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 guarantee."
Energy Ace is guaranteeing LEED certification on projects where the firm is able to oversee LEED administration, fundamental commissioning, and energy modeling and where the project team is committed to LEED success. If the desired certification is not achieved, Energy Ace will refund 100% of its LEED administration fee, according to Wayne Robertson, Energy Ace's president.
“There is a lot at stake when you commit to constructing with LEED in mind, and it is not an instantaneous certification," said Robertson. "A building must be well designed and constructed before it can achieve that LEED credential cost-effectively. The process can take, for a sizeable building, two to three 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.
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," said Robertson. "Achieving the higher level of standards takes knowledgeable leadership to ensure those requirements are met, and implemented correctly and at least cost. 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 sustainability consulting firm helping architects, engineers, building owners and developers design, create and operate sustainable environments. Founded in 2002, Energy Ace is comprised of 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
