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53-751: Green Business Certification Inc. ( GBCI ) is an American organization that provides third-party credentialing and verification for several rating systems relating to the built environment. It was established as the Green Building Certification Institute in January 2008 with the support of the U.S. Green Building Council to provide independent oversight of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) project certification and professional credentialing processes. The organization's current name

106-543: A circular economy . Draft versions of LEED v5 were released for public comment in 2024, and the final version of LEED v5 is expected to appear in 2025. It may address some of the previous criticisms. Despite concerns, LEED has been described as a "transformative force in the design and construction industry". LEED is credited with providing a framework for green building, expanding the use of green practices and products in buildings, encouraging sustainable forestry, and helping professionals to consider buildings in terms of

159-539: A Canadian provider organization and a green rater. The provider organization helps the project through the process while overseeing the green raters, individuals who conduct two mandatory site inspections: the thermal bypass inspection and the final inspection. The provider and rater assist in the certification process but do not themselves certify the project. In addition to certifying projects pursuing LEED, USGBC's Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) offers various accreditations to people who demonstrate knowledge of

212-494: A LEED-certified building 20 miles (32 km) away in the suburb of Lenexa, Kansas . Kaid Benfield of the Natural Resources Defense Council estimated that the carbon emissions associated with the additional miles driven were almost three times higher than before, a change from 0.39 metric tons per person per month to 1.08 metric tons of carbon dioxide per person per month. Speck writes that "The carbon saved by

265-466: A building. Critics such as David Owen and Jeff Speck also point out that LEED certification focuses on the building itself, and does not take into account factors such as the location in which the building stands, or how employee commutes may be affected by a relocation. In Green Metropolis (2009), Owen discusses an environmentally-friendly building in San Bruno, California , built by Gap Inc. , which

318-428: A comparison with emphasis on factors that heavily influence energy consumption. The number of points achieved in this credit is proportional to the predicted energy savings. This method has been criticized for inaccurately predicting actual energy usage. The USGBC admits that "current information indicates that most buildings do not perform as well as design metrics indicate. As a result, building owners might not obtain

371-477: A minimum of $ 2,900 to over $ 1 million for a large project. "Soft" costs – i.e., added costs to the building project to qualify for LEED certification – may range from 1% to 6% of the total project cost. The average cost increase was about 2%, or an extra $ 3–$ 5 per square foot. The application review and certification process is conducted through LEED Online, USGBC's web-based service. The GBCI also utilizes LEED Online to conduct their reviews. Applicants have

424-544: A provider of HVAC, refrigeration, fire and security equipment, in 1976 and worked there for 25 years. During his last few years at Carrier, he became the Director of Communications and Environmental Affairs. From 1992 to 1995, Carrier saw revenues grow $ 700 million. He left Carrier in 2001. During his time at Carrier, he co-founded the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) along with David Gottfried and Mike Italiano in April 1993. At

477-445: A suburb of Syracuse, with his parents, Arigo and Dorothy Fedrizzi. His first job was at 14 delivering papers. He continued working through his teenage years scooping ice cream and working in a meat department, and then as an undergrad at UPS and running a liquor store. Fedrizzi graduated from LeMoyne College in 1976 with a degree in accounting. He also holds an MBA from Syracuse University . Fedrizzi started out at Carrier Corp. ,

530-443: A weighted average for each rating scheme based upon actual impacts and the relative importance of those impacts to human health and environmental quality. The LEED council also appears to have assigned credit and measured weighting based upon the market implications of point allocation. From 2010, buildings can use carbon offsets to achieve green power credits for LEED-NC (new construction certification). For LEED BD+C v4 credit,

583-577: A wider range of temperatures. On April 2, 2019, the USGBC released LEED v4.1, a new version of the LEED green building program, designed for use with cities, communities and homes. However, LEED v4.1 was never officially balloted. An update to v4, proposed as of November 22, 2022, took effect on March 1, 2024. Any projects that register under LEED v4 after March 1, 2024 must meet these updated guidelines. As of January 2023, USGBC began to develop LEED v5. LEED v5

