Comments on: Musings On the LEED De-Certification Firestorm

By: Mandatory Energy Benchmarking is On Its Way | Construction Law Musings- Richmond, VA

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:06:52 +0000

[...] have discussed the issue of benchmarking and energy reporting on several occasions here at Musings. As the January 18, 2010 issue of ENR Magazine discusses, [...]

By: Energy Reporting and the Broken Window Problem | Construction Law Musings- Richmond, VA

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:47 +0000

[...] the energy reporting requirements of the new LEED guidelines. However, as I have been reading and commenting on the proposed energy reporting requirements found in the latest LEED certification guidelines, [...]

By: Green Building Guarantees and Legal Issues | Construction Law Musings- Richmond, VA

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:02:10 +0000

[...] energy reporting issues have been discussed at length here at Musings and elsewhere, I recommend that you check out that discussion for further thoughts on this [...]

By: Christopher G. Hill

Christopher G. Hill — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:22:53 +0000

Michael,

I agree that coordination will be key. This will need to be dealt with up front in contracts and somehow later down the road.

By: michaelenglish

michaelenglish — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:41:09 +0000

Also…I agree LEED is a tool but if the project team (including the owner) does not pull at the same end of the rope and work as a team then the sustainability efforts are moot. Training and education on why/how the facility is green can help get buy-in and support from occupants. If the facility does not operate in conjunction with the green program then is the facility really still green?

By: Christopher G. Hill

Christopher G. Hill — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:47:54 +0000

Thanks for your thoughts Michael.

By: michaelenglish

michaelenglish — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:40:15 +0000

I am a huge fan of decertifying a building. On multiple occasions, my company is called in after the fact to “fix” a building that has already been LEED certified. The owners of these buildings pay good money to make their buildings green. The sad part is that some of these buildings don’t function due to poor design, coordination, construction and/or commissioning. Commissioning is about making these buildings work and validating their performance. If these certifications aren’t valid, where’s the integrity in our industry?

By: Christopher G. Hill

Christopher G. Hill — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:22:18 +0000

Lesley,

Thanks for the kind words. The comments from all of you have been great and added much to this conversation.

By: Lesley LEEDs

Lesley LEEDs — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:18:21 +0000

You make some very educated points, sir. I found your viewpoint of the subject quite interesting, and I enjoyed reading your comments. I enjoy your writing, and I hope to read more from you. Thank you.

By: Christopher G. Hill

Christopher G. Hill — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:12:53 +0000

Chris C, I'd hate to do that! Actually, we all seem to agree. However, if LEED was never incorporated into the requirements of a project in the first place, then the issue is not there. My point is that LEED happens to be the big player in the certification area, so folks use it. Therefore, the liability is not created by LEED cert/decert itself, but its incorporation into the building requirements of a project.