I know there have been several discussion threads about this topic, but I wonder if anyone is specifically involved in any LEED projects, under the auspices of the U.S. Green Building Council. This seems like the wave of the future, and especially for those of us who work on “fine homes” I could see where a LEED rating could be important and relevant to high end clients. Their web site has the criteria, general info, etc. if anyone would like to know more. http://www.usgbc.org It seems to me this would be a great article for a future issue of FHB. It would be fun to research and write. I wonder how much they pay for an article? enjoy the day!, h.
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I think "green" building will always be a niche market.
Did you notice that you have to pay them like $400 to get their approval?
At the feast of ego, everyone leaves hungry.
At this point the movement is small enough that if you want to, you can start your own organization, maybe call it the International Green Building Association or some such thing, and charge $199. It's wide open for competition.
-- J.S.
Homebody-
I'm a LEED Accredited Professional (passed their certification test). At the moment, the LEED certification is only for commercial projects or residential projects over 4 stories. They are working on a residential program though. The company I work with is currently involved with a 30,000 SF office building that is going for LEED certification. It's in the design stages at this point.
Boss- green building is definitely a niche market, but it's a fast-growing niche. Everyone can adopt some green building practices, many of which are no-cost or low-cost. Many people think that you have to change your entire building program to "build green", but in fact you can do as little or as much as you like. And the $400 certification fee is far outweighed by the energy cost savings, not to mention the environmental benefits of building a structure that meets their qualifications.
Bob
Thanks for your reply, Bob, I thought the reponses to my question would serve as kind of a litmus test of LEED, and the U.S. GBC. I guess compared to blonde jokes, it hasn't quite permeated the culture yet. I agree with you that green building will be important, perhaps even regulated at some point through building codes. I'm not an advocate of regulation, however, let me be clear! Interestingly, most of the people I know that live in "fine homes" want the assurance that their excesses are "environmentally responsible". Enjoy the day! h.