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by Britt Faucette, Ph.D., CPESC, LEEDAP

COMPOST based best managementpractices (BMPs) are a natural f it forgreen buildings and have been increasing-ly incorporated in LEED certified proj-ects. From restoring habitat, decreasingstorm water, helping to decrease urbanheat islands and water use, to using recy-cled and locally manufactured materials,compost based products are helpingdesign teams and developers achievemore LEED credits.

Of the major rating systems forbuilding construction under LEEDVersion 2.2 (New Construction, ExistingBuildings, Core and Shell, CommercialInteriors, Homes, Schools, andNeighborhood Development [pilot]),LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC)is the most widely used program in whichcompost based products and practiceshave been designed and installed andused to help a project team accrue creditstoward LEED Certification. Followingare two case studies utilizing compostBMPs on LEED projects.

Case Study: Southface Eco OfficeSouthface is a green building educa-

tion, research, advocacy, and technicalservice providing non-profit organizationthat has been a leading resource for the

green building community for 30 years.Based in midtown Atlanta, Southface hasgrown rapidly with the thriving greenbuilding industry, and as such, has recent-ly completed a new Eco Office for theirexpanding staff and training capabilities,and to showcase some of the leading

trends in green building design and con-struction. Applying for LEED PlatinumCertification, the new Eco Office hasincorporated: a green roof system toreduce the urban heat island and stormwater volume and peak flow rates; rooftop and landscape storm water runoffcatchment systems for water reuse insideand outside the building; compost andmulch erosion control blankets for siteerosion control and site storm water volume reduction; a bioswale system utilizing a vegetated wall system manu-factured from compost socks; a compostbased bioretention system used to reducesite storm water volume and peak flowrates, and f ilter storm water prior to entry into an underground cistern; a vege-tated wall system, made from compostsock technology, used to decrease the

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What is Green Building and LEED Certification?Buildings in the US account for nearly 25% of all the water consumed in this country,40% of the municipal solid waste, 50% of all green house gas emissions, 30% of allvirgin wood and raw materials use, and 40% of all energy use (75% if you includetransportation between buildings) according to the US Green Building Council(USGBC). The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) programcreated and administered by the USGBC is a point accrual and rating system that promotes and certifies environmentally sustainable building projects to create anational standard, through third party verification, in order to increase the value ofgreen buildings in the marketplace. The LEED green building rating and certificationprogram is targeted to projects that decrease their environmental footprint andincrease occupant well being. During the site and building design phase a projectteam of developers, builders, architects, and consultants determine what level ofLEED certification they plan to achieve by predicting how many credits they planaccrue based on their design plan. Ultimately, the USGBC reviews and audits the finished product to determine what the project team was able to accomplish and how many credits the project is awarded. To be LEED Certified a project must attainat least 26 credits out of 69 possible. Levels of Certification include: Certified = 26-32,Silver = 33-38, Gold = 39-51, and Platinum = 52-69. Higher levels of certificationhave been correlated to higher real estate values, lower operation and maintenancecosts, higher worker productivity and attendance, and even greater rent revenues.Increasingly, municipal and federal government agencies are requiring new publicbuildings be LEED Certified. The square footage registered and certified under theLEED green building program has increased from 80 million in 2002 to 8 billion in2008. This currently represents approximately 3% of the total US building construc-tion market. This high growth rate, coupled with an even higher ceiling, and strongsupport from the new administration has made companies of all sizes and market sectors clamor for a foot in this field.

Using Compost BMPs forLEED Green Building Credits

Compost socks can be planted with livestakes or plugs at installation.

From restoring habitat,decreasing storm water,helping to decreaseurban heat islands andwater use, to using recy-cled and locally manufac-tured materials, compostbased products are help-ing design teams anddevelopers achieve moreLEED credits.

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bioretention site footprint and restorehabitat to this ultra-urban environment;and a compost filter sock used to helpstabilize a porous paved sidewalk systemand filter storm runoff effluent exiting theporous pavement.

