This article is part of a series that USGBC is using to give the LEED community a first look at the tools and resources we’ve developed to support those using LEED. Continuous improvement is a concept that goes beyond the technical requirements. We also apply it to the program as a whole. In the case of the LEED Online forms that teams use to document compliance with LEED credits, this meant streamlining, simplifying and clarifying. Our work paid off, and resulted in fewer forms overall and a...

The LEED v4 Ballot is officially open! Vote now and make your voice heard.  How do you vote? If you joined the consensus body (registered to vote) in April and you’re employed by a USGBC national member who has remained in good standing, you’ll receive an email with instructions and a direct link to our voting page. There you’ll be able to cast your ballot on the newest update to the LEED rating systems through the month of June. Has it been a while since you’ve...

Last week, the U.S. Green Building Council joined Kaiser Permanente in Hillsboro, Ore., to put a LEED Gold plaque on our Westside Medical Center.   Kaiser Permanente has achieved LEED certification for other buildings in the past, but this was the first LEED Gold rating we’ve earned for a hospital, which, with around-the-clock operations, highly specialized medical equipment and strict regulatory oversight, is more complicated to build and operate than another type of structure. It...

Thank you to everyone who followed our @USGBC twitter handle yesterday afternoon as our VP of LEED Technical Development, Brendan Owens, answered your questions on all things v4. It was an info-packed hour, full of great questions and conversation. In case you missed it, here's the full recap: Q1: When is the final LEEDv4 language expected to be public? A1: Final LEEDv4 language will be available June 1st with the opening of the ballot: usgbc.org/LEEDv4 Q2: @USGBC when will LEEDv4 reference...

Over the past year, USGBC and GBCI have collaborated with The Catholic University of America (CUA) on a pilot interdisciplinary studio -- coined the LEED Lab. The goal of this collaboration was to test a course concept where students are engaged in and facilitating LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance on campus. Faculty partner Patricia Andrasik shares her thoughts on the experience. The field of sustainable architecture is evolving, and architects, designers and owners...

According to a report by the Urban Land Institute, the world’s urban population will almost double by 2050, from 3.3 billion to 6.4 billion, with Asia carrying the greatest proportion.   In China, as urban growth continues to expand and air pollution worsens, LEED green buildings can help address the challenges posed by rapid urbanization.  China remains the third largest market for LEED in the world. Currently, there are over 1,500...

Welcome back to the LEED v4 first look series, where we’re giving you a sneak preview at the new or updated tools and resources that are part on the LEED v4 program. Everything that we’ve done has been based on the great feedback we’ve received from a number of sources including LEED volunteers, participants in the LEED v4 Beta (who are actually certifying projects using the LEED v4 credits and tools) and other LEED practitioners. LEED Online Forms (part 2) In the previous...

Governments across the country are increasingly turning to “smart growth” as smart policy, and a new study reveals the dollars and cents behind these policy decisions. In Smart Growth America’s latest report, Building Better Budgets: A National Examination of the Fiscal Benefits of Smart Growth Development, SGA compiles the first national survey on the local government savings from smart growth measures.  Smart growth is encouraged in site-related credits in LEED, and...

Miss Patti stood on the porch of the administration building for the small charter school. For nearly 20 years she had worked hard to bring environmental education to the children in west central Florida, and this ten building school was one large step in that mission. Every day 200 children attend classes taught by passionate instructors in old ranch-home style buildings at Learning Gate Community School. It had taken a lot of hard work and dedication, but the students, parents, and staff were...

DRPP is more than a funny sounding acronym. The Demand Response Partnership Program (DRPP) is a program started by USGBC and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to bring the building and energy communities together, and to increase participation in demand response programs. So what is demand response? Demand response is a way of reducing stress on the grid during times of heavy (peak) usage. Think about a late summer afternoon: what if everyone came home from work and used their air...

Have questions about your LEED project? Come see us at the 2013 AIA Conference in Denver. For the third consecutive year, the LEED Certification Work Zone will be at AIA. The Work Zone is where green building practitioners can meet in person with LEED Reviewers. Here you'll be able to discuss your projects, have your questions about the certification process answered and learn more about LEED v4.   The theme of this year's AIA Convention is Building Leaders....

LEED v4 is more than just credits and requirements. With this update, USGBC has taken a deeper look at the tools and resources that support the program. We've reached out to the marketplace for feedback on what’s working and what’s not the so we could make improvements that help these tools operate as designed. The information we’ve gathered through conversations with LEED practitioners, the LEED v4 Beta program and even in public comment periods has helped us identify ways to...