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636-471: Is a design tool rather than a performance-measurement tool and has tended to focus on energy modeling rather than actual energy consumption. It has been criticized for a point system that can lead to inappropriate design choices and the prioritization of LEED certification points over actual energy conservation; for lacking climate specificity; for not sufficiently addressing issues of climate change and extreme weather; and for not incorporating principles of

689-476: Is a model supported by CAGBC and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) for the verification of proposed retrofit projects. LEED certification is granted by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), which arranges third-party verification of a project's compliance with the LEED requirements. The certification process for design teams consists of the design application, under the purview of

742-420: Is not just about saving the planet, but saving the people. Since Fedrizzi joined IWBI in 2016, their WELL Building Standard has grown to become the de facto global real estate leadership standard focused exclusively on the health and well-being of the people who live, work, play and learn in buildings and communities worldwide. When Leonardo DiCaprio released his documentary, The 11th Hour , in 2007 about

795-487: Is the first version of the LEED rating system to be based on the June 2022 Future of LEED principles. The LEED v5 rating system will cover both new construction and existing buildings. An initial draft version was discussed at Greenbuild 2023. The beta draft of LEED v5 was released for an initial period of public comment on April 3, 2024. Changes were made in response to nearly 6,000 comments. A second public comment period

848-530: The American Institute of Architects (AIA), they assembled 60 firms and several non-profits to discuss the need to commit to sustainable building practices, which led to the creation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 2000. Fedrizzi served as the volunteer founding chair until 2004 when he became its CEO. In November 2016, Fedrizzi stepped down as USGBC's CEO. From USGBC, Fedrizzi immediately moved on to become chairman and CEO of

901-648: The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) received permission to create LEED Canada-NC v1.0, which was based upon LEED-NC 2.0. As of 2021, Canada ranked second in the world (not including the USA) in its number of LEED-certified projects and square feet of space. Buildings in Canada such as Winnipeg's Canadian Museum for Human Rights are LEED certified due to practices including the use of rainwater harvesting , green roofs, and natural lighting. As of March 18, 2022,

954-988: The International Building Code , only members of the USGBC and specific "in-house" committees may add to, subtract from, or edit the standard, subject to an internal review process. Proposals to modify the LEED standards are offered and publicly reviewed by USGBC's member organizations, of which there were 4551 as of October 2023. LEED has evolved since 1998 to more accurately represent and incorporate emerging green building technologies. LEED has developed building programs specific to new construction (NC), core and shell (CS), commercial interiors (CI), existing buildings (EB), neighborhood development (ND), homes (LEED for Homes), retail, schools, and healthcare. The pilot version, LEED New Construction (NC) v1.0, led to LEED NCv2.0, LEED NCv2.2 in 2005, LEED 2009 ( a.k.a. LEED v3) in 2009, and LEED v4 in November ;2013. LEED 2009

1007-461: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 's (EPA) Labs21 and LEED Canada. The Australian Green Star is based on both LEED and the UK's Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology ( BREEAM ). LEED 2009 encompasses ten rating systems for the design, construction and operation of buildings, homes and neighborhoods. Five overarching categories correspond to the specialties available under

1060-485: The Canada Green Building Council took over direct oversight for LEED™ green building certification of projects in Canada, formerly done by GBCI Canada. CAGBC will continue to work with Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) and USGBC while consolidating certification and credentialing for CAGBC's Zero Carbon Building Standards, LEED, TRUE, and Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE). IREE

1113-665: The EPA's Tools for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) and the environmental-impact weighting scheme developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Prior to LEED 2009 evaluation and certification, a building must comply with minimum requirements including environmental laws and regulations, occupancy scenarios, building permanence and pre-rating completion, site boundaries and area-to-site ratios. Its owner must share data on

