LEED 2012: Six Things You Should Know

By Vicki Zambito

The New Year is almost upon us and while most of us contemplate changes that we hope reduce our waistlines or increase our bank accounts, the USGBC has been hard at work developing the next evolution of LEED. The second public comment period for the draft version of LEED 2012 has closed. According to the USGBC, it is anticipated that LEED 2012 will be put forth for a member ballot vote in late summer 2012, after the public comment and response periods. Meanwhile, here are six quick things you should be aware of about the proposed LEED 2012 rating system:

1. The number of credit categories has jumped from seven to ten. The three new credit categories are Integrative Process, Location and Transportation, and Performance.

2. The number of prerequisites has climbed from nine to fifteen.

3. Point values of existing credits have changed.

4. The “LEED Accredited Professional” credit has changed. It now requires two additional individuals representing primary disciplines to be LEED AP (with any specialty) or Green Associates. The current language for compliance with this credit requires one LEED AP with applicable specialty.

5. It is anticipated that the LEED Professional Credential program administered through the Green Building Certification Institute will remain the same.

6. Project teams need not comply with the 2012 rating system proposed for public comment. Project teams should follow the rating system version for which they are currently registered.

For more information on LEED 2012, visit http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=9826

Green Projects Drive Growth for Green Design Firms: Meet the Top 5

By Vicki Zambito

Engineering News Record (ENR) just released its list of Top 100 Green Design Firms and for a fourth year in a row, revenue from green projects made a sizable leap. According to ENR, “In 2010, firms reported $3.47 billion in revenues from green projects globally, up 12.3 percent over 2009. In the United States, green project revenue increased a dramatic 17.4 percent, valued at $3.3 billion.” The top three green design firms all come out of California. Below is more information on the leading five from the ENR list.

1. URS Corp., San Francisco, California: 339 Million in revenue from green projects, 461 LEED APs

2. Gensler, San Francisco, California: 321 Million in revenue from green projects, 990 LEED APs

3. AECOM Technology Corp., Los Angeles, California: 192 Million in revenue from green projects, 904 LEED APs

4. Perkins+Will, Chicago, Illinois: 171 Million in revenue from green projects, 980 LEED APs

5. HOK, St. Louis, Missouri: 158 Million in revenue from green projects, 930 LEED APs

To see more of the list, visit: http://greensource.construction.com/features/currents/2011/images/1109-Green-Design-Firms-lg.jpg

More Changes for LEED APs: GBCI Relaxes Reporting Rule

By Vicki Zambito

Aristotle once said “Change in all things is sweet.” LEED APs better hope so.

Since the USGBC began the LEED rating system back in 1994, it’s been continually evolving and its changing nature extends to the credential maintenance program (CMP) required for LEED APs to maintain their accreditation. What is the latest change? Just this month the GBCI announced that LEED professionals are no longer required to enter a sub-category when reporting their CE hours. The GBCI says this recent rule adjustment is part of their continuous improvement of the CMP. They add that LEED APs may still choose to enter their sub-category if they wish.

For more info: http://www.gbci.org/org-nav/announcements/11-09-23/CMP_Improvement_Subcategory_now_optional.aspx