We've all heard of green-building rating systems. Acronyms like LEED are in heavy circulation among the eco-conscious crowd. But the question may have occurred to you: who's rating the raters?
Well, here's your answer. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently released a report looking at how the three major green building rating systems match up to its own criteria for what a rating system should include. The report, "Quantifying Sustainability," enumerates AIA's 16-point criteria for rating systems that it laid out in late 2005 when it adopted a sustainability position statement. Among these criteria are that the rating system must:
None of the three rating systems is fully in line with AIA's criteria. Here are some of the key findings:
Green Globes does not require specific goals for significant reductions in energy use. Instead, it encourages such action and awards points for doing so. The report suggests more stringent and specific requirements in the areas of energy reduction and operational performance.
SBTool07 is designed to take into account national, regional and bioclimatic differences, unlike the other two systems, which do not address all three. However, the report concludes that this rating system, like Green Globes, would be stronger if there were an increase in the number of required items versus those that are merely encouraged.
And while LEED-NC meshes with the AIA criteria of requiring a minimal level of indoor air quality, is does not require life cycle assessment data to be used as the basis for design and construction decisions. The report suggests continued developments in life cycle assessment and requirements for renewable energy or carbon reduction targets
View the full report here.
Well, here's your answer. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently released a report looking at how the three major green building rating systems match up to its own criteria for what a rating system should include. The report, "Quantifying Sustainability," enumerates AIA's 16-point criteria for rating systems that it laid out in late 2005 when it adopted a sustainability position statement. Among these criteria are that the rating system must:
The report reviews three green-building rating systems: LEED-New Construction 2.2, Green Globes for New Construction and SBTool 07, the three most widely used rating systems in the U.S.
- Require compliance to be validated by an independent third party
- Require specific goals in the efficient use of water resources that promote application of new wastewater technologies;
- Require specific goals for significant reductions in energy use, especially nonrenewable energy sources, with enhanced performance assured through commissioning of building systems;
- Promote the use of renewable energy sources;
- Require reduced use of nonrenewable natural resources through the reuse of existing structures and materials, reductions in construction waste, promotion of recycled content materials, and use of materials independently certified as from sustainable sources;
- Require specific goals for improved indoor environmental quality through enhanced indoor air quality, thermal comfort, acoustics, daylighting, and pollutant source control and use low-emission materials and building system controls;
- Promote the development and application of innovative designs and collaborative processes intended to improve environmental performance;
- Recognize the life cycle value of a community or project in addition to construction first costs, including assessment of impact on climate change, acid rain, water pollution, resource depletion, and toxicity factors;
None of the three rating systems is fully in line with AIA's criteria. Here are some of the key findings:
Green Globes does not require specific goals for significant reductions in energy use. Instead, it encourages such action and awards points for doing so. The report suggests more stringent and specific requirements in the areas of energy reduction and operational performance.
SBTool07 is designed to take into account national, regional and bioclimatic differences, unlike the other two systems, which do not address all three. However, the report concludes that this rating system, like Green Globes, would be stronger if there were an increase in the number of required items versus those that are merely encouraged.
And while LEED-NC meshes with the AIA criteria of requiring a minimal level of indoor air quality, is does not require life cycle assessment data to be used as the basis for design and construction decisions. The report suggests continued developments in life cycle assessment and requirements for renewable energy or carbon reduction targets
View the full report here.
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