The green building newsletter world lit up this week with the announcement that LEED for Healthcare has finally been released. It addresses aspects of healthcare facilities that were not well handled by LEED for New Construction.
Reportedly among its prerequisites are minimizing the use of potable water for cooling medical equipment, and "eliminating mercury" (does this include a prohibition on CFLs & fluorescents? -- I guess I will have to wait to see). For the latter, I learned a new acronym we'll no doubt see more often, and not just in new LEED systems: PBT, for "Persistent Bioaccumulative [or] Toxic" chemical. Plus there is a new prerequisite: removal or encapsulation of hazardoous materials.
Looks like I will have more new reading ahead, including the UK's BREAAM Healthcare along with the US' LEED for Healthcare. It will be interesting to see if there are elements to be included in future energy talks.
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