Fall is a wonderful time of year. Leaves are turning, temperatures are cooling and the International Greenbuild conference is held. The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual Greenbuild convention is a time when like-minded individuals and green building professionals from around the world gather and discuss the current trends in the sustainable building industry. The USGBC has historically used this event to make new announcements. This year’s event, which was held in New Orleans from Oct. 22-24, was no exception. One of the announcements made during the convention was the launch of a new credential, or accreditation. This new designation is called the LEED Proven Provider program and it differentiates the LEED practitioner from the LEED expert.
The LEED Proven Provider program was developed by the
Green Buildings Certification Institute (GBCI) to streamline the LEED project review process for experienced organizations that demonstrate consistent excellence in administering LEED projects. This program recognizes providers who have experience with the various LEED rating systems and have demonstrated consistent quality across multiple project submissions/certifications.
The USGBC/GBCI first developed a pilot program for the designation earlier last year, and my firm, St. Louis-based Vertegy, was fortunate to be one of 28 companies selected to take part. Vertegy was one of three firms to successfully complete the pilot program and be accepted into the program last November. As a Proven Provider, Vertegy is granted special privileges that are not given to those companies that do not hold this designation. If Vertegy acts as the LEED Project Administrator, we will have access to the GBCI representatives performing the review. This one-on-one interaction allows Vertegy to engage in pre-submission conferences to review critical credit points before the submission goes in for official review. This access provides the opportunity to find and fix potential problems before they occur for the most complicated and critical prerequisites and credits. Proven Provider firms are also given preferential treatment and guaranteed a more streamlined and faster review/certification process.
Organizations wanting to earn this designation must demonstrate excellence in the quality of the project submission. Specifically, they must complete a minimum of six projects within one type of rating system: Building Design and Construction, Interior Design and Construction, or Building Operations and Maintenance. Each organization’s past work is reviewed by the GBCI review team for overall completeness of the project submission. The past submissions are also reviewed by the GBCI for quality and consistency in the documentation. A key indicator for the GBCI review team is for the organization to consistently show evidence of continued improvement in the quality of each submission. Once an organization has demonstrated its ability as a Proven Provider, the submission and final certification process could be reduced to as little as 45 days, giving organizations the opportunity to deliver LEED projects to clients much faster.
Prior to this new designation, the LEED submission and review process could be lengthy, at times taking more than three months. The process typically starts once all of the required documentation is assembled. This information is then loaded onto the LEED Online portal. The review process officially begins once all documentation has been completed and the team asks for a review. The GBCI reviews the project and returns comments, and the team then has 25 business days to respond to those comments with any supplemental information or additional details to finalize the submission. The GBCI review team reviews these documents and returns an award level (based on points earned). In the past, this process could take awhile and involve many members of the delivery team. This lengthy timeframe has been a frustration to many building owners and delivery teams, many of whom have continually exhibited expertise in bringing healthy, high-performing buildings to the market.
The LEED Proven Provider program is designed to solve this issue by encouraging and rewarding those organizations that have produced consistent high-quality LEED project submissions to minimize the need for additional work during the project review process. This program represents an opportunity for skilled organizations and LEED reviewers to work together to enhance the LEED certification experience. This relationship simultaneously allows LEED Proven Providers to further invest in quality control and continuous improvement and offers LEED reviewers more opportunities for direct engagement with and support for project teams.
For more information regarding the LEED Proven Provider program and application process, visit the USGBC’s website at www.usgbc.org.
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Thomas Taylor, a 30-year veteran of the construction industry and noted expert on sustainability, is a principal and co-founder of St. Louis-based Vertegy. His book, “Guide to LEED 2009: Estimating and Preconstruction Strategies,” provides step-by-step information about the LEED 2009 for New Construction process. To learn more about Vertegy or Taylor, visit www.vertegyconsultants.com.