Updated April 9, 2008

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

State law (RCW 39.35D) requires many of our grantees to meet the LEED silver standard.  LEED (which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a certification program run by the U.S. Green Building Council.

According to the American Institute of Architects, high-performance buildings are less expensive to operate, save water and energy, and improve worker performance.  These building principles offer the most savings when incorporated early in the design process.  That’s why we strongly encourage you to talk with your architect as soon as possible.

Acquisition-only projects are exempt from this requirement, as are some types of construction and renovation projects.  Contact CTED Capital Programs staff if you are unsure about how the law applies to your particular project.

All recipients of state Capital Budget grants administered by CTED Capital Programs must fill out a LEED Certification Declaration form.  This is the point where you can request an exemption.  When you submit the form depends upon the type of grant:

• Those applying for one of our competitive grants may submit this form with your application.  Or, if you wish to know before applying whether your project must comply with the law, you may submit the form at any point prior to the application deadline.
• Recipients of direct appropriations are sent this form after receiving grant award letters.

The LEED Certification Declaration should be filled out, signed, and sent to us by regular mail or fax (no e-mails, please).  If you are applying for an exemption, we will attempt to respond within 10 working days but will evaluate such requests on a first-come, first-served basis.

While filling out the high-performance building checklist (Step 4) in the form, your architect may find it useful to refer to the LEED Green Building Rating System handbook.

If you have any questions, please contact CTED Capital Programs staff.

OTHER RESOURCES:

The following resources may help you “green up” your proposed facility whether you enter the LEED certification process or receive an exemption.

• The Cascadia Chapter (www.cascadiagbc.org) of the U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) offers workshops and other training opportunities.
• The Kresge Foundation offers planning grants that cover some of the costs of developing a high-performance building (www.kresge.org).
• Dept. of Ecology (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/greenbuilding/)
• GA Green Building (www.ga.wa.gov/eas/green)
• GA Energy Life Cycle Cost Analysis (www.ga.wa.gov/eas/elcca)
• City of Seattle Sustainable Building Program (www.cityofseattle.net/sustainablebuilding or www.ci.seattle.wa.us/light/conserve/sustainability/resource)
• Resource Venture, Partnership of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Seattle Public Utilities (www.resourceventure.org)
• King County Environmental Purchasing Program (www.metrokc.gov/procure/green)
• King County’s Green Building Information & LEED Supplements (www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/LEED/index.asp)
• The NW Lighting Lab and Daylighting Lab (www.lightingdesignlab.com)
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (www.nrel.gov)
• The American Institute of Architects (AIA) – Committee on the Environment (www.aia.org/pia/cote)
• Environmental Works (www.eworks.org)
• Environmental Building News (www.buildinggreen.com)
• Environmental Design + Construction Magazine (www.edcmag.com)
• Betterbricks (www.betterbricks.com).

SOURCES:  Department of Ecology and Department of General Administration