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ARCHITECTURE 2030 RECOMMENDS CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION BASED ON CBECS ENERGY DATA
Green Building Initiative's™ Green Globes™ is Only Environmental Assessment and Rating System Using CBECS Data for Energy Benchmarking, via EPA's Target Finder Program

Portland, Ore. (February 16, 2007) — The Green Building Initiative's (GBI) status as an innovator was reinforced by Architecture 2030's recent call for climate change legislation based on energy data generated through the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS). Widely considered to be the most accurate and reliable source of energy benchmarking information, CBECS data is currently available through only one environmental assessment and rating system for commercial buildings, the GBI's Green Globes™, where it is used to establish the system's benchmark for measured reductions in energy consumption.

CBECS is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption and expenditures. The data is used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star Target Finder for new buildings and Portfolio Manager for Existing Buildings. Both of these EPA tools are fully incorporated into the Green Globes rating systems for New Construction and the Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings.

The GBI's choice to use CBECS data for energy benchmarking set it apart from other rating system in the U.S. and continues a trend of advancements that are making it easier for architects, developers, and owners to design, construct, and assess green commercial buildings.

For example:

• The Green Globes system was the first online and fully interactive design guidance and assessment tool for commercial buildings in the U.S. Aimed at bringing mainstream practitioners and owners more fully into the green building marketplace, the system is revolutionary in its approach.
• The GBI was the first green building organization to commit to incorporating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into its rating system, and recently announced the completion of an LCA tool that ranks building assemblies on five key areas of environmental impact. This tool is the first of its kind and provides users the ability to easily compare the global climate and environmental impacts of alternate design scenarios.
• The GBI was the first to apply for and receive accreditation as a standards developer under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). GBI is now mid-way through an eighteen month process to establish Green Globes as the first American National Standard for green building. Since this precedent was set, organizations such as the National Association of Home Builders, who will take their Green Home Guidelines through an ANSI technical review process, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), who is pursuing a minimum high performance building standard, have followed suit. Additionally, ASTM International and the National Institutes of Building Sciences (NIBS) have announced intentions to develop standards around high performance buildings.

Additional innovations coming this year from GBI include the industry's first completely independent personnel certification program for verifiers of green buildings. GBI has partnered with Cleveland-based CSA America, Inc. to develop the body of knowledge, examination, and to oversee the testing and qualifying of Green Globes third-party verifiers. This already rigorous process-which is unique in its two-steps of paperwork reviews as well as on-site inspections-will follow ISO 17024 and ANSI procedures for personnel certification programs.

"Green Globes has and will continue to set a high standard for green buildings and innovation, and we're proud of the role we've played in the advancement of green building rating systems," said Ward Hubbell, executive director of the GBI. "Advancement is the hallmark of a competitive marketplace. Having more than one credible system, as we do in the United States, allows designers to improve buildings while at the same time lowering costs. It's good for people who use the rating systems, for the building occupants, and most importantly for our shared environment."

As part of the GBI's ongoing ANSI process, the GBI's technical committee will strive to achieve carbon neutral buildings through use of CBECS data for benchmarking reductions in energy consumption and by utilizing carbon conversion procedures, including those already built into EPA's Energy Star Web site.

"We applaud Architecture 2030's recognition of CBECS as the superior method for energy benchmarking," said Harvey Bryan, Ph.D, FAIA, of Arizona State University chairs GBI's energy subcommittee. "GBI's existing use of CBECS and Energy Star Target Finder within Green Globes demonstrates its foresight and understanding of this complex but crucial issue. CBECS data differs because it comes from actual measured performance outcomes, rather than complex extrapolations that often neglect internal plug loads and other aspects related to energy consumption by occupants."

About CBECS
CBECS is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption and expenditures. For more information, please visit www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/contents.html.

About Architecture 2030
Architecture 2030's mission is to conduct research, and provide information and innovative solutions in the fields of architecture and planning, in an effort to address global climate change. For more information, please visit www.architecture2030.org.

ABOUT THE GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE: The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. A not-for-profit education initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction. For more information on the Green Building Initiative, please visit www.thegbi.org.