Two weeks ago I provided a broad look at the three largest and best-known green building rating systems utilized in school construction and renovation, with an overview of LEED, CHPS, and Green Globes. Last week was a closer look at LEED, with this week a CHPS review. Next week I’ll finish up by looking at Green Globes.
CHPS, or the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, is a rating system developed and utilized specifically for schools. This discussion is specific to CHPS – California since that is where CHPS originated, and also CHPS for new school construction. CHPS now has rating systems specific to twelve different states with more on the way. CHPS addresses five different types of school construction projects - although CHPS recognition is only available for the first three: new school construction, major modernizations, and new buildings on an existing campus.
• New school construction
• Major modernizations
• New buildings on an existing campus (classroom or non-classroom)
• Minor modernizations
• Additions (classroom or non-classroom)
As of 2009 CHPS changed its rating system from 81 points to 116 points. Prerequisites must be earned, along with a minimum of 32 points in order to obtain CHPS recognition for new construction.
There are three levels of CHPS recognition:
• CHPS Designed, which is self-certifying
• CHPS Verified, which is third-party verified
• CHPS Verified Leader, which is third-party verified and must earn a minimum of 64 points for new construction.
There are seven categories CHPS prerequisites and points are broken into, and most of these have sub-categories:
1. Leadership, Education, and Innovation (LEI)
2. Sustainable Sites (SS)
3. Water (WE)
4. Energy (EE)
5. Climate (CL)
6. Materials & Waste Management (ME)
7. Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ)
The prerequisite (required strategy) for Leadership, Education, & Innovation is
1. Education Display.
A total of 13 points are possible for LEI.
A total of 14 points are possible for Sustainable Sites (SS) with two prerequisites:
1. Code compliance and
2. Construction storm runoff control.
Water (WE) has a possible total of 9 points available, with one prerequisite:
1. Create a water use budget.
Energy (EE) has a whopping 29 points possible, with two prerequisites:
1. Minimum energy performance and
2. Fundamental commissioning.
Climate (CL) has 8 points possible, with no prerequisites.
Materials & Waste Management (ME) has 18 points possible and one prerequisite
1. Minimum construction waste site management.
A total of 25 points are possible for Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) with three prerequisites:
1. Minimum HVAC and construction IEQ requirements
2. ASHRAE 55 thermal comfort code compliance and moisture control
3. Minimum filtration
4. Minimum acoustic performance
CHPS’ six volume “Best Practices Manual is certainly worth perusing, especially if you are a school district. All school districts should know the information in this manual. It’s laid out with each volume addressing a different aspect of construction, for instance, Volume 1 is Planning. There is a lot of information specific to construction projects, with a “how-to” emphasis. This is a great resource, they cite a lot of studies, and even talk about where to find money for your sustainable building projects. There is a discussion of how to get buy-in at the district level to not only build green but to operate and maintain buildings in a green way.
www.chps.net
Who are the third parties that verify qualification for the CHPS rating?
ReplyDeleteEMoore (TSU)
I think that this is a great program, though I am curious as to why there are so many variations of rating systems; LEED is the most rigorous with CHPS being for schools and with less requirements. Is there really a need for three rating systems, when one would do the job? It seems that CHPS lacks the accountability that LEED offers, making LEED more viable for data purposes.
ReplyDeleteHow is CHPS funded? Who is paying to have them come out and complete a rating study?
ReplyDeleteCGibbs(TSU)
EMoore, CHPS third party verifiers are people who submit their qualifications to CHPS and are selected, then they undergo training.
ReplyDeleteMCryer you ask a question a lot of people ask. Rating systems are invented by different nonprofit groups. Any of us could develop a green rating system, I guess it would be different goals? I've tried to be impartial and report facts rather than make recommendations. CHPS was and is specific to schools, while LEED encompasses many different types of construction, with a LEED for Schools-specific version, for both new and renovations. Green Globes has rarely been used for schools. CHPS is funded by the people who want to have their building certified paying a fee for processing their certification (although I believe they derive a portion of their income from utility companies and grants). The CHPS certification is cheaper than CHPS Verified, which requires a third-party verifier, thus extra expense.