LEED or Energy Star woodshop

[Andrew Nemeth]

Does anyone know of any LEED certified or Energy Star certified home woodshops that have been built? I know that energy conservation by becoming a neander would help but I am curious if anyone has done this with modern electric machines. I would like to start the learning process as I will hopefully be in the position to build/rehab a "green" home and detached shop in about one year. Thanks for any ideas or resources that can be provided.

-Andrew

[Matt Ellis]

i am all about energy conservation, since i am very frugal (loml refers to me as a cheap so-and-so, but that is another story! :p). extra insulation, double paned windows and reflective roof coatings all have real world advantages, in that they have a tangible payback in utility costs over the life of the building.

LEED and the hoops you have to jump through is a bunch of bovine excrement if you'd like to use a polite term. i've had to attend several architectural meetings in which the LEED planning and certification goals were set. waterless urinals, CFL's on automated dimmer switches and extortive fees to get a plaque on the wall that shows how eco-conscious one is seems to be a waste of time, effort and resources to me. ymmv. :rolleyes:

[Andrew Nemeth]

Matt,

While I agree that LEED certification itself may not in itself be worthwhile it is the concept behind it that interests me. I doubt my wife and I will have the luxury of actually being able to certify a project we build. However, we would like to see examples of innovative design and integrate ideas that will work for us. LEED certified properties are model projects meant to challenge the way people think about resource consumption and the ultimate impact of our built environment. I'm not really interested in debating the validity of certification beyond that. What I do want is information on how people have addressed environmental issues in their own shops.

Thanks again,
Andrew

[Ryan Hellmer]

I consider myself a bit of an environmentalist.... well maybe not, but I hate waste. The issues I try to come up with is composting/repurposing my waste. I've churned out several pickup loads of shavings and about a cord of scrap this year and I am trying my best to use them for compost and heat. There is much debate on wood-burning however I would look into wood heating. If you do it right you can get an extremely efficient outdoor boiler that can supply shop and home with heat and hot water. Plus wood, particularly waste wood, is near carbon neutral (depending on who you ask). That coupled with good insulation and smart use of power for tools could lead to a much lower carbon and cash footprint. I like where your head is at.

Ryan

[Ted Calver]

Andrew,
There is a lot of information available on the web about LEED and other green building standards. Try looking at the LEED for Homes criteria for some insight into the things you can do to follow the principles without the hasle and expense of trying to get certified. There are an awful lot of municipalities that are forcing LEED on new developments and significantly raising the cost of new homes in our area.

[Thomas Bank]

As an architect, I place a certain value in LEED projects. As you say, it is a challenge to people to think about what they are doing and giving a rating system with which to compare.

However, for a home shop you're going to have a number of issues going for a LEED build - certified or not. First, as LEED addresses such things as site selection, water use, and a host of other things your build isn't going to deal with, much of it just isn't going to apply. Certain things inherent with a detached shop will go against LEED practices - more land used, more "living" space, increased electrical service. In a way, sort of like Consumer Reports faults a capable off-road vehicle for not having highway manners and not being "car-like" enough.

But if you are doing a home, I would look at the LEED for Homes criteria and then do what you can to carry those things through to a shop as they would apply - materials selection, passive solar and natural daylighting strategies, energy efficiency, air quality, etc.

[Chris Damm]

Make it well insulated, hand tools only, natural lighted and you are on the right track.

[Jay Radke]

i am all about energy conservation, since i am very frugal (loml refers to me as a cheap so-and-so, but that is another story! :p). extra insulation, double paned windows and reflective roof coatings all have real world advantages, in that they have a tangible payback in utility costs over the life of the building.

LEED and the hoops you have to jump through is a bunch of bovine excrement if you'd like to use a polite term. i've had to attend several architectural meetings in which the LEED planning and certification goals were set. waterless urinals, CFL's on automated dimmer switches and extortive fees to get a plaque on the wall that shows how eco-conscious one is seems to be a waste of time, effort and resources to me. ymmv. :rolleyes:

yeah here at work (a State Univeristy) they installed auto switches on the lights in the bathroom. only 5 mins of light if your in the stall (which is stone all the way to the floor) if no one else enters the bathroom. on top of that the switch is behind double wrapped (wrap over asbestos) pipes less than a foot from the switch. needless to say you have to walk in the dark to nearly the switch before it notices you. at least we put in a work order to get it switched back, but all the other 13+ main bathrooms still have the auto switches.

[Thomas Bank]

After a similar glitch the first time we set something like that up, we learned to put a motion sensor over the stalls too! :)

[Jeff Mackay]

I built a house recently (moved in a year ago), and spent quite a bit of time researching the LEED process and requirements. Everything Thomas said is true, LEED certification depends on a lot of things in addition to energy efficiency.

I went through the exercise of calculating the points I thought I could earn if I went through with LEED certification. My house is larger than LEED has deemed necessary for 4 people, so I was penalized for that. Still, I believe we could have achieved a LEED Silver certification if I had gone through with it.

In the end it was my choice of flooring that caused me not to seek LEED certification. At the time, LEED required that any exotic hardwood flooring used in the project be FSC certified. I don't agree with the FSC certification process, so I chose not to pursue the certification. Since that time, I believe that they have relased the flooring rules for LEED. Also, at the time, the certification process simply cost too much--I was only able to find one certifier locally, and even the certifier didn't think it was worth the expense for a homeowner building a single house.

Jeff

[Dave Lewis]

Energy Star is a federal program that was originally administered by USEPA and is now transitioning to USDOE (kinda makes sense since all the applicances get Energy Star stickers ?!).

On a practical level for new home/building construction, we had paid a small fee to our electric utility in NH (PSNH) who then retained a 3rd party consulant to review plans, conduct site visits during and after construction to evaluate the projected energy usage of our home.

We (and our timber -frame builder) supplied building plans, furnance & heating components cut sheets to the consultant who then entered data into a program that catergorizes relative energy use.

When it was all done, we rec'd a check for many times over the nominal review fee. It should be noted that ratepayers contibute into a fund so that this program can be adminstered.

Regarding LEED, several competing programs arose in to early 2000's that focused on energy eff. - LEED floated to the top is the predominant program today.

For a standalone workshop, I'd recommend approaching your local utility AFTER getting a draft plan of your intended workshop. My shop is in the basement in conditioned space with radiant floor heat and a cyclone for DC. Can't complain - except maybe for headroom.