Sustainability - Professional Accreditation
Mission
At CleanEdison, our mission is to promote sustainability and green building practices by offering expert advice through our consulting services and best-in-class education to professionals serving the green building industry.
About CleanEdison
CleanEdison serves federal, state and local governments, building design and construction firms, owners, operators, and real estate investors. We have educated hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals in green building practices both through customized training and the largest open enrollment green training program in the nation. CleanEdison has courses in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BPI (Building Performance Institute) Certification, Energy Auditing, Solar, Wind and Renewable Energy. CleanEdison has also developed numerous customized training programs specific to a business or organization's needs.
There are many ways to make a building or portfolio of buildings "green". CleanEdison will work with you to develop a comprehensive strategy to maximize energy efficiency, water efficiency, and health and comfort while minimizing environmental impact. Every project begins with a comprehensive analysis of the client's goals and budget in order to implement a strategy with the most cost-effective solutions. CleanEdison's proprietary in-house database brings together the latest technology and products, government incentive programs, grants, and financing solutions to bring your project from start to finish.
CleanEdison's team of professionals consist of Certified Energy Managers, Architects and Engineers many of which are LEED APs, and/or BPI certified contractors. All of our instructors have been practicing professionals in the field of building science, energy efficiency and/or LEED project management.
There are several avenues available for Professional Accreditation in the Sustainability arena:
GBCI / LEED is targeted at design and construction professionals, with different ‘tracks’ for different sectors of these professions:
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LEED AP Operations + Maintenance
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LEED AP Building Design + Construction
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LEED AP Interior Design + Construction
ACCREDITATIONS:
Green Building Certification Institute
“The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), established in January 2008, provides third-party project certification and professional credentials recognizing excellence in green building performance and practice. GBCI administers project certification for commercial and institutional buildings and tenant spaces under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating Systems™ addressing new construction and ongoing operations. GBCI also manages the professional credentialing programs based upon the LEED Rating Systems including the LEED Green Associate and LEED AP credentials”
GREEN ADVANTAGE is targeted at construction professionals. BREEAM is the preferred sustainability program in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)
“LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fitout, and significant retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves.”
ATTENTION LEED AP’S!
Starting August 3, 2009 GBCI began sending emails to existing LEED APs, letting them know that their enrollment window is open. They will have two years to enroll from the date noted in their email. Emails containing open enrollment windows will be staggered through October 2009 to ensure a smooth enrollment process. Continuing education hours earned before you enroll don't count toward your CMP requirements!
LEED APs without specialty can view their enrollment window through My Credentials on the GBCI website. If you are a LEED AP and have not received an e-mail from GBCI, your contact information may not be up to date. Please go to www.gbci.org and update your contact information. Hereis a step-by-step guide to migrating your LEED AP Credentials to the new system.
If you are just beginning your career in green building or if you are not currently a LEED AP, the LEED Green Associate Accreditation is for you! LEED Green Associate is the introductory level of accreditation and sets you apart from your competition as a green building expert. Developed by U.S Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is the universally accepted green building system and covers all elements of building construction including: site, water, energy, materials, air quality, & design innovation.
Candidates wishing to move beyond the Green Associate (Tier 1) level are those who will be directly involved with the design, construction or certification process of a green building.
Ideal backgrounds for LEED AP+ candidates would include:
Architects - Engineers - Contractors - Developers - Interior Designers - Landscape Architects - Facility Managers - Energy Raters
One important benefit of reaching the AP level (Tier 2) is that APs working on a registered project will gain that specific project one point toward certification. A team needs to collect the remaining 39 points by demonstrating the sustainable features within the building. Candidates wishing to become a LEED AP must not only demonstrate Green Associate Status, but they must also confirm that they have project experience working on at least one LEED registered project. That’s right - the project must have been registered (not necessarily certified), and your last date of involvement needs to have taken place within the past three years prior to applying for an exam appointment.
Once the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) approves your application, you can select an appointment at a local Prometric testing center. As long as candidates have LEED project experience, they can schedule an appointment to sit for both GA as well as the AP exam at the same time. If a candidate fails either portion, they will not obtain any credential, but will only be required to retake the portion that was failed at a later date. If you do not have LEED project experience, you’ll have to start just by taking the Green Associate exam, and take the BD+C exam at a later date once you have gained the required experience.
At the AP level, candidates will decide which specialization they want to test under. At the GA level, candidates were not expected to specialize in a rating system, and were tested on general LEED concepts. Rating systems include Building Design and Construction (BD+C), Interior Design and Construction (ID+C), Homes, Operations and Maintenance (O+M), and Neighborhood Development (ND). ND is still a pilot program and won’t be a testing option until later in 2010.
The most common specialization is LEED BD+C. This LEED rating system is for new construction and major renovations of commercial, institutional, and high-rise (4 or more stories) residential buildings. Within BD+C, candidates will be expected to understand the difference between the scopes of three sub-categories. These include LEED for Schools, LEED for New Construction, and LEED for Core and Shell.
To assist as many candidates to successfully pass the challenging LEED AP exams, Green Education Services has launched a comprehensive exam prep program specifically for the GA and AP for BD+C exam. Candidates can attend the GA and BD+C training in two back-to back sessions or they can space out their trainings. Discounts are available for students who sign up for the GA and BD+C trainings under one ticket type. For our previous students, call or email us and we will be glad to honor the discounted rate for your second LEED course attendance.
GreenCE
GreenCE is an online resource for design professionals who want to learn more about sustainable design, conservation, and LEED related topics. Our mission is to educate design professionals about environmental benefits, health benefits, and economic benefits when designing a structure.
Green Advantage
“Today's environmentally conscious client prefers structures that are: energy and water efficient, durable and disaster resistant, healthier and environmentally friendly. Green Advantage® certifies your knowledge of the latest in green building practices, technologies and techniques. Certified Practitioners are included in our Online Directory. Find out how to be certified.
BREEAM - the Environmental Assessment Method For Buildings Around The World
“BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto measure used to describe a building's environmental performance.
BREEAM provides clients, developers, designers and others with
- market recognition for low environmental impact buildings
- assurance that best environmental practice is incorporated into a building
- inspiration to find innovative solutions that minimize the environmental impact
- a benchmark that is higher than regulation
- a tool to help reduce running costs, improve working and living environments
- a standard that demonstrates progress towards corporate and organizational environmental objectives.”
Other Sustainability Chaper Links:
Green Resources - Professional Accreditation - Project Building and Certification - Sustainability Training - Sustainability Resources - Sustainability in DFW - Additional Resources
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