In a previous post (here) I talk about the new LEED Credentialing system and how my opinion of the LEED AP designation has changed over the past 5 years since I took the exam. Over at Real Life LEED, the author tries to explain if there are any real benefits to existing LEED AP’s to upgrading to the new LEED AP+ which sparked a good discussion on his comment board.
So please, venture over to Real Life LEED and read his latest post.
As we quickly approach the last week for the current LEED AP v2.2 exam track, I say it is a long time coming. When I first took the exam back in 2004 I was of the opinion that the more people that had their LEED AP the better. Because ultimately it meant more people understood the issues and were on a level playing field in terms of their knowledge.
However over the past couple of years as the LEED rating system has picked up steam, my opinion of the exam has changed. Too many people are taking the exam now and not for the right reasons. Most people who are taking it are only taking the exam to have the LEED AP after their name. It’s all for marketing purposes. They don’t have any additional knowledge. They just studied the reference manual and took the exam. The majority of them do nothing to push the green building movement. Heck, some of the people are not even in the design and construction industry. Read the rest of this entry »
With the release of the new LEED 2009 or better know as v3 on April 27th, 2009, I decided to post a video by the USGBC that really talks about why we should build in a more sustainable fashion. It also documents what went into the development of the new rating system.
By Tristan Roberts via GreenSource
Image © Dan Page
The popularity of the LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) credential, which is open to all professions, has led to the accreditation of over 77,000. By the time the current version of the program is retired later this spring, it is likely that the number of LEED APs will surpass the membership of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a fairly stable 83,000. While AIA membership is not directly comparable to holding the LEED AP credential, the momentum behind the program is remarkable.
The proliferation of LEED APs has come amid concerns about the program’s lack of rigor, so a major overhaul of the program arriving in late spring should not come as a surprise. The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), a nonprofit sister to the U.S. Green Building Council, announced its plans to assume leadership of the program at Greenbuild in November 2008. At the same time, effective January 2009, the AIA made sustainability a requirement for its continuing education (CEU) program, ensuring that all architects will need to integrate green building at least into their education, if not their practices.
Continue reading the article at GreenSource Magazine.