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I am considering getting certified for green buildings LEED certificate. Does anyone have any experience? What benefits are there to get this? Please answer only if you are certified or know about the issue.
I am considering getting certified for green buildings LEED certificate. Does anyone have any experience? What benefits are there to get this? Please answer only if you are certified or know about the issue.
Are you referring to you getting accredited as an individual, or you having a new or existing building LEED certified?
Two very different things, guessing you are referring to the former and this is for you as a career development path. Try these for more info:
Our property has spent the last 3 months gathering backup information for submission for a "Green Key Certification". It's more for hotels and hospitality businesses it looks like. It's based on a "5 key system"... we're aiming for 4 keys.
I am considering getting certified for green buildings LEED certificate. Does anyone have any experience? What benefits are there to get this? Please answer only if you are certified or know about the issue.
I think this is the certification my daughter just received from a huge test she took - she's a senior at university of maryland and her major is sustainability. I will ask her for you.
I'm in construction (estimator/project manager on commercial and public works projects for a sub contractor) and I've talked to a few people that took the LEED AP test and got certified. They work as PMs for General Contractors. I was interested in earning the LEED AP. They took the class because they thought they were going to earn more money with their credential and lead them to a 'green' career. The LEED AP hasn't helped them at all to go farther in their careers. Perhaps one day down the road when building comes back the credential will benefit them. If you're an architect or work in the building department of your city the certification will definitely give you an edge. IMO there's just not enough jobs (that require the cert) for everyone that has the cert or wishes to earn the cert. Also, the prices of the classes are way too expensive. I've seen prices go as high as $1800 for a few days of classroom sessions, a practice exam and then the real exam. I took a Project Engineer course not too long ago and my instructor (also the person in charge of all construction at that university) got the cert and recommended I go for it since I'm interested in green buildings/sustainability. For the price I think I'll pass. I've taken now about 10 courses related to green construction and none of it has helped me to land a better paying job in a 'green' construction firm. Lots of money down the drain. This is why I'm hesitant about LEED AP and solar classes. $2,000 for one a week solar course just for personal satisfaction?? Nope. The schools are making a killing. Cha-ching.
If you're an Architect or Landscape Architect it can help you but otherwise it's just another smiley face sticker on your resume. I'm a Civil Engineer and I looked in to taking the Lead Associate and AP exams but decided not to do it because I didnt feel like it would benefit me much. However, if your company is willing to pay for it then I say go for it. It would be foolish to turn down free knowledge and credentials.
Hire a LEED AP certified architect. They are a dime a dozen these days. So many got the certification when nobody was building anything, thinking it would "LEED" to a job.
Well, for commercial projects you can sit for the LEED Green Asssociate test and if you pass, you are a LEED GA. (there are 1-2 day review courses that you would probably need to take before though, its not a cakewalk)
To become a LEED Acredited Professional, you have to work on a LEED project and then take the test. It didn't used to be that way, but they made it harder.
On the residential side, there are LEED ratings also. I think some are as simple as passing the test and being certified, but I am not as sure.
The value of the LEED credential really varies by region. In Chicago it has become the standard for green building, and it counts.
I don't think it has really been widely adopted for small residential and commercial projects, its value is for the larger buildings where business owners can use it to attract more desirable tenants.
And the O&M system is likely where the long-term growth lies, as there are far more existing buildings that went up when energy wasn't a concern and would greatly benefit from retrofits. City, State and Federal governments are also likely to continue to using it, as the timeless nature of their services/operations make the investment worthwhile.
That’s what the General Services Administration (GSA) concluded again Oct. 25. After a lot of study, the GSA decided that the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building rating system can and should be used in government buildings. LEED, it said, advances energy efficiency and saves taxpayers’ money.
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