With cities mandating LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for public, and even private, buildings in growing numbers, an Atlanta-based sustainability consulting firm is hoping to ease anxieties over meeting those goals with the industry’s first Green Guaranteed™. Energy Ace is guaranteeing LEEDTM certification on projects where the firm is able to oversee LEEDTM administration, Fundamental Commissioning and Energy Modeling and where the project team is committed to LEED success.
According to a study conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction, a building’s value increases by almost 8%, return on investment improves approximately 7% and occupancy ratio and rent ratio increases grow more than 3% when ‘green’ is a part of the equation. The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) projects that commercial green construction starts will grow approximately 10% in 2010, despite the general decline in construction.
"There is a lot at stake when you commit to constructing with LEED in mind, and it is not an instantaneous certification. A building must be well designed and constructed before it can achieve that LEED credential cost-effectively," said Wayne Robertson, President of Energy Ace. "The process can take, for a sizeable building, 2 to 3 years. That’s a lengthy period, and one in which many activities are happening simultaneously. It boils down to ‘what are the expectations’ and ‘who is responsible.’ With our Guarantee, we’re taking the reins from day one, and leading that charge until the certification is met."
According to the USGBC, 43 states, 190 localities and 12 federal agencies or departments have policies or initiatives that include LEED certification. Seattle was the nation’s first city to mandate LEED, and now many others do. The Atlanta City Council is expected to vote on an environmental program August 17th. The Sustainable Building Ordinance covers green building standards for new construction impacting site development, water efficiency, energy, indoor environmental quality, as well as a look at the building’s impact on the atmosphere, materials and resources. Across the country, more than 21,000 projects are currently registered for LEED with the USGBC.
While legal action to date has been rare regarding projects failing to achieve expected LEED designation, the ground for litigation was broken in 2008, when a Maryland developer sued his contractor when the building failed to achieve LEED Silver certification.
"We’re going to see more and more mandates enacting sustainability requirements. Achieving the higher level of standards takes knowledgeable leadership to ensure those requirements are met, and implemented correctly and at least cost," said Robertson. "No one wants to fail. We know Energy Ace is able to provide superior work and service, and are ready to back that claim by guaranteeing our work."
About Energy Ace
Energy Ace is a premier sustainability consulting firm helping architects, engineers, building owners and developers design, create and operate sustainable environments. Founded in 2002, Energy Ace is comprised of highly-skilled professionals including engineers, LEED Accredited Professionals, and Certified Commissioning Agents who are dedicated to delivering sustainability services of the highest quality to our clients. Energy Ace offers a full suite of services including LEED Consulting, building commissioning and energy modeling, to ensure that sustainability programs are both successful and fully optimized. More information is online at
www.energyace.com