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1166-461: The IEQ category addresses thermal , visual, and acoustic comfort as well as indoor air quality . Laboratory and field research have directly linked occupants' satisfaction and performance to the building's thermal conditions. Energy reduction goals can be supported while improving thermal satisfaction. For example, providing occupants control over the thermostat or operable windows allows for comfort across

1219-543: The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). The IWBI seeks to lead the global movement to transform buildings, communities and organizations with a people and well-being first approach. With the WELL Building Standard (WELL), IWBI creates a roadmap for creating and certifying spaces that advance human health and well-being. Fedrizzi has said, "Health and sustainability are synonymous." It

1272-550: The LEED Pilot Committee from 1996–2001. Scot Horst chaired the LEED Steering Committee beginning in 2005 and was deeply involved in the development of LEED 2009. Joel Ann Todd took over as chair of the steering committee from 2009 to 2013, working to develop LEED v4, and introducing social equity credits. Other steering committee chairs include Chris Schaffner (2019) and Jennifer Sanguinetti (2020). Chairs of

1325-823: The LEED professional program. That suite consists of: LEED v3 aligned credits across all LEED rating systems, weighted by environmental priority. It reflects a continuous development process, with a revised third-party certification program and online resources. Under LEED 2009, an evaluated project scores points to a possible maximum of 100 across six categories: sustainable sites (SS), water efficiency (WE), energy and atmosphere (EA), materials and resources (MR), indoor environment quality (IEQ) and design innovation (INNO). Each of these categories also includes mandatory requirements, which receive no points. Up to 10 additional points may be earned: 4 for regional priority credits and 6 for innovation in design. Additional performance categories for residences (LEED for Homes) recognize

1378-449: The LEED rating system, including LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP), LEED Green Associate, and LEED Fellow. The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) describes its LEED professional accreditation as "demonstrat[ing] current knowledge of green building technologies, best practices" and the LEED rating system, to assure the holder's competency as one of "the most qualified, educated, and influential green building professionals in

1431-830: The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green certification program was Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) senior scientist Robert K. Watson . It was Watson, sometimes referred to as the "Founding Father of LEED", who created the acronym. Over two decades, Watson led a broad-based consensus process, bringing together non-profit organizations, government agencies, architects, engineers, developers, builders, product manufacturers and other industry leaders. The original planning group consisted of Watson, Mike Italiano, architect Bill Reed (founding LEED Technical Committee co-chair 1994–2003), architect Sandy Mendler, builder Gerard Heiber and engineer Richard Bourne. Tom Paladino and Lynne Barker (formerly King) co-chaired

1484-837: The US, the District of Columbia consistently leads in LEED-certified square footage per capita, followed in 2022 by the top-ranking states of Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, California, and Maryland. Outside the United States, the top-ranking countries for 2022 were Mainland China, India, Canada, Brazil, and Sweden. LEED Canada has developed a separate rating system adapted to the Canadian climate and regulations. Many U.S. federal agencies, state and local governments require or reward LEED certification. As of 2022 , based on certified square feet per capita,

1537-566: The USGBC's Energy and Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group for LEED technology have included Gregory Kats . The LEED initiative has been strongly supported by the USGBC Board of Directors, including Chair of the Board of Directors Steven Winter (1999–2003). The current chair of the Board of Directors is Anyeley Hallová (2023). LEED has grown from one standard for new construction to a comprehensive system of interrelated standards covering aspects from

1590-466: The application of LEED guidelines in several southern states. In 2013, the states of Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi effectively banned the use of LEED in new public buildings, in favor of other industry standards that the USGBC considers too lax. LEED is considered a target of a type of disinformation attack known as astroturfing , involving "fake grassroots organizations usually sponsored by large corporations". Unlike model building codes, such as

1643-401: The architect and the engineer and documented in the official construction drawings, and the construction application, under the purview of the building contractor and documented during the construction and commissioning of the building. A fee is required to register the building, and to submit the design and construction applications. Total fees are assessed based on building area, ranging from

