In the constantly evolving world of green building, it is increasingly critical for LEED professionals to have access to top-notch education to advance and maintain their knowledge of best practices in the design, construction, and maintenance of high-performing structures. With this need in mind, in January 2014 the U.S. Green Building Council launched Education @USGBC, a new, comprehensive, simple-to-use platform with courses related to sustainability and LEED designed by the world's learning educators. With Education @USGBC, it is now possible to advance one's knowledge of green building and connect and collaborate with leading practitioners around the world — online, at any time.
The-one stop shop provides high quality education, and includes courses created by USGBC, as well as courses created by USGBC Education Partners. The Education @USGBC subscription offerings include technical content, case studies, and Q&A sessions with the creators of the LEED rating systems and experienced practitioners. Building professionals can use these courses to expand their knowledge of green building, discover helpful tips for practice and learn from others' experiences — all while earning CE hours.
Key features of Education @USGBC include:
Individuals can subscribe to Education @USGBC for only $199 for a full year of unlimited access from the date of purchase. Discounts are available for USGBC members, students and organizations.
As the launchpad for collective growth, innovation and leadership, the platform is poised to provide significant momentum to the transformative mission of the green building movement. Visit usgbc.org/education-at-usgbc to learn more.
The San Diego International Airport is the first airport in the world to earn a LEED Platinum certification. The airport earned Platinum for its 460,000-square-foot expansion of Terminal 2 West, as well as 1.3 million square feet of new "aircraft apron" and taxiway areas. The terminal expansion project includes solar panels, low-flow water fixtures, no-irrigation landscaping, energy efficient lighting, and a design to maximize daylighting. The project was completed on time, and approximately $45 million under budget.
The new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report says that greenhouse gas emissions grew nearly twice as quickly in the past 10 years as they did in the previous 30. The report calls for emissions to be reduced by as much as 70 percent by 2050 in order to limit the average global temperature increase to 2 degrees C. Specifically, the report calls for cutting emissions from electricity production to near zero, meaning a large-scale switch to renewable energy, and a phase-out of coal. The report also calls for buildings to be 50 to 90 percent more efficient — buildings account for 32 percent of global energy use. The technology to do so and break from "business as usual" already exists, the reports says.
A new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy says that energy efficiency costs utilities two to three times less than traditional power sorts — an average of 2.8 cents per kilowatt hour. Energy efficiency programs aimed at reducing energy waste are the cheapest method of providing Americans with electricity, the report says. For more information on the report, including how efficiency compares costwise to other sources of electricity, visit: http://bit.ly/ACEEE2014
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Pros And Cons Of Green Building Rating Systems
USGBC Perspective: Education @USGBC To Teach Green Building Best Practices
