USGBC may not have been fully prepared for the global acceptance of its third party rating system, which is now used by government, government agencies and international bodies to evaluate sustainability. The certification has become recognized as a viable base for financial and government-backed incentive programs.

As the LEED® rating system has expanded into new markets and new areas of construction, clients reported difficulties with the documentation requirements and stressed the need for more scientific support for certain assumptions.

LEED® v3 is in direct response to 10 years of accumulated client concerns. The new version specifically addresses the following areas:

• A building’s operation and maintenance – LEED® for Existing Buildings
• Criteria tailored for design and construction of speculative buildings – LEED® for Core and Shell
• Rating guidelines for new construction – LEED® for New Construction

LEED® v3 seeks to harmonize these programs to the project’s needs. Similar language and similar standards are used throughout the revamped rating system. The changes should align and correlate the credits carried throughout the program.

Users have been frustrated by subtle differences between credits that carry the same description and same intent but which are applied to projects of varying scope. LEED® v3 expands the credit system to a base of 100 points. Additional credits are available with regional influence or for green construction aspects that are considered innovative.

Previously, each project had its own pre-determined point totals as listed below:

• LEED® for Schools – 79 points
• LEED® for New Construction – 69 points
• LEED® for Commercial Interiors – 57 points

Under to 100 point system, the following project credits earn the following certification level:

• 40 points – Certified
• 50 points – Silver
• 60 points – Gold
• 80 points – Platinum

The USGBC’s intent is that through the new alignment and with the established thresholds and standardized point totals, the documentation and certification process will be simplified.

The LEED® rating system and LEED® certification program set the benchmark criteria for design, construction and operational performance of buildings throughout the country.  The LEED® programs were developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a 501 c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the expansion of sustainable building practices.
The USGBC was founded in 1993 and now is headquartered on Dupont Circle in Washington D.C.  The council has grown dramatically in recent years and now has more than 19,500 member entities all involved in the building industry.  The majority of members are building owners, real estate developers, engineers, architects, designers, general contractors, products and building system manufacturers, government agencies and other not-for-profit supporters all working to improve the environmental qualities of the construction industry.

Today, there are 78 USGBC chapters throughout the country.  These chapters provide education, green building resources and a host of networking possibilities to interested communities.

The USGBC’s stated mission is to regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within a generation.  To accomplish this, the organization is determined to change the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated thus enabling the environmentally and socially responsible construction of buildings that are healthy and prosperous and that improve the quality of life.

In 2005, green building products and services expenditures amounted to just over $7 billion.  In 2007, this figure jumped to $12 billion and will exceed $80 billion by 2010 as the Obama stimulus package and the sheer profitability of green projects begins to take hold.  Green initiatives adopted by cities like Los Angeles, San Jose and Dallas highlight the progress made by the USGBC.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) is the brainchild of the USGBC, who began development of the certification and rating systems in 1994.  The initial guidelines took more than three years to formalize and today’s LEED® certification and ratings system are much more comprehensive than the initial versions,

One of the more interesting USGBC initiatives is the Emerging Green Builders Program.  Under this platform, educational opportunities and networking resources are provided to students and young professionals.  The goal is to connect these future leaders into the green building movement so that errors of the past are not repeated.  The Emerging Green Builders Program may very well be the country’s future.

In 2005, The Untied Nations’ World Summit released a pointed report detailing the global community’s view of sustainability.  Among several important points, three statements gave purpose and definition to the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) movement.


1.    Sustainable global economic development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
2.    Sustainable economic development, social development and environmental protection are interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars.
3.    Poverty eradication; changing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption; protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are overarching objectives of and essential requirements of sustainable development.

The UN report reinforced the USGBC’s mandate and lent credence to the emergence of the Council’s LEED® rating and certification programs.  The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEC), green building began to address economic and social concepts as well as environmental issues.

The USGBC was founded in 1993.  Development of the LEED® rating system took 3 years and, despite its enthusiastic reception, the United States has not succeeded with the implementation of green building.

•    39% of US energy consumption is related to buildings.
•    70% of U.S. electrical consumption takes place in buildings.
•    12.2% of American potable water is used in buildings.
•    40% of the world’s raw materials are used in construction
•    136 million tons of building and demolition waste is generated each year in the U.S.

After considering the UN report, the OFEC set two critical criteria for sustainable construction:

1.    To increase the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use energy, water and materials.
2.    To reduce building impacts on human health and the environment through better site choices, design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal for the building’s complete life cycle.

The new green building movement quickly evolved to include all new construction and began to fully consider each project’s merits based on social, economic and environmental impact.  Many communities had already adopted green movements but the UN and OFEC actions took hold and communities like Austin, Dallas and Houston were quick to amend their initial commitments.