Sustainable Design For Fueling Facilities

Considerations when building “green”

By Isaac Cline

With the opening of the country’s first LEED-certified gas station last year in Los Angeles, fueling facility projects have now officially joined the growing number of LEED buildings of all types and sizes. We may well look back not long from today and identify Helios House, the BP gas station in Los Angeles, as the spark that started it all.

Helios House, the first LEED-certified gas station in the United States. You can read how B&M Construction built it in this article.

What does this mean for the industry? The same thing it means for other sectors like office, retail, hospitality and residential: A willingness to take a real look at what sustainable design means to gas station facilities. How does it work? What are the impacts? Will it change the way you do business? It may not be as hard as you think, but you will have to be willing to learn something new. Are you going to wait until you have to do it? Or would you rather figure it out now and be ahead of the curve?

A review of a typical gas station project has already given us some answers if a fuel facility desires to pursue LEED certification. Bear in mind that using LEED for a gas station is a new exercise, and we all will be learning how to make it more efficient and achievable in the months to come.

Project Type
Standard design already meets more than 75 percent of the minimum requirements. This will vary based on what the prototype or typical design is, of course, but we find our sample to be mostly in line already. This means LEED certification is not a big stretch and very achievable.

Large canopies and small parking areas make compliance with Heat Island issues relatively easy compared to an office building or retail store with a large parking field. Most of the spaces are already covered, and it is likely that the canopy itself is already white on top and therefore absorbs little heat. Simply using concrete instead of asphalt for paving on projects will make this one easy.

Daylighting and views should be easy to attain for a small building with large windows. Credits for lighting and thermal controls for occupants also will be easy.

Brownfield site development credit could be easy, particularly if you are already rebuilding an old gas station site with modern upgrades and facilities.

Size Benefits and Costs
Direct cost of certification and review fees will be higher as percentage of total budget or on a per square foot basis compared to a large project, but this is true of all small projects. The actual dollar increase due to some material upgrades and minimal design fee increase is small. The key is to find strategies that save money which can offset these “premiums” to result in total cost actually being lower. Overall cost reduction will be the case for most projects or a cost increase will not be prohibitive and additional offsets can be realized after construction is over. As an example, in the water-conscious West, municipalities are concerned with water supply; consequently, tap fees for potable water tend to be quite high. A simple switch away from turf grass to low water grasses or shrubs and mulch can reduce or eliminate irrigating ground cover entirely. This can reduce tap size, resulting in thousands of dollars saved. Additionally, no turf means little or no watering and no mowing whatsoever, which saves operating costs every single month.

Material changes or upgrades can increase the cost incrementally, but quantities are small for a small kiosk or convenience store and therefore not prohibitive. Evaluate materials like paints and floor systems. Plumbing fixtures are easy to change, and very few need to be purchased so the cost is minimal. A single change in material selection can aid in several ways or contribute to several credits for a small building. Specifying materials is just a matter of preference, availability, performance and choice. Available supply or lead times for a specific material you need may be different than what you are accustomed to, so the key is checking material options and sources earlier than you normally do.

Much of what you use will need some documentation that you typically don’t ask for: information about its origin or recycled content or ingredients in fabricated materials for items like resins, adhesives, coatings and sealants. Paying attention to these details is important. Look for reputable suppliers of “green” materials. Are the products documented and is third-party verification available?

Permitting and Zoning Challenges
Permitting and zoning challenges may be an issue that can vary in magnitude depending upon location and green building experience of all parties involved. On many green building projects around the country, designers and owners have run up against complications or resistance from the local Planning Commission or Building Department. This is to be expected. If I tell the general contractor that he has to change the way he schedules his job and organizes his jobsite from now on, he will not be happy. Until he hears what you are proposing, understands what you want him to do and why, he is not likely to be inclined to change; more than that, he will probably have to experience it himself to really believe that what you are proposing actually works, or is better than what he is doing now. The key in sustainable design is education for all parties. Everyone involved will have a good deal to learn before it gets easier for everybody. It is still a new proposition for most people involved in design and construction. Expect that you will be learning daily, and teaching others as you go.

Depending on your project needs or geographic location, here are some potential permitting and zoning issues you will have to deal with: landscaping requirements, water use for fixtures and landscape, water fixtures themselves, site lighting and lighting fixtures (already a sensitive issue in many jurisdictions), parking requirements, storm water runoff (both quality and quantity), and any use of new technologies.

General Observations
LEED certification is definitely within reach, but small improvements or adjustments to your project may not have a significant cost offset or payback. A more dramatic change in design and construction may be required to see a major impact on costs and operations and provide more noticeable benefits.

The general contractor and subcontractors are key players in a successful LEED project. There will be some changes in materials, costs, scheduling and construction methods. A careful contractor can significantly help, but a careless one can cost the project many credits. The details are important in sustainable design, particularly if you want to pursue certification. Know what you need to do before you execute and pay attention as you go. Everyone needs to understand what you are doing and why it matters.

Green construction will change the way you design, bid and build projects. Expect it and look for ways to improve your process. Get the contractors involved early, during design, so they can improve the design process and help minimize the changes and problems they have to deal with later.

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The PEI Journal • Second Quarter 2008 • Volume 2, No. 2 • Contents are Copyright © Data Key Communications, Inc.
All rights reserved. • Nothing may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission of the publisher.