U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a Washington,
D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable
future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.
USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building
certification program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters
and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy
in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities.
On-going projects advance the theory and practice of green building with new approaches
to the design and implementation of green building rating systems, integrative strategies
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, new insights into the development and evaluation
of public policies, and new approaches to understanding the cost and value premiums
associated with sustainable projects. Active research projects focus on:
Advanced rating systems: Developing tools and educational
resources to help green buildings mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and prepare
for changing climatic conditions. To develop place-based context-dependent rating
systems and their components, such as LEED Carbon Overlay tool. (LEED described
below)
Building performance and occupant experience: Reviewing
data analysis methods and contributing to the development of novel approaches to
data collection.
Market trends and dynamics: Understanding the determinants
and dynamics of the costs and benefits of green building.
USGBC’s Research Program is supported by the Research Advisory Committee, which
reports to the Education Steering Committee and provides high-level strategic counsel
and technical guidance.
LEED- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners
and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and
measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification
system, providing third-party verification that a building or community
was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all
the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction,
improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity
to their impacts.
The LEED® green building certification program is
a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for buildings designed, constructed
and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. LEED addresses
all building types and emphasizes state-of-the- art strategies in five areas: sustainable
site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection,
and indoor environmental quality.
LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial
as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle –
design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fitout, and significant
retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond
the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves. LEED points are awarded
on a 100-point scale, and credits are weighted to reflect their potential environmental
impacts. Additionally, 10 bonus credits are available, four of which address regionally
specific environmental issues. A project must satisfy all prerequisites and earn
a minimum number of points to be certified.
The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) assumes administration of LEED
certification for all commercial and institutional projects registered under any
LEED Rating System. LEED provides the same kind of important detail about the green
aspects of a building that, taken together, deliver higher performance. LEED certification
provides independent 3rd party verification that a building project is environmentally
responsible, and a healthy place to work or live.
LEED Professional Credentials (LEED AP and Green Associate)
recognize professionals who have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green
building techniques, the LEED green building rating systems, and the certification
process. The LEED Professional Credentials program is administered by the Green
Building Certification Institute (GBCI), which was established with the support
of USGBC to allow for objective, balanced management of the credential program.
