How are LEED standards getting more energy-serious?

By now we have all heard of a little thing called LEED certification, but in case you need a bit of a refresher, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system. It is essentially the end-all-be-all of green certification for construction designed with specific environmental stragegies: energy savings, water efficiency, carbon emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Developed by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the newest version of LEED certification, “Version 3″, takes advantage of new technologies and advancements in building science while prioritizing energy efficiency emissions.

With LEED Version 3, all construction projects seeking LEED certification while have to follow a new set of green building guidelines.

Energy reporting and demand: building business from the ground up

LEED Version 3 requires that building owners must now annually submit data about how much energy, including water, their properties consume each year. This new requirement means a potential business boom for companies and products in the green lodging technology space – the demand for eco-sensitive materials and energy efficient suppliers will go through the roof as more and more hotels seek the prestigious LEED status.

According to the USGBC, data collection will provide valuable information about the way buildings actually perform and help improve future versions of the program. The new standard “will bring to light external issues such as occupant behavior or unanticipated building usage patterns, all key factors that influence performance,” according to Scot Horst, senior vice president of LEED.

USGBC stands firm that forcing building owners to continually certify will catalyze their initiative to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

While property managers can always opt to have their utility bills audited by the USGBC, in the spirit of competitive capitilaism some may choose to employ current and future emerging technologies to both monitor and reduce consumption, including methods of alternative energy use.

Basics of Version 3 certification

• As of this past April 27, 2009, building projects registered under the version 2 rating system can be transferred to LEED v3, free of charge through the remainder of the year. Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, however, there will be a new registration fee. All project registration is now handled by the Green Building Certification Institute.
• As for LEED Online, the new version is faster, smarter and a better user experience. It is designed to be scalable and more robust, through improved design, a more intuitive user interface, better communication between project teams and certifying bodies, and upgrades that respond to the changes in the LEED 2009 rating system. See the latest information here.
• The LEED reference guides have also been updated to respond to LEED v3. Reference guides are available in hard copy or as downloadable e-books.
• Attendees of LEED workshops focused on a specific rating system will continue to receive a discount on one printed corresponding LEED reference guide and also receive a free 30-day access period to download and save a non-printable personalized PDF copy of the reference guide.

It will be interesting to watch this scenario unfold to determine just how large an effect the LEED’s influence will have over the green lodging industry. With LEED being such a huge selling point in today’s “green stimulus” economy, those four little letters could mean the “make or break” for a large sector of the business.