Over the last few months, there has been much confusion regarding not only LEED in general, but the transition from LEED v2.2 to LEED 3.0. Here is a quick summation, or clarification, of some of these commonly mistaken points:

1. LEED vs. LEEDs: Leeds is a city in England while LEED is a rating system used to distinguish high-performing, sustainable buildings.

2. Certification vs. Accreditation: Buildings and projects earn LEED certification, while people become LEED Accredited Professionals (AP).

3. LEED Certified vs. Silver vs. Gold vs. Platinum: There are four levels for achieving LEED certification. LEED Accredited Professionals must set a goal for a specific LEED certification and must abide by the appropriate guidelines to achieve points. The point ranges for each level are as follows: LEED Certified 40-49, LEED Silver 50-59, LEED Gold 60-79, and LEED Platinum 80-100. This is before achieving the Innovation in Design credits and the ten points they can earn you:

IDc 1.1 – 1.5: 5 points

IDc2 LEED AP: 1 point

Regional Priority Credits: 4 points max

4. USGBC vs. GBCI: In the beginning, there was only the USGBC. Now, the USGBC has split and become two separate organizations: the USGBC and the GBCI. The USGBC developed the LEED Rating System and now hosts an online membership directory of all LEED APs. The GBCI provides third-party project certification and professional credentials recognizing excellence in green building performance and practice.

5. Legacy LEED AP vs. LEED AP+: A Legacy LEED AP is someone who passed any version of the LEED AP exam prior to June 30, 2009. One who has earned the designation of LEED AP+ has taken and passed the LEED v3.0 exam. This person has an enhanced specialty in one of five areas. See the entry on opting into LEED v3.0 to learn more.

6. LEED Green Associate vs. LEED AP: The LEED Green Associate is the newest LEED credential and the required first step before taking the LEED AP+ exam. The GBCI has created the LEED Green credential to denote basic knowledge of green design, construction, and operations. The second course and exam is the LEED AP Plus offered in five different specialties denoting prolific knowledge of green building.

For more information on LEED Accreditation, visit the Everblue Training Institute web site. Still have questions about LEED? Leave us a comment!

I recently came across an interesting article on software advice about tracking LEED project credits with computer software. As many LEED APs probably know, tracking LEED credits is a document-intensive process. Submittal documentation includes drawings, receipts, product spec sheets, photos, commission plans and more. Adding to the clutter, numerous project members access and edit these documents.

Project management software, especially web-based systems, act as a repository for the storage and retrieval of critical project documents. Simply upload a document into the system, then attach it to the appropriate LEED-credit log. From there you can track the history of a document, see every change that has been made and who made it.

This article showcases two software programs for tracking LEED credits: one called EADOC and one from the company Procore. These programs include information on what materials were used, the project location, and status of approval. They also provide a paper trail for proof of compliance.

Using software programs to track LEED credits should ease the certification process. It is a great way to manage achieved credits, as well as other submitted documentation.

For more information about tracking LEED credits with computer software, visit the article here.

I recently came across the following posting on the ARE Forum:

“This may sound crazy, but since passing the LEED exam, I have been moderately depressed. I know I should be climbing the walls with happiness, I feel spent. I cannot seem to get my engines going again. I was wondering if anyone else had ever experienced this?”

I have paraphrased the excellent points made by the resulting posters:

Before the test, there was great tension and anxiety about the test. Studying occupied every free minute. Upon receiving a passing score, there was a brief moment of euphoria.

But now what? As with most big events, there is great build-up and anticipation but usually a let-down feeling afterwards. This is normal. The exam must have been much easier than you had expected. You were ready for a great battle and did not find an adequate ‘opponent.’

Not only is spare time feasible again, but adding a LEED credential to your name might provide job security. With this economy, it is important to have whatever edge you can over your competition.

You should feel proud about passing the exam. LEED is an up-and-coming accreditation that few people have. You studied hard, and you achieved your goal. Hopefully you will now get more opportunities to work on LEED projects so that you can use what you learned.

Another way to use what you have learned is to go outside, get some fresh air, and spend some time designing something simple (such as a doghouse, child’s playhouse, etc…) that incorporates some of the ARE & LEED principles you’ve been studying about for all this time. You’ll start to remember why you actually wanted to be an architect in the first place and it’ll help re-live those fun days of designing whatever you wanted in the university studio.

Like an Olympic athlete, you crossed the finish line and now the excitement is over. What you should do is use that enthusiasm to spur you on to the next thing – learning about LEED v3.0. It’s great that so many people have a desire to keep on learning. For more information about LEED v3.0, visit the Everblue Training Institute’s web site.

Let us know in a comment the steps you have taken since passing the LEED exam and your feelings toward your LEED AP or LEED Green Associate future.

Until now, LEED project applicants seeking technical and administrative guidance on how LEED credits apply to their projects could find guidelines by searching existing credit interpretation rulings (CIRs).

From Peter Templeton of the GBCI: “Effective June 26, 2009, credit interpretation requests (CIRs) submitted by any registered project will no longer be vetted by USGBC or its LEED Technical Advisory Groups. As a result, CIR rulings will now be applicable only to the project that submitted them. For LEED version 2 projects, rulings on CIRs submitted prior to June 26, 2009, will be honored until they are retired by USGBC or incorporated into general USGBC-issued project guidance, such as through errata or addenda.”

Mostly negative reviews surround this recent ruling, though speculation from both supporters and critics has surfaced online. Many of the critics cited public credit interpretation rulings as invaluable sources for attaining guidance on LEED projects.

When LEED APs submit a CIR, they are wanting to know if specific strategies will help their LEED project gain credits. Unfortunately LEED is in a stage where it is not clear enough, such that its requirements may be interpreted several different ways.

This criticism stems from the embarrassing idea that LEED APs must tell their clients that they are not sure how the USGBC will rule on the project or if certain points will be accepted. One critic described it as such:

“Now it just makes all LEED look worse to clients when a supposedly experienced person with a handful of certified projects has to say, ‘Well, I just don’t know, we can ask USGBC, but it will cost…’”

Now instead of being able to take advantage of other people’s questions, project leaders will have to pay to ask the question themselves.

CIRs used to be precedent-setting rulings. Now that they are not, reviewers must take each project into account. Another critic said the following:

“It seems that eliminating CIRs will only make the certification process less efficient – the same issues will likely be raised over and over again by different projects simply because the rulings are not made public.”

Proponents of the ruling, however, had their constructive suggestions ready.

Considering CIRs are no longer precedent-setting, some project managers believe they should at least be publicized in a database. This information would give project teams important guidance difficult to attain from other resources.

If not a database, said one, then a suitable solution would be to include the rulings in the USGBC guidebook.

“I don’t really want the CIRs saved, I just want the information and rulings in them to be condensed into the Guidebook. I think I read they were not going to add project specific rulings into the Guidebook. If that’s the case, then I think they should go back to allowing each project 2 free CIRs.”

The CIR debate is just one of the recent changes surrounding LEED. It will be interesting to see further reactions and subsequent updates to this ruling. Please share your thoughts about the matter in a comment.

The LEED AP Interior Design + Construction and LEED AP Building Design + Construction exams will be available on September 15, 2009. Applications for these exams are now open.

To be eligible to test in a LEED AP+ track, candidates simply have to demonstrate that they worked on a LEED Registered Project within three years of their application submittal, but that project does not need to be the same rating system the candidate is testing under. This work experience is typically documented in a letter of attestation from an employer or client. There are currently no restrictions on what LEED Rating System the candidate worked with, nor does it matter if the building achieved LEED Certification.

Be sure to look for exam prep courses on the Everblue Training Institute web site.