LEED® In The News
Some Buildings Not Living Up to Green Label
"The council’s own research suggests that a quarter of the new buildings that have been certified do not save as much energy as their designs predicted and that most do not track energy consumption once in use." Read the complete article at the New York Times online.
Sustainability Field Booms on Campus
Continuing education arms at educational institutions across the country have seen a striking influx of students interested in the relatively new field of sustainability.
“In spite of the recession, we’re seeing strong interest in subject areas such as sustainable buildings, transportation, energy, economic policies and, of course, LEED,” said Pat Rose, the media relations manager of the Berkeley extension school . . . Read more at the New York Times online.
GBCI launches credentialing maintenance program for LEED professionals
Various activities will qualify to earn LEED credential holders credit toward their credentialing maintenance including continuing education, practical application of LEED on projects, and active participation in the green building community. Read more at Consulting-Specifying Engineer or read the full program desription as the GBCI website.
Quantifying the Benefits of Green Buildings
A study, titled “High Performance Green Building: What’s it Worth?” profiled two office buildings in the Pacific Northwest and one in Canada to determine how sustainability and energy efficiency are affecting property value. Read more at CoStar.com
Supermarket earns top environmental honors
Hannaford this week became the first supermarket chain to earn a Platinum LEED certification. The Augusta store will serve as a "learning laboratory" to test innovations and products that can be used at Hannaford's 168 other stores. "They're not only making it green for their customers, they're making it green for their bank accounts." Read the full story at Forbes.com
U.S. Green Building Council's new DC headquarters earns LEED Platinum
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently announced the Platinum certification of its new Washington, D.C. headquarters - making it the first project to certify under the new version of the LEED green building rating system. Read more at Building Design+Construction
Older towers go 'green' for edge
Environmental retrofits paying off for owners by offering tenants both cachet, utility savings. When owners of the Empire State Building decided to blanket its towering facade with thousands of insulating windows this year, they were only partly interested in saving energy. They also needed tenants. Read more at The Columbus Dispatch online
When green goes bad
Increase in the number of LEED-certified structures also leads to spike in projects that fail to pass the U.S. Green Building Council's standards. When the latter occurs, who's to blame? Read full article at the NashvillePost.com
Building Rating System Requirement Raises Concerns
Though green-building experts and construction lawyers laud the good intentions of the USGBC about its LEED green-building rating system, many have concerns about the new requirement - a "precondition" of certification for all buildings under LEED Version 3, that an owner must commit to sharing building energy and water-usage data for at least five years. Read more at the Energy News-Record (ENR.com)
LEED changes may bring green to business
San Francisco-based general contractor BCCI Construction Co., which has offices in Palo Alto, is experiencing an increase in calls from owners looking to comply with the new rules. Read more at the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal online
L.A. Business Leans Green
Representatives of more than 500 businesses attended the Los Angeles Business Council's Sustainability Summit. The message from business leaders was that conserving energy and conducting environmentally friendly business is good for the bottom line. According to Kevin L. Ratner, president of Forest City Residential West, LEED buildings rent for 6% to 10% more, and tenants are less likely to leave. Building green "enhances our public image and the image of those who occupy our buildings, and increases productivity of the occupiers.... It also saves you money." Read more at the LA Times online
LEED to Require Performance Data
Buildings seeking certification will be required to provide operational performance data on a recurring basis. Projects can comply in one of three ways: recertify on a two-year cycle, provide energy and water usage data on an on-going basis annually or authorize USGBC to access the building’s energy and water usage data directly from the utility provider. Read the USGBC press release for more information
Sears Tower to undergo $350 million green remodel
(and seek LEED certification)
Wind turbines, roof gardens and solar panels are some of the elements in the Sears Tower's $350 million green renovation. According to officials, the project should create 3,600 jobs and will include a learning center showcasing green efforts to the public. More form the Associated Press and at at www.searstower.com
Negotiating a Green Lease
Architect, real estate broker and LEED AP Sally Wilson talks about negotiating a green lease, the USGBC headquarters building and the opportunity and challenge of existing buildings. Read the interview at MetropolisMag.com
New school could help set green standard
Brandywine, Delaware planning on energy-efficient site - the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control awarded the district a $950,000 grant to help make Brandywood a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, demonstration project. Read the more at DelawareOnline
Question & Answer: Shari Shapiro, green-building lawyer
In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, lawyer (and LEED AP) Shari Shapiro discusses, among other things, emerging issues in green-building law. Read the full interview at Philly.com
ESF to break ground on environmental gateway building in Fall 2010
As new construction projects continue to develop all over campus, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry is planning a sustainable energy building. The goal is for the building to have zero net energy consumption meaning it could power buildings around it. Read more at the Daily Orange
Green Lending Picks Up Despite Credit Market Woes
At a time when securing a real estate development loan is an uphill battle, ShoreBank Pacific has decided to pave the way for those builders who are dedicated to eco-friendly development. With the establishment of its new Green Building Loan Program, the bank has joined the ranks of those financial institutions that are making an extra effort to step up the support of green commercial development in the midst of the credit crisis. Read the full at Commercial Property News
The Economics of LEED for Existing Buildings for Individual Buildings 2008 Edition
CABA SmartBrief | 02/06/2009 - This 2008 annual white paper from the nonprofit Leonardo Academy examines the cost of implementing LEED in an existing building and the cost of operating the building. LEED is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System. Data are based on 13 respondents. Total costs were about $1.50 to $2 per square foot for LEED certification. For most buildings surveyed the operating costs were lower than the average, per statistics of BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association). Read the full report (pdf) as published in CABA's Research Library
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