LEED registration soars overseas and continues to edge upward in the United States, but growth seems to be slowing, prompting a concern that progress in green building must accelerate mightily to counter the threats posed by climate change, according to the latest Green Building Market and Impact Report.
GreenBiz.com released the report today by green building expert Rob Watson, a senior contributor to GreenBiz and the founding chairman of the LEED Steering Committee.
The data-rich study by Watson, his fourth annual report in a series that began in 2008, charts the progress of registration and certification under the market-leading green building rating and assessment system, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Here are some of the key findings in Watson's new report:
- LEED certification to reach 2 billion square feet soon. It took about 10 years for LEED to hit the 1-billion mark, but certification is expected to reach 2 billion square feet in 2012.
- Overall growth seen, but not as much or as fast previous years. Registration domestically and abroad grew 45 percent, "though not quite up to the levels of the three-year "bubble" of LEED registrations between 2007 and 2009," Watson found.
- Market penetration is climbing, with impressive international growth. LEED registrations rose by 53 percent overseas and 39 percent in the United States in the past year.
- Certifications continue to be another story. Certifications, the number of projects that complete the ratings process, are hovering around the 35 percent level and grew by just under 3 percent in the past year. "Although LEED certification grew by 2.6 percent overall compared with last year's record -- indeed, more than a third of all LEED floor area ever certified in the history of the system was certified in 2011 -- we were expecting more," Watson said in his report.
Despite the mixed results from this year's research, Watson said during a webcast today that it does show progress and promise for the future of green buildings.
"Green building is becoming statistially significant," Watson said. "In the past, we've had a hard time proving the business case [for LEED certification]."
Now, what it comes down to, he continued, is "if you're not making more money with your green building, you need a new marketing department. Similarly, if you're not getting your green building coming in at zero-cost -- or very low single-digit extra costs -- then you probably need a new design team as well."
Designing green buildings and retrofitting existing structures can go along toward combatting climate change. Below is a projection of how greener buildings can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy use :
Next page: LEED Buildings' water impacts, plus results of a green building survey
With the advent of the
With the advent of the International Green Building code Leed will probably become irrelevant. To do anything above the minimum Leed certification requirements it quickly causes construction costs become unteniable. