One of the most significant announcements coming out of GreenBuild was the unveiling of the revamped LEED Accredited Professional (AP) program. Or should I say, programs? There will now be four levels of LEED accreditation: (1) LEED Green Associate (2) LEED Accredited Professional (3) LEED AP Fellow; and (4) Legacy LEED AP Additionally, a … Continue Reading
While at GreenBuild, I had the pleasure of listening to Jeff Harris of the Alliance to Save Energy speak about the Presidential Climate Action Project. Two of the points raised by Jeff really got me thinking and I want to share these ideas with you. During his presentation, Jeff stated that the U.S. government is … Continue Reading
In previous posts, Green Building Law Update pointed to anecdotal evidence that financing difficulties were affecting the green building industry. While there may be specific examples of green building difficulties, the bigger picture does not look as dire. According to a recent article, the green building industry is “staying afloat” despite the tight financing market. … Continue Reading
In anticipation of GreenBuild, Green Building Law Update is going to step back and ask: what is the state of green building? These are definitely interesting times for the green building industry. On the one hand, as I have highlighted, green building projects may have to be shelved due to the tight lending market. But … Continue Reading
As you may know, this week is the United States Green Building Council’s national event, GreenBuild, in Boston: USGBC’s Greenbuild conference and expo is an unparalleled opportunity to connect with other green building peers, industry experts, and influential leaders as they share insights on the green building movement and its diverse specialties. This year’s theme … Continue Reading
Sorry, I won’t be answering this rhetorical question today. Instead, a group of construction, design and surety legal experts will attempt to address this difficult question at an upcoming symposium: What: Trends in Green Building Seminar Who: Tom Mawson – The USGBC and Trends in Green Building; Chris Cheatham – The Emergence of Green Building Litigation; Bryan Phillips … Continue Reading
During my speaking engagements regarding green building legal issues, I have noticed that the same questions keep coming up. I thought I would begin to answer some of these questions for Green Building Law Update readers that have the similar questions. Question: When should I take the LEED Accredited Professional (AP) examination? This is a … Continue Reading
Here at Green Building Law Update, we remain troubled by the disbanding of the proposed ASHRAE 189.1 green building code committee, but we have to point out one bright spot. As you may recall, last week we discussed the merits of the “Proposed Standard 189: Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise … Continue Reading
As the economy continues to stumble along, the effects on the green building industry are starting to emerge. Green Building Law Update previously predicted that LEED certification would find itself on the chopping block and specific examples were discussed. Now, via Jetson Green, an even more stark example has emerged: Google Puts Plans for … Continue Reading
Last week, Green Building Law Update questioned whether governments should be requiring LEED certification through regulations and mandates. Assuming governments should get out of the green building certification business, what then should governments do to support green construction strategies? There are generally two options, one of which we will discuss today: green building codes. Green … Continue Reading
On Tuesday, hopefully you are planning on exercising your civic duty to vote. Here at Green Building Law Update, we try to remain non-partisan but we could not ignore this monumental election. Thankfully, though, the candidates have made it easy for us. Did you know that a vote for either Barack Obama or John McCain will … Continue Reading
