Did you know that until recently anyone could challenge a certification issued under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program of the United States Green Building Council? Did you know it could occur at any time, and be related to any point or prerequisite? Did you know that such a challenge could result in loss of specific credit points or even loss of a certification under LEED?
Many people were not aware of the LEED challenge process until it erupted onto the national landscape as a result of a controversial challenge on a Wisconsin school project, the Northland Pines High School. The challenge, and the resulting commentary, pointed out some significant problems with the challenge process as established by the Green Building Certification Institute. GBCI and USGBC have responded to that commentary by fixing one quite glaring problem and making significant progress on another. These changes to the challenge process may have eliminated what could have become a fatal flaw in the LEED rating system and associated procedures.