What We Can Learn From LEED's Critics

Today's tip of the day is about what we can learn from LEED's critics. Considering the following three criticisms of LEED can lead to a more robust dialogue and a better rating system.

The first criticism is that the LEED process is broken - this covered both the rating system development process, as well as the certification process. To address the first, USGBC says it has maintained an open, iterative process to the rating system development process, as evidenced by the more than 20,000 public comments over six comment periods, and then the 86 percent approval when LEED v4 was put to a vote. They've also drastically cut down on the time between submission and certification — 85 percent of projects are ruled on within 25 days of submission. That's a vast improvement.

The second criticism is that LEED is not vigorous enough. You hear this one a lot from the vocal critics who say a LEED certified building isn't any better than a traditional. USGBC is working diligently to compile more LEED data — now requiring all LEED registered projects to submit five years of water and energy data — to show that LEED buildings are, indeed, more environmentally responsible than traditional. According to one prominent expert: "If your building isn't performing, it's your fault. Not LEED's."

The third criticism is that LEED is too complex and too expensive. You commonly hear this from folks who think LEED certification is simply "buying a plaque" and that the constant updates to LEED make it impossible to keep up. No one would deny that LEEDv4 is a giant step forward in terms of rigor, but that's what is needed to move the market, says USGBC. And as for "buying a plaque," reasonable minds can disagree on the value of certification itself, but USGBC has always said that a third-party review is what really motivates projects teams to stay the course and follow through.

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