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Best Green Building Rating System?
What is the best green building rating system available? Is LEED the best for green building certification, or is there something greener? I have heard about NetZero but I'm not sure if that is a certification or if it is better than LEED.
Author
April 17
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Answer:
In the last few years, many countries have been developing their own "Green Certification Systems", most of them based on BREEAM and LEED. We can't forget that every country represents different realities, and it is just not possible to develope a single system for each which will be the greenest approach. I am from chile, South America and I have worked in LEED projects in perú, Colombia, Argentina and Chile itself and in all of them we have been able to achieve sustainable and the most important mensurable goals not only related to energy and water savings but also with occupants comfort and maintenance expenses decrease.
NetZero is in fact a certification and what is the best about it it the Audir Process which comes 12 months after completition. What is the ebst about LEED is that it has different types of rating systems for different types of buildings and that it covers in most of its groups of credits what will be environmental impacts from a building's construction. We still have so much to do and what is important is that there are options of Green Certifications and that it has been proved they are achievable by all constructions around the world.
From my experience I can tell and because my work has proved so, that LEED is a good system, i don't know if better than others, but there must be a reason why it is now the most used internationally and a very good notice is than in LEED V4, it has been included Integrative Design Process and Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental products Declaration which is something we were missing not only in LEED but in many Green Certifications Systems.
Answer:
There are various green building certification programs that include local and national ratings. Each system has similarities but it's difficult to judge which one would be classified as "greener" since it would depend on the objectives of the client and the projects requirements.
LEED seems to be the most predominant rating which was developed by the USGBC - U.S. Green Building Council and provides a holistic approach in certifying projects. The Green Globes assessment which is coordinated by the Green Bulding Initiative in the US is another one along with the Living Building Challenge which provides the NetZero certification as one of its components and could be considered the most advanced method of sustainability.
There are various other ratings by professional organizations and government agency's which some focus on a specific area or category. An example would be the EPA's Energy Star rating which focuses on energy efficiency but it's not a complete protocol.
Bottom line - it's good to have choices that ultimately achieve sustainable development.
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Answer:
Hi Lauren, thank you for this great question.
LEED vs. Living Building Challenge
While LEED is the most popular green building rating system, it is not known to be the greenest or most stringent. Its critics frequently point out that it is not as rigorous as the Living Building Challenge.
The Living Building Challenge, offered by the International Living Future Institute, is known as the most rigorous green building rating system.
The Living Building Challenge has a list of 20 imperatives, such as on-site renewable energy to meet 100% of the building's needs and generating 100% of the building's water supply from captured rainwater. The building becomes "fully certified", or "Living Status" for meeting all 20 imperatives, though it can earn "Petal Recognition" for meeting 3 or more of the imperatives.
However, the Living Building Challenge only fully certified its 4th building this week (read more about this here). This compares to LEED, which has 52,000 projects, which makes up 9.8 billion square feet of construction.
LEED is most likely more popular because it is a market-based rating system that easier to achieve than the Living Building Challenge. This is not to say its "easy" to certify a building under LEED, but it's a more market-based rating system with a small number of minimum requirements and many optional credits, which project teams can pick and choose based on logistical, technical and economic feasibility. The Living Building Challenge, on the other hand, requires that all 20 imperatives are met, rather than a "mix-and-match" approach. LEED's flexibility makes it more achievable, which makes it more appealing to project owners and builders.
Plus, LEED is the most internationally recognizable rating system, so the project will be highly esteemed, even if its not certified under the "greenest" system. If the Living Building Challenge becomes better known through marketing and a higher number of certified projects, it could become more competitive with LEED.
LEED vs. NetZero
"Net zero" buildings are those which does not require energy from the grid. They are extremely energy efficient and renewable energy is used for all of their heating, cooling, and electricity needs. The International Living Future Institute, the same organization that offers the Living Buildign Challenge, does offer certification for NetZero buildings.
While a NetZero building may be more energy efficient than a LEED certified building, which required to be energy efficient, but not net zero, it does not address the whole building as a system. It does not address indoor air quality, responsibly sourced materials, stormwater management, etc., only the building's energy use. Therefore, while the energy component of this certification might be more rigorous than LEED, it is not necessarily greener on the whole.
The bottom line is that LEED is not the greenest rating system, but it is still highly regarded and easier to achieve than some of the more rigorous certifications available.
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