by: Mason Gentry
In 2018, Parkland’s student union received a score of 54 out of 110 by a green building certification system called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
This score rates the student union with its original 2014 design. The finalized scorecard was delayed until 2018. The scorecard recognizes the student union as a Silver certification.
Jim Bustard, the Physical Plant Director of Parkland College, said in an interview that “the building is designed to a certain standard and the state of Illinois requires that state funded buildings are LEED certified.”
The benefit of scrutinizing buildings with the LEED scorecard is to ensure that the building is as efficient as it can be. Bustard said that energy efficiency is key when talking about a building’s overall efficiency but there are many other things that play into it.
“They’re encouraging the use of bicycling to work [and] using public transportation. One of the things in there is if you bike to work is there a place to put your bike, is there a place to come and shower and change clothes,” Bustard said.
“The Union received a six out of six in the public transportation category, and a three out of three in the low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles category”
The Union received a six out of six in the public transportation category, and a three out of three in the low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles category. However, since the scorecard rates the student union only, the score for bicycle storage and changing rooms is a zero out of one. There are changing rooms and showers in the P-Wing but those are not factored in to the LEED scorecard.
To be LEED certified the building must score a total at least 40 out of 110 points. The scorecard includes seven categories. These categories are Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Material and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation, and Regional Priority.
The student union scored the highest in Regional Priority with a score of four out of four and scored the lowest in Energy and Atmosphere with a score of three out of thirty-five.
Bustard explained that a cost-benefit analysis is responsible for the score. He said, “to do more would have cost us more.” To get more square feet, for example, the college had to settle with intentionally scoring lower in other areas. Bustard also explained that the state of Illinois only requires the LEED scorecard to have at least 40 out of 110 points. Without an unlimited budget, the design team had to balance their options to suit the needs of the school and its occupants.
The T Building at Parkland is also LEED certified as Silver.
The Applied Technology Center at Parkland is a stand-alone building with its own geothermal heating and cooling system. Because it is on its own, Bustard explained that it made “physical sense and economic sense” to do something different for this building, as it is not attached to the main building’s heating and cooling loop.
When asked why the rest of the building has not been scored by LEED, Bustard responded: “The majority of the original building, or the original campus—four or five wings—were actually opened in 1972 so that’s way before LEED certification.”
Bustard went on to explain that the original building could be LEED certified retroactively. However, because there haven’t been enough changes to these buildings or wings and there is a substantial fee attached, Parkland has not pursued a LEED certification for them yet.
The solar array that will be installed on the northwest corner of campus will likely not affect any scorecard “since its not directly on the building or part of the building’s design,” Bustard said. He went on to say that, though we may acquire energy from the new solar array, it likely won’t affect the scorecard of any building at Parkland.
Added features to buildings will also not affect the overall score until the college reapplies for LEED certification.
