February 5, 2007  
 

Green Building Rating Systems:
Competitive Market Drives Improvements

Click the image to hear Michelle Moore from the US Green Building Council (USGBC)  and Vicki Worden of the  GBI discuss LEED and Green  Globes .

The market for green building rating systems has become increasingly competitive. And, while there has been some debate over the need for more than one system, there are indications that competition has already been good for the green building movement—because it drives improvements, lowers costs and benefits the ultimate consumer, which in this case is our shared environment.

One need only look at recent efforts to develop third-party consensus standards for green or high performance buildings. The GBI was first to apply for and receive accreditation as a standards developer under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and we’re the only organization currently pursuing ANSI status for our rating system, Green Globes™.

But since we took this step, the US Green Building Council has also become an accredited standards developer—which means that it may pursue ANSI accreditation for LEED® in the future (though it has not yet initiated action in this regard).  Several other organizations have also announced plans to develop minimum high-performance standards within their areas of expertise, including the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), ASTM International and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).

The increased level of scrutiny required to create a true consensus standard is essential to ensuring that the final product does in fact reflect best practices and current research.  This is helpful for the design and building community—but essential when you consider that governments across the country are looking to rating systems, such as Green Globes and LEED, to create benchmarks that are in turn written into laws and regulations.

For more information on the two-year process underway to establish Green Globes as an ANSI standard, please click here.

 

  
 
 

Look for the GBI at these upcoming events:

International Builder’s Show
Feb. 7-10, Orlando, FL

  • Reception and Best Practices Seminar
    Feb. 6, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. (no longer available)

    Join the NAHB, GBI and HBAs across the country for a reception and best practices seminar at the International Builder’s Show.  The seminar will include insights from builders and HBA leaders who have established local green building programs.
  • NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines and
    Green Builder Vision House Update
    Feb. 8, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

    This educational seminar will include presentations from Emily English of the NAHB, Ron Jones of Green Builder Media, and GBI executive director Ward Hubbell—who will introduce a new initiative designed to make it easier for HBAs and builders to develop and utilize local green building programs.

NAHB Green Building Conference
Mar. 25-27, St. Louis, MO

  
 
 

The subject of competition is one that I’m often asked to address. LEED is a strong product, people say, and it was here first. Why does the world need LEED and the Green Globes system? Why do we need GBI when we have the US Green Building Council?
 

The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council promotes a whole building approach to design—through which sustainability values are considered alongside other important design objectives, such as security, safety, aesthetics, accessibility and health.

 
  Demonstrating that green building comes in many forms, Belcher Homes will soon complete the second project in the Green Builder® VISION House Series—a small subdivision of five affordable homes built to the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines  
 

As part of a plan to create a unified green building program for Massachusetts home builders, the Home Builders Association of Massachusetts and the Builders Association of Greater Boston recently presented a draft set of guidelines to HBAs across the state—asking them to partner in further defining and launching the guidelines to the public.

More than 65% of American homes are under-insulated, according to a study by the Harvard University School of Public Health. Adding insulation to attics, basement walls and floors above unheated spaces can help reduce utility bills by up to 20% and may allow homeowners to qualify for federal tax and other credits. More

  
 

A new software tool developed by the GBI provides Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results for more than 400 common building systems and assemblies. Designed primarily for use with the Green Globes system, the tool will also be released for general use by the broader design community.

The Green Building Initiative is raising the bar for all green building rating systems with the industry’s first independent certification program for third-party verifiers. In a move designed to ensure consistent high performance among assessment professionals, GBI has partnered with CSA America to develop the Green Globes Assessor Personnel Certification Program based on ISO requirements. More

The Council of State Governments recently passed a resolution encouraging that all new state buildings be built according to Green Globes, LEED or other high performance building standards for energy-efficiency. More