Case Study: Verdae DevelopmentVerdae Development is an 1100 acre

commercial and residential developmentproject that resides completely within thecity limits of Greenville, South Carolina.Hollingsworth Park is the first phase ofthe residential sector of the VerdaeDevelopment, which will ultimatelyinclude approximately 5000 new homes.This development is registered, and isseeking certification, through the LEEDfor Neighborhood Development (ND)program, where its homes will incorporate a variety of green building

practices, including ultra high energy andwater eff icient systems, and green building materials that include composttechnologies. This development is exclu-sively using compost based products

for perimeter control, inlet protection,slope stabilization, bioswales, and raingarden/bioretention systems. Green Site

Services is the lead site contractor for this development and is designing and installing products by FiltrexxInternational to accomplish these objec-tives. Filtrexx International offers over 20different compost based construction andpost-construction storm water manage-ment best management practices (BMPs)that are currently being designed andinstalled on LEED projects. They workdirectly with the site and building designteam to help them maximize their LEEDcredit potential.

There are currently six categoriesunder the LEED-NC rating system, how-ever compost based products only con-tribute to the following three; SustainableSites, Water Efficiency, and Materials andResources.

Sustainable Sites (SS) This category is divided into 15

sub-categories, although only 5 providecredits where compost BMPs can con-tribute to a maximum of 5 credits, and 1prerequisite.

SS Prerequisite 1 (0 credits)Construction Activity PollutionPrevention requires erosion and sedimentcontrol practices that comply with minimum requirements for NPDES PhaseII and state and local regulations.Although no credits are awarded, this is aprerequisite, and compost BMPs can beapplied.

SS Credit 5.1 (1 credit) SiteDevelopment: Protect and RestoreHabitat awards a credit for the preserva-tion or restoration of site wildlife habitat.If the site is a greenfield (undeveloped)

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Bioretention system at Southface using compost socks, compost engineered soil, and com-post blankets.

This development isexclusively using com-post based products forperimeter control, inletprotection, slope stabi-lization, bioswales, andrain garden/bioretentionsystems.

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the plan must preserve 50% of the undisturbed area; if the site has been previously developed the plan mustrestore native habitat to 50% of the sitearea. Compost products have been widelyused for land and ecosystem restorationprojects. Compost uniquely restoresabove and below ground biodiversity andhabitat which is essential to plant com-munity health and ecosystem functionand sustainability. Most compost basedproducts are 100% biodegradable andmanufactured from organic materialsnative to the bioregion where they will beapplied; making these products uniquelyindigenous to the native wildlife andhabitat restoration project. Additionally,these products will not disrupt wildlifemigration patterns and will not trapwildlife.

SS Credit 6.1 (1 credit) Storm WaterDesign: Quantity Control awards acredit for reducing site storm water. Siteswith less than 50% impervious surfacearea must maintain post-development sitehydrological peak runoff rate and volumeto pre-development conditions based on a2 yr-24 hr storm; or reduce peak flows toreceiving stream channels and preventtheir erosion and sedimentation utilizingnatural systems that include native oradapted vegetation. For sites with greaterthan 50% impervious surface area a credit is awarded by reducing site stormwater volume by 25% based on a 2 yr-24 hr storm event. Compost basedLow Impact Development managementpractices have been widely used to great-ly reduce site storm water volume, peakflow rates, and stabilize stream banks andchannels using natural materials native tothe site bioregion.

SS Credit 6.2 (1 credit) Storm WaterDesign: Quality Control awards a creditfor on-site treatment of post-constructionstorm water resulting from 90% of theaverage annual rainfall (from historicalrecords) or reducing 80% of the averageannual TSS load. Compost technologies,such as compost storm water blanketsand bioretention systems, have been usedto target runoff volume reduction, whichreduces TSS loads; and can be used tofilter and trap TSS from storm waterthrough the compost sock and storm

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water pollutant trap applications. Thesecompost based Low Impact Developmentmanagement practices are specificallydesigned for these types of applications.

SS Credit 7.2 (1 credit) Heat IslandEffect: Non-Roof awards a credit forminimizing the negative affects of siteand building microclimate by reducinghardscape features that increase heat, notpertaining to the roof. The site plan mustprovide a minimum of 50% shade to sitehardscapes 5 years after occupancy. Mostcompost products can assist in growingrapid, healthy and sustainable site vegeta-tion used to shade area hardscapes which

can contribute to this credit.

