ORONO – The people who brought you Go Blue are trying to Go Green, too.

University of Maine officials and others dedicated a plaque late last week that touts a $1.6 million addition to the university’s Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center as a certified “green” addition.

Designed by WBRC Architects-Engineers, the 6,800-square-foot addition is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified building on the Orono campus, and the third for the University of Maine System.

To become a LEED certified building, the project must meet a certain number of requirements on the LEED scoreboard regarding sustainability, water and energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, innovation and design, and the use of local and renewable resources.

“In the long run, it will save a lot of money,” WBRC architect and project manager Stephen Rich said last week.

The addition funded by the 2003 State of Maine Jobs Bond was the first LEED certified project that WBRC has completed, but the company has more lined up and sees green building as the wave of the future in Maine and nationwide.

“Nationally, Maine is seen as a leader in things green,” Richard Graves, WBRC green adviser on the project, said. “This project is an example of that and it’s something to celebrate.”

In 2003, Gov. John Baldacci proclaimed that all public buildings, including the university, should be built in the spirit of the LEED process.

With each green project, the process becomes easier and the initial cost of the learning curve is expected to disappear as it becomes more routine.

“The challenge is finding the client that wants to formalize the process and get the certification,” Rich said.

UMaine also has more LEED projects under way on campus, including the Wells Commons renovation, the new Innovation Center and the recreation center.

“There’s a learning curve to understand the hows and the whys of it, but once you understand the hows and the whys of it, it’s really not that much more difficult to do,” Rich said.

There are 69 possible points on the LEED scoreboard with different levels of achievement depending on the number of points received. The levels are:

. Platinum, 52 or more points.

. Gold, 39 to 51 points.

. Silver, 33 to 38 points.

. Certified, 26 to 32 points.

“Gold and platinum has to be an absolute buy-in from all parties from the beginning,” Rich said.

When first learning how to produce a green project and trying to convince all parties involved of the benefits, this nearly is impossible, he explained.

In the future, as people get used to creating and carrying out green designs, the process will be cheaper and easier.

Rich went on to explain that many decisions about how and what exactly to build are policy decisions.

“The first time, change takes time. The second time, it’s a no-brainer,” Rich said.

The added cost of accomplishing a recognized LEED project is well worth it, according to WBRC and UM officials.

For the wood composite addition to become certified, it cost between $40,000 and $60,000 and the site received 29 points.

The benefit is that the owner has proof the project was completed as designed because every step must be verified.

That verification, however, comes with a price tag. The cost of becoming certified includes expenses for design, documentation and verification of the process and products used, and some administrative fees.

While energy efficiency is something Maine engineers have become good at managing because of our harsh winters, it’s sometimes difficult to obtain the recycling credits because there isn’t a mass market here for recycling products such as carpet.

The benefit also is seen by the community and region, Rich explained.

For example, by obtaining as many products as possible within a 500-mile radius of the work site, it minimizes road damage, transportation costs and pollution, and also creates a stronger local economy.

“All of those things don’t necessarily show up as an added cost or a diminished cost,” Rich said.

Employees and students also are pleased with the wood composite expansion, which included research and office space, as well as a conferencing area.

“It’s a more pleasant work space,” Habib Dagher, director of the wood composite center, said.

Studies have shown that the cleaner air and additional sunlight produces a better and healthier learning and working environment.

“Everybody that’s in here loves the space,” Steve Shaler, professor of wood science and technology and a composite center faculty member, said. “It’s a great first impression.”