Building teams face many key decisions as they begin a project. One relatively new choice, in an official capacity, is whether to make the project “green”. Typically this question comes down to whether or not to seek LEED certification or to pursue some near equivalent without going through the submission and review with GBCI (Green Building Certification Institute). There are pros and cons to both the official and “stealth” green building approaches which must be weighed according to the project’s needs and goals.
At only 3,111 certified projects as of June 2009, LEED projects make up only a fraction America’s building stock. LEED certification lends credibility to green building claims through third-party verification of compliance with a system that has been through the wringer of expert development and public vetting several times over. The overhaul apparent with the launch of version 3 and a commitment to bi-annual updates demonstrates that the USGBC is serious about continually raising the bar of these standards. LEED version 3 brings consistency to the point structures across the various ratings packages and re-weights points to prioritize the looming issue of climate change. LEED certification will now be more difficult to achieve without serious consideration and implementation of energy efficiency measures. A new requirement for two years of utility data after occupancy will ensure that the energy modeling simulations performed during the design phase are verified against real-world energy use.