SS Credit 7.2 (1 credit) Heat IslandEffect: Roof awards a credit for minimiz-ing the negative affects of site and build-ing microclimate by reducing roof fea-tures that increase heat. Vegetated roofsystems have been widely used to insulatebuildings and to assist in minimizing con-tributions to the urban heat island. Thebuilding design must have 50% of theroof area utilizing a green roof system orthe majority of the roof area must use acombination of a green roof and highlysolar reflective materials. Using compostmedia in green roof

systems can improve vegetation establish-ment, health, and sustainability.

Water Efficiency (WE)This category is divided into 5 sub-

categories, where 3 provide credits whichcompost products/practices may con-tribute toward a maximum of 3 credits.

WE Credit 1.1 (1 credit) WaterEfficient Landscape: Reduce 50%awards a credit for reducing landscapeirrigation from potable water sources by50% based on a mid-summer usage base-line. Compost has a high water holdingcapacity and can hold up to five times its

weight in water. Increasing soil organicmatter content using compost engineeredsoils or surface applied compost blanketsmay contribute to this credit. For every1% increase in soil organic matter, plantavailable water is increased by 16,500 galper acre foot of soil (compost is generally50% organic matter, dry weight basis). Ifapplied as a compost blanket it can hold approximately 1450 cubic feet ofwater and decrease water loss by reducingsurface evaporation. By reducing evapo-ration and increasing water holdingcapacity through the use of these compostbased products, irrigation requirementscan be greatly reduced. Agriculturalresearch has shown minimal applicationsof compost can decrease irrigationrequirements by 30%.

WE Credit 1.2 (1 credit) WaterEfficient Landscape: Reduce 100%awards an additional credit to WE Credit1.1 for eliminating permanent irrigationequipment (temporary irrigation can beused for 1 year post-construction for vegetation establishment). Increasing theapplication rate of compost blankets or

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Bioswale and porous pavement sidewalk design utilizing compost sock living wall (above).Green roof at Southface near downtown Atlanta (below).

For every 1% increasein soil organic matter,plant available water isincreased by 16,500 galper acre foot of soi l(compost is generally50% organic matter, dryweight basis).

Land and Water May/June 2009•45

the compost inclusion rate of an engi-neered soil system can further increasewater holding capacity and reduce evapo-ration.

WE Credit 2 (1 credit) InnovativeWastewater Technologies awards a credit for reducing potable water use inbuilding toilet systems or by reduction ofwastewater discharge through on-sitetreatment. Compost has been widelyused as a substrate with plant materials in water biof iltration systems and constructed wetlands used to treat waste-water, increase infiltration, adsorb/bindpollutants, and recharge aquifers andground water systems. Composting toiletsystems have been utilized to reducepotable water use to attain this credit.

Materials and Resources (MR)This category is divided into 14

sub-categories, where 5 provide creditsthat compost products/practices may con-tribute to a maximum of 5 credits.

MR Credit 4.1 (1 credit) RecycledContent: 10% awards a credit for using

pre-consumer and post-consumer recy-cled materials in the building project. Tenpercent of the materials (determined oncost basis) in the building project must be of recycled content. Higher value is given to materials made of post-consumer recycled content. Compost is100% recycled and can be made frompre-consumer and/or post-consumermaterials.

MR Credit 4.2 (1 credit) RecycledContent: 20% awards an additional cred-it to MR Credit 4.1 for increasing recy-cled materials in the building project to20%.

MR Credit 5.1 (1 credit) RegionalMaterials: 10% awards a credit for usingmaterials that are extracted, recovered, orharvested, and manufactured within 500miles of the building project in order toreduce the negative impacts from trans-portation and support use of indigenous resources and localeconomies. Products that meet these criteria must account for ten percent (costbasis) of building materials. Due to the

bulk and weight of compost feedstockmaterials and end products, these materi-als are rarely collected or distributed over200 miles.

MR Credit 5.2 (1 credit) RegionalMaterials: 20% awards an additionalcredit to MR Credit 5.1 for increasingdefined regional materials to 20% (costbasis) of building materials used in theproject.

MR Credit 6.0 (1 credit) RapidlyRenewable Materials awards a credit forusing building materials made fromsources that are renewable in 10 yrs.These materials must account for 2.5%(cost basis) of the materials used in theproject. Compost is a rapidly renewableresource that is continually manufacturedfrom organic materials often harvested orcollected in much less than 10 yrs. L&W

For more information on LEED ordesigning with compost based best management practices contact BrittFaucette at Filtrexx International, e-mail:brittf@filtrexx.com or call (678)592-7094.

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