Best Practice Guide

Local Governments

Planning an Energy Program

Certification Programs

Energy efficiency and conservation are major components of any green building program. Certification programs and "green" building guidelines are based on the collective experience of industry professionals - architects, designers, developers, academics, product manufacturers, utility representatives, facility managers, and government regulators. Most programs have been formally vetted and tested in real world conditions. Even if you do not intend to seek certification, these programs lay out sound guidance and tips on whole building design that may prove useful. Facilities that do achieve certification often enjoy media and public accolades for their efforts.

U.S. EPA, ENERGY STAR
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR certification and labeling program for energy management is the most well-known in the United States; more than 56 percent of Americans recognize the symbol and equate it with energy efficiency. Since the program's inception in 1995, almost 2,000 buildings - representing 400 million square feet of commercial space - have been awarded the ENERGY STAR label. Approximately 13,000 organizations - including small businesses - use ENERGY STAR to improve their energy management practices.

ENERGY STAR benchmarking compares annual kilowatt-hours (kWh) and British thermal units (Btu) per square foot, commonly referred to as the energy use intensity (EUI) of a building. Most other programs use a scorecard system that awards points for specific building strategies, not for overall performance.

In order to be considered, a building's energy profile must be entered into Portfolio Manager, ENERGY STAR's online benchmarking database. Buildings are scored from 1 to 100. Those that receive a score of 75 or better (top 25 percent) may apply for the ENERGY STAR label. Benchmarking and labeling are free services provided by the U.S. EPA through its ENERGY STAR program.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is quickly becoming the standard green building certification program in the United States and Canada. In its first four years, LEED has accredited almost 20,000 building professionals and has certified more than 230 building projects with another 2,000 projects registered seeking certification.

LEED is a voluntary program that rates building performance based on a point system. Building strategies include: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and operational or design innovations.

LEED standards are currently available or under development for:

  • New commercial construction and major renovation projects (LEED-NC)
  • Existing building operations (LEED-EB)
  • Commercial interiors projects (LEED-CI)
  • Core and shell projects (LEED-CS)
  • Homes (LEED-H)
  • Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND)

In California, Governor Schwarzenegger ordered that State buildings of 10,000 sq. ft. or more, new or renovated, meet LEED Silver or higher certification. Cities, counties and other institutional entities have mandated the use of LEED for building projects. San Francisco's Green Building Ordinance, for example, applies LEED standards to all city-owned facilities and leaseholds. Similarly, the University of California has incorporated LEED into its green building policy.

Green Building Initiative (GBI) Green Globes
In 2005, the Green Building Initiative licensed the Canadian program Green Globes for use in the United States. Green Globes is an online, interactive assessment tool designed for new construction (an existing building version is making its way to the market and may be available soon). Roughly 150 confidential questions are arranged in seven categories: project management, site, energy, water, resources, emissions and effluents, and indoor environment.

Although Green Globes is initially a self-assessment tool, buildings can be certified with third-party verification. Green Globes aggregates survey scores in an anonymous database that is used for benchmarking. Green Globes is dynamically linked to ENERGY STAR's Target Finder software so that information provided is automatically calculated into target goals for your project.


Resources

State of California Green Building Initiative.