IntES Delivers First LEED Platinum Certified Factory in Vietnam

We’re extremely proud to have delivered for our client a green building design that has become the first industrial factory in Vietnam to achieve the highly coveted LEED Platinum status (LEED v4). As the chosen engineering consultants for this large industrial project, IntES’ scope included the overall engineering, Procurement Management, Construction Management and crucially, the LEED Design.

LEED platinum certified

What is LEED Certification?

The acronym L.E.E.D. stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is the most widely used and recognised green building certification program and rating system worldwide. Applicable across all types of buildings including industrial and manufacturing plants, LEED provides a proven framework to achieve environmental excellence and vastly reduce the impact new buildings have on the environment.

To achieve a level of LEED certification, a project earns points by addressing the following environmental and sustainability areas of the facility:

  • Carbon
  • Energy
  • Water
  • Waste
  • Transportation
  • Materials
  • Health and indoor environmental quality

Three small images in a row - LEED sustainability factors - IntES

LEED is a holistic system that looks at the “big picture”, factoring in all the critical elements that work together to create the best green building possible with today’s knowledge, approaches and technology. The points/credits earned by a building in order to achieve certification reflect these key elements, with the goal of creating better buildings that:

  • Reduce/Minimize contribution to global climate change (35% of the credits)
  • Enhance individual human health (20% of the credits)
  • Protect and restore water resources (15% of the credits)
  • Protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services (10% of the credits)
  • Promote sustainable and regenerative material cycles (15% of the credits)
  • Enhance community quality of life (5% of the credits)

LEED sustainability factors - IntES

There are different levels of LEED certification awarded according to the number of points accrued.

  • Platinum = 80+ points (the highest tier)
  • Gold = 60-79 points
  • Silver = 50-59 points
  • Certified = 40-49 points

What are the advantages of having a LEED Certified design?

LEED Certified buildings ultimately save money by improving efficiency; which even if the substantial health and environmental benefits are not taken into account, is always beneficial for business. Furthermore, a green building with LEED status will produce lower carbon emissions and address the facility’s impact on factors contributing to climate change. From a human perspective, LEED certified buildings create healthier places for people to work and live near, as well as supporting more equitable communities in their sphere of influence. All of which of course helps meet businesses’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals as well as being an important consideration for corporate social responsibility generally.

About this LEED Platinum Certified Factory Design for our client:

Our client holds environmental sustainability in the very highest regard since it is also reflected in the nature of their business and the very products they manufacture. As such, the plan from the outset was always to achieve the highest environmental credentials possible whilst still achieving their operational business goals for the project and remaining on budget.

Following the LEED framework, our expert engineers at IntES considered everything within the design of the facility, from energy saving to building materials used, construction approaches, water-saving methods, recycling facilities, air quality systems, optimising natural ventilation and daylight usage, to name but a few and barely scratch the surface! In collaboration with the client the best green choices possible within budget were made across all LEED factors.

The total area of the project covered 45,000sqm, of which 16,300sqm is the factory area. With energy efficiency in mind, this LEED platinum certified factory was designed with a 10,000sqm solar power plant (as well as making use of the 13,000sqm roof area) with 1MWp capacity, estimated to generate 2,500,000 kWh/year. This is over 20% of the required energy for the factory for the year, and grants our client operational savings of $180,000USD per year.

LEED platinum certified factory - designed by IntES

The LEED points for this project were awarded as follows:

  • Integrative process: 1 point (max 1)
  • Location and Transportation: 8 points (max 16)
  • Sustainable sites: 8 points (max 10)
  • Water efficiency: 8 points (max 11)
  • Innovation in design: 7 points (max 10)
  • Material and Resources: 7 points (max 13)
  • Indoor environmental quality: 12 points (max 16)
  • Energy and Atmosphere: 31 points (max 33)

TOTAL POINTS: 82 (Platinum LEED Certification Level)

As the very first building in Vietnam to achieve this top-tier certification, we are over the moon to have designed with our client the greenest facility in the country to date (the first LEED Platinum certified industrial factory of LEED version v4, 2014), leading the journey towards net zero.

To find out how IntES could help your next project achieve LEED certification and other sustainability and efficiency goals, get in touch with your local IntES office and speak to one of our experts.