LEED (Green) Buildings - ECN Electrical Forums

Is anyone familiar with Electrical compliance for material in LEED Buildings? I am bidding a project that is requesting 20% compliance, certified. The compliance form, for the part that affect us, seems to be for products from recycled.. and manufactured within 500 miles, etc. Any links, advice, etc. would be appreciated. My biggest supply house is scratching their heads.

Tell they all of your wire is recycled. That copper in it was stolen and sold several times before it was made into the wire you have.

I've heard before that scrapped or recycled copper is almost never used for electrical wire, only for plumbing and other uses. Copper for wire has to be of a certain purity. Maybe it's just a rumor.

Call your Lighting supplier he can put you on to LEED standards its things like motion sensors, light sensors, time clocks , photo cells, low wattage bulbs ect . Engery savings/

Type in LEED standards on Goggle also Yoopers

Off the topic a little, but trublu, it's no rumor

From copper.org

Quote

There are approximately four dozen different wrought alloys that contain a minimum copper content of 99.3 weight percent (and therefore designated as "coppers"), albeit only a handful are used industrially as electrical conductors. The most widely used of these dilute alloys is known as electrolytic tough pitch (ETP) copper, which consists of extremely high purity metal that has been alloyed with oxygen in the range of 100 to 650 ppm.

I do believe EC&M had an article a while back but I could not find it on their website. I will try to locate it tommorrow if no one pipes up (hint, hint)

Thanks. From what I have found so far, it seems most electical LEED items are limited to lighting, control, and efficiency of systems. I think the GC may have been "Green" himself on the subject. However, I can't just 'say' something is re-cycled, it has to be certified. This is a US Government thing. Any further info is appreciated - LEED is growing and isn't going away.

The article I mentioned earlier had several ways of being "green" like the way the components come from the factory and recycling the rubish, (i.e. cardboard, plastic). If you are doing underground with multiple runs, you can order PVC prebundled. This earns "green credits too. I try to locate that article today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_in_Energy_and_Environmental_Design

In the past I have used several things to help with LEEDS scores, generally they are adders that are included to a base bid:

Lighting:
1) T5 Florescent Lamps and now even some LED lamps.
2) Occupancy sensors, dimming arrangements, and lighting control.
3) Light sensors that turn off half the lights during the days when there is more light.
4) Light harvesting.

Other:
1) Fly ash in lieu of cement in concrete pole bases and house keeping pads.
2) Recycled glass used as aggregate in house keeping, and transformer pads.
3) Recycled copper and aluminum wire.
4) A “green” dumpster to recycle cardboard from fixtures.
5) Up sizing transformers to reduce heat and improve efficacy.