Jun 29, 2009
By: Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor

With an eye toward maintaining long-term sustainability, as opposed to rewarding good intentions, the U.S. Green Building Council has just added a new requirement for owners pursuing LEED Certified status for their properties.

 As an update to LEED v3--USGBC's most recent version of its program for environmentally sustainable building design, construction, operations and maintenance--the organization now requires building owners to routinely present operational performance data before attaining certification. The new requirement is a move to eliminate the disparity between what is planned for in the design process, and the actual state of the building's operations in the post-development state.

"We're convinced that ongoing monitoring and reporting of data is the single best way to drive higher building performance because it will bring to light external issues such as occupant behavior or unanticipated building usage patterns, all key factors that influence performance," Scot Horst, USGBC's senior vice president of LEED, noted in a prepared statement. While the new energy and water usage reporting stipulation is designed to enhance LEED standards, it is not designed to box in applicants. Compliance can be achieved through the recertification of a building on a two-year cycle using the LEED for Existing Buildings guideline; the furnishing of energy and water usage data on an ongoing basis annually; or the property owner's signed release authorizing USGBC's access to the building's energy and water usage data directly from the building's utility provider.

The introduction of the performance data requirement comes just two months after LEED v3 was introduced. Yet, USGBC does not fear that the new prevision will discourage LEED certification seekers. "We think that this will actually help create awareness among building owners, while giving us data to inform future versions of the rating system," a USGBC spokesperson told CPN.

If the struggling economy is no deterrent, a new USGBC rule shouldn't be either. Despite the tough times all around, the green movement continues, with energy efficiency at the forefront. In April, Jones Lang LaSalle announced the Empire State Building Leadership in American Progress in Stability initiative, a collaborative effort designed to create a new methodology for incorporating major efficiency retrofits into existing structures, beginning with a $20 million retrofit of New York City's 2.6 million-square-foot Empire State Building. And just last week, news emerged of detailed plans for the $350 million retrofit of the city's 4.5 million-square-foot Sears Tower, soon be renamed the Willis Tower.

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