LEED Certification is a Sustainability Starting Point

While the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy & Design) program has plenty of critics, there are advocates who suggest LEED is just a starting point for sustainability. It isn’t a guarantee or an ending point; it is most successful when monitored and continued over the building’s lifespan.

In an article on GreenBiz.com, Richard Fuller and Anna Dengler point out that “the gap between real and potential sustainability lies in the way LEED is perceived,” which is a good point, and one many miss when discussing the program. “Would you walk away from your garden after carefully plating your seeds? Or would you continue to tender and monitor it to make sure it thrives? With LEED as the seed, what’s next is to ensure that sustainability blooms.”

The two authors suggest some steps to take after LEED certification has been achieved and the “now what?” question is asked.

Establish a Long-term Planr
The building’s environmental performance should be monitored, checked and acted upon if necessary. Improvements or adjustments may need to be made to make sure everything is operating at its optimum level.

Measure & Manager
Tracking energy consumption and sustainability performance can help determine whether or not the building is saving energy or water as predicted. Data can help determine baselines for future improvement. Fuller and Dengler suggest monitoring not only energy and water, but purchases, waste, recycling and other sustainability measures.

Communication & Educationr
Everyone who lives or works in a LEED building contributes to its overall performance. Lights, computers and other equipment should be shut off when not in use. Recycling bins should be available. Giving everyone ample information and letting them know how they are contributing will help get everyone involved in the green process.

Review
A sustainability strategy shouldn’t be separate from a company’s overall plan, but incorporated into it so it continues past the LEED process.

The LEED program itself isn’t perfect, but the USGBC is looking at ways to improve it and accommodate new programs (like the recent additions of LEED for Retail and LEED Volume Program). This is also apparent in the USGBC’s drafts of benchmarks for wood credit.

With LEED as a guideline, hopefully more buildings can be built or renovated so they have less of a carbon footprint on the environment.