Saturday
Aug152009
Does LEED define Green Building in America?
Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 11:26AM This started as a question on twitter, but I wanted to have a place for folks to leave comments. Simple questiong really. Does the USGBC and it's LEED program define Green Building in America? Is it the face of green design and development? The second part to this question: will LEED be the standard of the future?
Below are the twitter responses to the question to get things started.
Reader Comments (5)
While I think that LEED was the impetus for a lot of green building activities, I'm not sure that it is the Alpha and Omega of green. The USGBC has done a lot of the seminal thinking on this subject and many other standards emulate the LEED standards for building performance ad product specifications. I'm probably more versed in LEED-H than I am the other standards (and I am not an AP, just somebody that keeps on top of this for my job), but there are areas that are maybe a bit too stringent and will add a lot of cost that is more difficult to recoup for a homebuilder or seller, especially in this market.
Where there are government allowances and incentives for performance based green products, the LEED standards also require FSC hardwoods/products (will not accept the similar European standards) and require the use of locally produced and green materials. This can be an extremely difficult and expensive balance in a kitchen and the product selection can be limiting in some styles/themes. This is just one example, but something to keep in mind.
Another thing that is difficult is that realtors and property assessors don't know how to value properties based on green upgrades yet (do a Google search on this and you will find a couple of good articles about this concern.) While a LEED certification means a lot to us in the know, what is the fair market value of that to Joe "Bag-o-donuts" on the street? A lot of what is driving Green right now is government incentives for performance based upgrades during building or remodeling. When we make it inexpensive to be Green, and the homeowner can see the difference in energy bills or resale value; then it becomes mainstream. Nothing motivates better than the almighty dollar.
In terms of standards, I have taken a liking to the NAHB Green Building Standards that were adopted and codified by the ICC (ICC 2008-007) where materials choices are a bit more relaxed, there are good performance based standards that can be quantified, it is aligned with programs like EnergyStar and WaterSense more visibly. I feel like it is just more accessible and easier to see a return on investment. Not Green for Green's sake or something with altruistic intentions...but stuff that makes sense financially, which is what the market demands in Residential construction (At least a majority of the time...all homes can't be Dwell homes).
LEED is the thought leader and progenitor of the Green Building Standard and will continually challenge other programs to stay ahead of the curve and keep revisiting their content. That being said it provides the vision for the future, but I'm not sure that we will ever see it as the choice standard for residential construction...
Sorry for the long post, James, it's your fault for giving me this mouthpiece...
This is a really interesting question, and one I have thought about quite a bit. I do think that LEED will be the standard of the future -in a continuing morphed form, like the building code. LEED is really the most commercially viable of all rating systems (although I also agree with the comment above about the NAHB rating system; it's a solid system). And although I find the Living Building Challenge and biomimicry admirable and also very interesting, I think this approach will be much more niche-based and won't spread into the larger marketplace. Besides, a building is just not a butterfly.
I have also been impressed so far with LEED 2009; I think USGBC is stepping up to the plate more. Although I do wish they would stop hiding behind the "we're just trying to change the marketplace" rhetoric. USGBC is a leader (with a great marketing budget and excellent branding). Just own it full on. In addition, LEED Certification does not necessarily equate to sustainable/green building. Yet. There are kinks to work out. I also wish that USGBC and NESEA (Northeast Sustainable Energy Association) would join forces. I think combining the minds, passions, and marketing from both these organizations would result in a rating system that would be far better than what we have now in LEED. It would focus more on building science too, which is one area I think LEED falls short in (very short quite frankly). Plus, the folks at NESEA have been honing energy efficient/building science for a looonnngggg time.
Ultimately, I hope that just very smart and very sensible building is the standard of the future. By this I mean, a focus on energy efficient building envelopes and overall long term operational performance. I mean, recycled content is great, but in the long run, too much focus on this just splits hairs, that is, we lose the forest through the trees. As Joe Lstiburek says, "it's the energy stupid."
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I really like this blog post, it has some great info. Thank you and keep up good work.
trading for a living