Although LEED has advanced sustainability in the built environment, it hasn’t kept up with the accelerating urgency of climate change or the availability of low and no-cost ways to deeply cut carbon, says Greg Kats, president of Capital E.
Kats is a clean energy investor and was the first recipient of the U.S. Green Building Council Lifetime Achievement Award. He cites a 60% cost reduction of residential solar since 2010 that “make these now the cheapest electricity source in most states.”
Also, rapid growth in the ability to buy onsite and offsite solar and wind under power purchase agreements (PPAs) allows building owners to buy carbon-free power at a fixed price at or below conventional utility rates, Kats says. “Many buildings receiving LEED Silver, Gold, and even Platinum ratings deliver an anemic 15% or 20% lower energy use and CO2 reduction,” he says.
Kats and other environmental leaders have submitted a proposal to USGBC in support of minimum levels of carbon reduction by level of LEED certification. “LEED immediately should be revised to require substantial minimum carbon reductions for each level of LEED certification, both for new LEED buildings and for LEED rating renewals,” Kats says.
Related Stories
| Dec 29, 2011
Decision not to fireproof the new World Trade Center Transportation Hub criticized
Some criticized the decision, reasoning that the structure could be a terrorist target.
| Dec 29, 2011
Seismic safety in question at thousands of California public schools
California regulators responsible for enforcing earthquake safety laws have failed to certify more than 16,000 construction projects in California public schools, increasing the risk that some projects may be unsafe, according to a state audit report.
| Dec 29, 2011
GreenWizard offers cloud-based LEED credit management, assessment
The company recently began offering companies the ability to run assessments for design credits, in addition to traditional product-specific LEED credits.
| Dec 22, 2011
Federal home weatherization program has impacted 6.8 million homes
More than 6.8 million homes have been weatherized using federal, state, utility, and other funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
| Dec 22, 2011
Group developing BIM data standards
A collaboration among Georgia Tech’s Digital Building Lab, the Precast Concrete Institute, the American Concrete Institute, and the American Institute of Steel Construction aims to develop global standards for transportation of three-dimensional digital models among fabricator, architecture, engineering, and construction groups.
| Dec 22, 2011
New green code spells out thermal requirement for roof retrofits
The 2012 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) includes a straightforward approach to minimum thermal requirements for roof and wall systems.
| Dec 22, 2011
AGC’s safety conference Jan. 11-13 in San Antonio
The Associated General Contractors of America’s national meeting for safety and health professionals will take place Jan. 11-13, 2012 in San Antonio, TX.
| Dec 22, 2011
Proposed New York City zoning revamp encourages rooftop solar and wind energy
New zoning regulation proposals to make it easier for building owners in New York City to make their structures more sustainable have entered the public approval process.
| Dec 15, 2011
Dayton, Ohio schools saving $2.6 million annually by building to LEED
On average, green schools save about $100,000 a year on operating costs, including energy and water savings.
| Dec 15, 2011
Building to LEED standards can pose new risks for construction workers
Workers on these projects suffer a 24% increase in falls to lower levels during roof work, which researchers attributed to the installation of solar panels, and a few other risks.
