It is time for some new running shoes. In the past month, I attended two major trade shows after speaking to the particular industry association. First, I was humbled to speak to the Kentucky chapter of USGBC on the ASHRAE 189.1 standards and the International Green Construction Code, as well as some of the top
Should Owners and Contractors Worry about Gifford’s Suit Against USGBC?
Initially filed as a class action suit in October 2010 against the USGBC, Henry Gifford’s lawsuit took a turn this week when he filed an amended complaint. The original lawsuit alleged violations of the Sherman and Lanham Acts for “deceiving users” of the LEED rating system. The lawsuit questioned whether "LEED buildings use less energy than conventionally-built
An Explanation of the Proposed (and Unofficial) LEED 2012 Requirements and Credits
In what has been unofficially called LEED 2012, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) opened the first public comment period from November 8, 2010 to January 14, 2011 for the next version of the LEED rating system. Yes, that means the first public comment period closes this Friday.
According to the USGBC’s LEED Rating Development page
Cost v. LEED Certification Debate Continues: One County Finds Middle Ground
It really is impossible to put your arms around the number of green building and energy performance policies and codes that are sprouting up all across the nation. When a project involves private commercial development or public investment, one of the most discussed issues is whether the cost of obtaining LEED certification from the U.S.
LEED Certification Challenge in Less Than 140 Characters
About a year ago, I wrote a post on the trending topic of LEED revocation or de-certification. That issue has not gone away … it actually has been brought to the front page of the news. The hot topic, recently reported by Stephen, Chris and Doug (…sounds like three men in a tub…
What Are the Benefits of LEED Certification? Some Say Benefits Don’t Justify High Costs
As a follow-up to my post yesterday about the costs of LEED certification, I was not surprised to read the following lead line in a local newspaper in Cary, North Carolina:
"Cary wants to be green. Just not certifiable."
According to the article, the local town council voted to skip the green building certification process because of the high costs. "If
SEC’s Blue Basketball versus Nation’s First Model Green Building Code
I know its late on Friday afternoon. The SEC men’s basketball tourney is a few blocks away. No one wants to talk about green building right now. Most people around here only want to talk about BLUE!
But if I wait unil Monday, then I may forget to share this news and it might be too late!
Lots of Talk about Building Performance: What Does GBCI Say?
There has been a lot of talk recently about measuring a green building’s performance after construction has been completed. Last week, I highlighted what the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) had to say about the issue. On Monday, Mireya Navarro of the New York Times wrote a lengthy article about green buildings not living up to their performance
Are You Ready to Rumble? USGBC Says Yes! Ready to Tackle Building Performance “Head On”
When discussing the short and long term building performance of a green project, the issue generally comes down to the following question: Is there any identifiable or measurable gap between the predicted building performance (in the design and construction phases) and the actual bulding performance (during occupancy, operation and maintenance)? This issue has been addressed in
The Green Building Yard Stick: AIA versus USGBC
Which is worse: (a) one lawyer in a room of one hundred architects; or (b) one architect in a room of one hundred lawyers?
Two weeks ago I found myself in the first category (… although I’m sure that I was not the only shark in the room …) at a local United States Green Building Council (USGBC) meeting