Manufacturers Best Practice Guide

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 be 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; 70% of Americans recognize the symbol and equate it with energy efficiency. To date, over 4700 buildings have been awarded the ENERGY STAR label and ENERGY STAR has partnered with over 12,000 public and private organizations to improve their energy management practices.

Check out
ENERGY STAR.com
for directions on how to apply for certification.


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
LEED is quickly becoming the standard green building certification program in the United States and Canada. In its first seven years, LEED has accredited over 51,000 building professionals and has certified more than 1,400 building projects with more projects registered seeking certification.

LEED is a voluntary program that rates building performance based on a point system. Building strategies include not only energy requirements but sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and operational or design innovation requirements as well.

In California, Governor Schwarzenegger ordered that new or renovated state buildings of 10,000 sq. ft. or more 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.

Leading by Example: Adobe Systems Incorporated

In 2006, Adobe Systems certified three buildings at their headquarters at the LEED Platinum level. Adobe created an integrated building monitoring and control system, allowing staff to handle the controls for many different building operating systems from a single point. Lighting zones can be turned off and on with a single click of a mouse, and HVAC temperatures can be adjusted with another click. Adobe succeeded in saving an estimated $1,182,000 and 9,200,000 kWh, representing 30% of total electricity use.