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1696-484: The benefits promised." The LEED for Homes rating system was first piloted in 2005. It has been available in countries including the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and India. LEED for Homes projects are low-rise residential . The process of the LEED for Homes rating system differs significantly from the LEED rating system for new construction. Unlike LEED, LEED for Homes requires an on-site inspection. LEED for Homes projects are required to work with either an American or

1749-502: The building industry to support green building and develop a green building rating system. Also influential early on was architect Bob Berkebile. Fedrizzi served as the volunteer founding chair of USGBC from 1993 to 2004, and became its CEO as of 2004. As of November 4, 2016, he was succeeded as president and CEO of USGBC by Mahesh Ramanujam. Ramanujam served as CEO until 2021. Peter Templeton became interim president and CEO of USGBC as of November 1, 2021. A key player in developing

1802-571: The building's energy and water use for five years after occupancy (for new construction) or date of certification (for existing buildings). The credit weighting process has the following steps: First, a collection of reference buildings are assessed to estimate the environmental impacts of similar buildings. NIST weightings are then applied to judge the relative importance of these impacts in each category. Data regarding actual impacts on environmental and human health are then used to assign points to individual categories and measures. This system results in

1855-430: The certification points), quality of life (25%) and conservation and ecological restoration (25%) in terms of five principles: decarbonization, ecosystems, equity, health and resilience. One of the reponses to public comments was to emphasize a data-driven approach to Operations and Maintenance by more clearly identifying performance-based credits (80% of points) and decoupling them from strategic credits (20%). In 2003,

1908-563: The design and construction to the maintenance and operation of buildings. LEED has also grown from six committee volunteers to an organization of 122,626 volunteers, professionals and staff. As of 2023 , more than 185,000 LEED projects representing over 28 billion square feet (2.6 × 10 ^  m ) have been proposed worldwide, and more than 105,000 projects representing over 12 billion square feet (1.1 × 10 ^  m ) have been certified in 185 countries. However, lumber, chemical and plastics trade groups have lobbied to weaken

1961-458: The example of debating whether to add a reflective roof, used to can counter "heat island" effects in urban areas, to a building high in the Rocky Mountains. A 2012 USA Today review of 7,100 LEED-certified commercial buildings found that designers tended to choose easier points such as using recycled materials, rather than more challenging ones that could increase the energy efficiency of

2014-527: The foreword by Leonardo DiCaprio , DiCaprio states, "green building is arguably the world's largest and most successful environmental movement, and it's no exaggeration to say that Rick's work has been revolutionary. The strategy he has championed has the potential to change the world." Fedrizzi also serves on several boards and advisory councils, including the Center for Health and the Global Environment at

2067-716: The grave state of the global warming crisis, Fedrizzi was chosen to be interviewed as an expert, along with other leading politicians, scientists and environmental activists. In 2015, Fedrizzi published the book, Greenthink: How Profit Can Save the Planet . In the book, he envisions how environmentalists and industry don't have to compete, but can unite to create a sustainable future and fight climate change . He points out how sustainability can create economic growth by eliminating waste and doing things more efficiently which ultimately save money. In his opinion, sustainability also drives innovation, which leads to new, more profitable product. In

2120-401: The importance of transportation access, open space, and outdoor physical activity, and the need for buildings and settlements to educate occupants. Buildings can qualify for four levels of certification: The aim of LEED 2009 is to allocate points "based on the potential environmental impacts and human benefits of each credit". These are weighed using the environmental impact categories of

2173-598: The knowledge and skills to successfully steward the LEED certification process. Credentialing exams and designations administered by GBCI include the LEED Green Associate, LEED AP with specialty, and LEED Fellow, as well as the LEED for Homes Green Rater and Green Classroom Professional certificates. The LEED professional credential exams are ANSI 17024 accredited. GBCI administers the LEED certification program, performing third-party technical reviews and verification of LEED-registered projects to determine if they have met

