Cleveland, OH,
17
May
2018
|
12:00 PM
America/New_York

MetroHealth taking the LEED with its new hospital

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We are asked all the time about how green our new hospital is going to be. The answer is “very.”

We are targeting a LEED Silver certification.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used and recognized sustainable design building rating system in the world. It is a program created and run by the private nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council. The more sustainable goals a building can meet – from reducing water, energy and waste to improving parking and bicycle facilities – the more points it scores and the higher its potential rating.

Sustainable buildings do not need to be made of solar panels or have a farm on the roof to become certified. In fact, MetroHealth already has one LEED-certified building: the Brecksville Health and Surgery Center.

Thankfully, building environmentally sustainable projects is getting easier every day. Building systems (plumbing, HVAC, lighting, etc.) are becoming more efficient, and environmentally friendly and healthier construction materials are becoming more available and affordable, due in part to the market leadership of sustainability organizations such as Practice Greenhealth, of which MetroHealth is a member.

Green building is simply becoming the normal and natural way to construct buildings in the 21st century.

Of course, we will be happy with LEED recognition, but we’re not making choices based solely on getting green points. We’re making choices based on building an efficiently operating and healthy hospital that promotes wellness. A certification will not cost us more. In fact, in the long term, it’s going to save us money.

Where are we in the process? Our design and construction team has worked closely with new Director of Sustainability Sarah O’Keeffe to finalize our philosophy and goals. In the coming months, we will partner with a LEED expert to create specific and reasonable targets for the new hospital.

Browse the hospitals and health care buildings that have achieved LEED certification.