Florida Spec Writers Dilemma

Specification & Product Discussions Sustainable Design Topics
1

I write specs for public agencies in the state of Florida. On July 1st a Florida law went in affect that public projects commenced after that date must be LEED compliant. I have written some green product sections…but have not written a full-blown LEED compliant spec (Divs 1-49). Those of you that have written specs for LEED Certified projects…how long did it take you to convert your specs to be LEED compliant?. I’ve asked around a bit and have heard up to five years. Goodnight nurse, I’ve probably got about a month or two tops.

2

You will need to contact the LEED AP for the project to determine what credits are being sought and for what level. If you subscribe to a master specification service, they should have the possible credits in each category/section listed within the body of the spec sections. There will be submittals for each point sought in addition to the products being compliant. Choice of product and keeping track of the submittals would be the first step. Products are not LEED certified, projects are. You will probably need a Division 01 LEED section; many of the points are from the mechanicals and commissioning.

3

Even though you are working at the state government level, an excellent resource would be the Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers at the following URL:

You can extract a lot of appropriate green language from the model specs.

4

You probably won’t have to do a lot to your specs – there are essentially, two issues:

  1. select relatively “green” products in the first place, and its possible that you have many of those already in your system.
  2. specify the LEED documentation – and that can be a separate section with other paragraphs in some sections.

Arcom publishes a pretty good book for this – and you don’t have to be a Masterspec subscriber to get it (although that would lower your price). the book is “Specifying LEED Requirements” and its on their website (www.arcomnet.com). I think its the most basic nuts-and-bolts primer out there. Another option is “Green Building Materials” by Speigel and Meadows, but it takes a wider-view approach and may not be as instructive/simplistic as you need to change over your specs.