+INDEPENDENT 8/8/08 9:07 AM Page 9
lance a. williams \\ green opportunities
» Performance measurement, partic-
ularly with respect to energy and
water efficiency, and effective mate-
rials and resources use and reuse –
Energy and water efficiency are partic-
ular concerns in our era of concerns
about carbon and greenhouse gas emis-
sions, and the ever-increasing scarcity
Elements of Change
There have been a number of high-
impact forces that have changed
leaders’ attitudes about sustainability,
including:
> The "Al Gore" factor: publicizing the
views of scientists in ways that the general
public can weigh in on the debate regarding
the harmful impacts of carbon emissions and
greenhouse gases;
> Broad-based industry education regard-
ing green building, LEED and sustainability;
> Peer pressure and increasing numbers
of professionals becoming LEED- accredited
to consult in the creation and operation of
sustainable buildings;
> The actual creation and renovation of
buildings according to LEED and sustainable
standards;
> Case study reports which demonstrate
the effectiveness of LEED standards;
> Demonstrated increased ROI, and
reduced first costs;
> Benefits of adopting green O&M strategies
through effective planning outlined through
the LEED system;
> RFPs and RFQs that require sustainable
components in building projects;
> Industry professionals considering the
fate of the world they are leaving behind to
future generations;
> Creation of entrepreneurial opportunities
and increased growth of the green industry
sector;
> Media interest and support for green
building and sustainability as a general concept
and LEED specifically; and
> Increased valuation of properties –
admittedly, a work in progress.
of natural resources such as fossil fuels
and water.
By virtue of the intent of the rating
system, all of the essential elements of
building sustainably are taken into con-
sideration in a LEED project.
» Regional considerations, such as
weather conditions, water availabili-
ty, and securing locally based sus-
tainable materials in drought-tinged
areas of the Southwest – Southwest
states have a variety of weather condi-
tions within their boundaries and cer-
tainly cannot be seen as monolithic in
weather conditions or topography.
» Market acceptance of green build-
ing, sustainability and the LEED rat-
ing system – It is an established fact
that urbanization has transformed the
cultural landscape worldwide.
LEED is predominantly an urban
phenomenon.
It is a system designed to offer a solu-
tion: an opportunity for sustainability
to be an important part of the efforts
to rebuild aging places and effectively
plan emerging population centers while
mitigating the harmful effects of ener-
gy-hogging buildings.
» Regulatory barriers and resistance
to legislative mandates – With so
much of their applications well-intend-
ed, regulators and their mandates have
historically been viewed as hindrances
within the greater built environment.
Many builders have turned to legal
remedies to cut through what they see
as onerous requirements and have lob-
bied against programs that they inter-
pret as anti-business.
» Industry leaders’ reluctance to
becoming early adopters of green
building, sustainability and LEED –
This is simply a commentary on the old
adage regarding “pioneers get the
arrows” which persisted early on as
LEED moved from a concept in the
collective brain of its initiators to a
functional rating system.
Although perhaps true in its infancy
even a few years ago, when the drive to
build sustainably was generated mostly
by young, mid-to-lower-level corpo-
rate leaders, this effort has now been
taken up by the CEOs and senior exec-
utives of some of the most prominent
members of the Fortune 1,000 club.
LEED Categories
LEED has evolved from a one-size-fits-
all standard encompassing all elements
of buildings to one that has many part
of the whole.
First there was LEED-NC 1.0 which
measured efficiency in new and exist-
ing buildings, commercial interiors,
core and shell, retail, neighborhood
development, mixed-use, schools
and hospitals.
Now there are separate rating cate-
gories either released or in development
for all of the above building types.
USGBC is very democratic in its
feedback process and relies heavily on
case studies, economic data and a wide
variety of metrics to make the business
case for green building.
LEED is a continually evolving sys-
tem that relies on member feedback
in a way that few dynamic systems can
boast of doing.
Within a short period of time, the
primary LEED Steering Committee
at USGBC is planning to implement
more of a cafeteria-style system where
builders can pull from a range of
options that better fit their intentions
to build sustainably according to the
rating system.
It is clear that green building and sus-
tainability will grow as an area of interest
and continue to garner attention as peo-
ple become more aware of both the in-
herent challenges and opportunities. x
Dr. Lance Williams is executive direc-
tor of the U.S. Green Building Council
Los Angeles chapter. He is a LEED-accred-
ited professional and lectures and moder-
ates panels on a variety of sustainability-
related topics. He can be reached at
lwilliams@usgbc-la.org.
2008 fall b&c southwest 9