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2226-586: The leading five states (after the District of Columbia ) were Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, California, and Maryland. Incentives can include tax credits, zoning allowances, reduced fees, and expedited permitting. Offices, healthcare-, and education-related buildings are the most frequent LEED-certified buildings in the US (over 60%), followed by warehouses, distribution centers, retail projects and multifamily dwellings (another 20%). Studies have found that for-rent LEED office spaces generally have higher rents and occupancy rates and lower capitalization rates. LEED

2279-440: The marketplace." Critics of LEED certification such as Auden Schendler and Randy Udall have pointed out that the process is slow, complicated, and expensive. In 2005, they published an article titled "LEED is Broken; Let's Fix It", in which they argued that the certification process "makes green building more difficult than it needs to be" and called for changes "to make LEED easier to use and more popular" to better accelerate

2332-465: The new building's LEED status, if any, will be a small fraction of the carbon wasted by its location". Both Speck and Owen make the point that a building-centric standard that doesn't consider location will inevitably undervalue the benefits of people living closer together in cities, compared to the costs of automobile-oriented suburban sprawl. Rick Fedrizzi Fedrizzi grew up in Solvay, New York ,

2385-449: The non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings , homes, and neighborhoods, which aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. As of 2023 there were over 105,000 LEED-certified buildings and over 205,000 LEED-accredited professionals in 185 countries worldwide. In

2438-425: The option of achieving credit points by building energy models. One model represents the building as designed, and a second model represents a baseline building in the same location, with the same geometry and occupancy. Depending on location (climate) and building size, the standard provides requirements for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system type, and wall and window definitions. This allows for

2491-434: The standards set forth by the LEED rating system. As of April 2013, the total footprint of LEED-certified projects is nearly 3 billion square feet, and nearly eight billion additional square feet are registered with GBCI for LEED certification. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED ) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by

2544-431: The transition to green building. Schendler and Udall also identified a pattern which they call "LEED brain", in which participants may become focused on "point mongering" and pick and choose design elements that don't actually go well together or don't fit local conditions, to gain points. The public relations value of LEED certification begins to drive the development of buildings rather than focusing on design. They give

2597-408: The well-being of their occupants and as part of larger systems. In April 1993, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was founded by Rick Fedrizzi , the head of environmental marketing at Carrier, real estate developer David Gottfried , and environmental lawyer Michael Italiano. Representatives from 60 firms and nonprofits met at the American Institute of Architects to discuss organizing within

2650-595: Was adopted on 16 April 2015 after the organization began to provide third-party certification for the International WELL Building Institute's evidence-based building standard WELL Building Standard , the Perfect Power Institute's PEER standard, and the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark. The suite of LEED professional credentials was designed to denote leadership in green building and to distinguish building professionals with

2703-434: Was depreciated for new projects registered from October 31, 2016. LEED v4.1 was released on April 2, 2019. Draft versions of LEED v5 have been released and revised in response to public comment during 2024. The official final version of LEED v5 is expected to be released in 2025. Future updates to the standard are planned to occur every five years. LEED forms the basis for other sustainability rating systems such as

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2756-643: Was located 16 miles (26 km) from the company's corporate headquarters in downtown San Francisco , and 15 miles (24 km) from Gap's corporate campus in Mission Bay . Although the company added shuttle buses between buildings, "no bus is as green as an elevator". Similarly, in Walkable City (2013), Jeff Speck describes the relocation of the Environmental Protection Agency ' s Region 7 Headquarters from downtown Kansas City, Missouri , to

2809-433: Was opened for the revised version, from September 27 to October 28, 2024. The official release of the final version of LEED v5 is expected to occur in 2025. Future updates of the certification system are planned to occur every five years. LEED v5 reorganizes the credits system and prerequisites, and has a greater focus on decarbonization of buildings. The scorecard expresses three global goals of climate action (worth 50% of

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