing bodies for widespread adoption. Crouse: A major challenge for design teams is budget constraints. Many owners believe high-efficiency operating systems cost more, and while upfront costs may or may not be higher, they lead to significant savings and environmental benefits over time. Sustainable buildings also improve employee retention and productivity by prioritizing health and well-being through elements like biophilic design and thermal comfort. Q: What are the opportunities for green building in Southeast Michigan? Crouse: Education is key — especially when it comes to helping people understand how sustainable buildings contribute to the health and well-being of those who live and work in them. Cities like Detroit and Ann Arbor are driving these efforts, but we need to reach surrounding areas to continue the push for green building. Q: Are there any standout green building projects in Southeast Michigan? Crouse: Huntington Place in Detroit achieved LEED Gold certification, the first structure of its size in Michigan to do so. It was the first convention center certified through LEED v4.1 in the world. The WPP space (Marquette Building, 243 West Congress, Detroit) is another example, recently renovated and now owned by Bedrock. Q: How do Michigan’s climate and geography affect green building strategies? Long: Michigan’s cool, humid climate and proximity to the Great Lakes present unique challenges. One of the biggest issues we face is managing stormwater to prevent pollution in the Great Lakes. Separating sewer and stormwater systems is crucial to reducing runoff into our water sources. Using LEED and low-impact development strategies, we can manage stormwater more effectively within individual project sites. Crouse: LEED is constantly evolving to meet these challenges. In 2025, we’ll roll out LEED version 5, which will place an even greater emphasis on climate resilience, stormwater management, and designing buildings to withstand extreme weather events. Q: What do you think USGBC’s role will be in the future of green building? Crouse: USGBC will continue to provide guidance to help development teams achieve sustainability and high-performing building goals. Our role is to understand the market and continually push things
Working to Make Buildings More Energy Efficient and Comfortable
Kevin McNeely, principal of the McNeely Building Group, is an independent, certified energy rater and energy modeler serving the Great Lakes Region. He’s passionate about making buildings more energy efficient and making people more comfortable in their homes and spaces. Offering performance consulting for several certifications, including RESNET, HERS, ENERGY STAR, DOE Zero Energy Ready Home, Enterprise Green Communities, LEED for Homes, (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and Passive House, McNeely is also involved in local and regional policy and implementation groups. He serves on the Detroit Region Market Leadership Advisory Board of the U.S. Green Building Council and participates in the Ann Arbor 2030 District, chairing the Multifamily Workgroup. Here, McNeely shares with SBN Detroit his processes and the “why” behind what he does. Q: Can you tell us about the McNeely Building Group’s focus? A: McNeely Building Group’s founding principle is to make buildings more energy efficient. I’ve always believed that people deserve to be in spaces that are energy efficient and comfortable. I work on everything from consulting on the energy performance and the certification of new builds, to addressing energy and comfort issues in existing dwellings to retrofitting spaces to make them more efficient. Much of my work is done in the multifamily space toward either LEED certification or the ENERGY STAR Program. I also work with low-income housing units that receive tax incentives to perform energy upgrades and HUD dwellings that receive mortgage insurance reductions upon earning a third-party building certification. Finally, I also do energy audits and comfort audits for homeowners. Q: When did you start the business and how? A: In 2005, I began McNeely Building Group focused on energy-efficient esidential buildings. I’ve always been passionate about energy efficiency, and after the economic downturn in 2008, I began focusing more on this. In 2010, I joined the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and began seeking credentials to get qualified to work with the various third-party building certification programs including EPA’s Energy Star, Net Zero, USGBC’s LEED and Passive House. Q: What is your process once you’re engaged with a builder? A: I usually begin work at the end of the schematics phase, when builders go into design development and start putting together the details of the building. If the builder is working toward ENERGY STAR or LEED Certification or HUD prerequisites I come in and start ensuring these program requirements are met. For example, the LEED Certification works on a point system. After the prerequisites are met, you gain points for certain efficiencies you build in. So, for example, you can earn a point if you install radon mitigation. I work to ensure these things are built in during the building process, and then I come back in to inspect at the end of the project. Q: What’s the main impetus behind what you do? A: Again, I firmly believe that everybody deserves to live in a comfortable and energy-efficient space. I can do that through HVAC performance and building. I believe buildings can and should be built to a higher efficiency level. This will also help mitigate potential moisture and mold issues and be more comfortable. I have found that oftentimes builders think that getting stricter in terms of energy efficiency during the building process will be more expensive. But truly, once you’ve gone through three or four builds like this, it’s business as usual, and the outcome is a higher-performance building at about the same cost as traditional construction. I also encourage building owners to market their energy efficiencies fully. More people are looking to live in energy-efficient and sustainable buildings. Q: What are some examples of Southeast Michigan clients? A: I am working with Singh Development on their Park West in Canton Township to earn Energy Star certification. Also, Singh’s The Griffin in Royal Oak is in the process of getting Energy Star certified. I also work with Beztak on several of its projects. Beztak’s Town Court in West Bloomfield earned USGBC’s LEED Silver Certification and Energy Star certification earlier this year. I also work with ACD on its existing properties and new developments. Q: What are the most impactful things construction companies can do to make a sustainability difference? A: At the bare minimum build 100% to what you know the code is regardless of what’s being enforced. From there, it does not take much to improve the air quality and energy performance of a building. And again, don’t be shy about marketing an Energy Star or LEED certification. Step up and let people know the effort you put into your projects, let them know your project has met stricter requirements compared to code. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates on sustainable business practices in and around Detroit.
