Wright-Patt building earns Air Force leadership in energy certification

  • Published
  • By Josh Aycock
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) --  The Air Force Institute of Technology's new academic building here recently achieved the base's first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design "Silver" certification rating, a nationally accepted benchmark for facility design, construction and operation.

LEED is an Air Force initiative for improving energy efficiency and natural resource conservation at its installations, while establishing safe, healthy and productive environments and facilities.

"It is the first facility to receive a LEED certification on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and symbolizes a significant commitment to incorporating sustainable methods of construction in new facilities," said Kevin Hill, 88 ABW's LEED accredited professional. "It represents the start of an aggressive effort toward increased energy efficiency and conservation force-wide."

The new facility, located on the AFIT campus in Area B, houses AFIT classrooms, research and administrative functions. Sustainable or "green" features of the project include:

- Low-flow plumbing fixtures to reduce water usage and waste.
- Landscaping that is indigenous to the area, drought resistant and does not require irrigation.
- New interior finishes incorporate 20 percent recycled content material and were selected for low volatile organic compound emittance.
- Twenty percent of all building materials were produced regionally, within 500 miles of Wright-Patterson, which reduces the amount of fuel required for shipping and lowers total carbon gas emissions.

According to Mr. Hill, technology, industry and economies of scale now exist such that carpet, ceiling tiles, structural steel, windows, metal siding, systems infrastructure, paving and concrete can all be recycled and reused.

"When one walks in the door, it is not readily apparent that the building is sustainable or green," Mr. Hill said. "The certification is symbolic of architects, engineers, contractors, and users, all collaborating to design and construct sensibly."

Current Air Force civil engineering policy requires ever improving energy efficiency and natural resource conservation at its installations while establishing safe, healthy and productive built environments and facilities. The Air Force is currently using the LEED scoring system as a means to document and measure these sustainability metrics in newly constructed facilities.

The LEED Green Building Rating system for new construction serves as a guideline and measurable metric for design professionals to improve the quality of our facilities and reduce facility impacts on the natural environment.

According to Mr. Hill, in the United States, buildings use one-third of our energy, two-thirds of the nation's electricity, one-eighth of its water and reduce land available for natural habitats that provide valuable ecological resources.

"Hopefully this is the first of many LEED certified facilities to come," he said. "It's a special feeling to see Air Force policy and goals go from concept to concrete."