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Navy Surges Ahead with Green Initiativies, Building Certifications

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090618-09
Release Date: 6/18/2009 1:25:00 PM

By MC1(SW) Kurt Riggs, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy recently broke ground for a new environmentally friendly barracks facility at Recruit Training Command (RTC) on Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., and a state-of-the-art fuel facility at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, Calif.

Currently, the Navy has nine buildings certified in compliance with Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards.

Developed in the 1990s by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is a certification system for environmentally friendly construction, indicating the project meets or exceeds government mandates as well as industry standards.

Buildings can achieve certified, silver, gold or platinum designation of LEED compliance. The Navy requires all construction and major renovation projects to be compliant to LEED silver standards or better.

Joseph E. Gott, a protection engineer, member of the senior executive service and chief engineer for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, cites federal mandates for environmental certification as one of the reasons for the Navy's rule requiring LEED certification of silver or better on all new construction.

"This really helps us in the long run to save money on maintenance and total cost over the lifespan of the facilities," Gott said. These goals help reduce our energy demand and the total cost of ownership. It's really a win all the way around."

A 58,000-square foot drill hall completed in 2008 at RTC Great Lakes, also LEED silver certified, included an underground storm water retention system reducing erosion and runoff, low water use fixtures, a passive low voltage window shade control system, low-maintenance wall tile and flooring and recycled masonry and construction materials from local sources, all of which reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

The child development center (CDC) at Naval Air Station Oceana, Md., completed in 2007, was the first CDC in the DoD to be LEED silver certified. Among its features contributing to certification are soundproofing throughout the facility reducing jet noise, a pile foundation and terne-coated stainless steel rooves, gutters and downspouts.

The process of getting a building LEED certified is not easy. The intent to apply for certification begins with design of the building by identifying performance goals required by the LEED system. Once these requirements are met, and a design is generated that conforms to these goals, the actual construction of the building must also be tailored to meet these needs.

The USGBC reviews the documented evidence of conformance to determine if the building satisfies the requirements for certification.

The Navy's requirement for LEED silver certification of all new buildings and major construction renovation projects represents its continued commitment to environmentally friendly endeavors.

For more news from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/navfachq/.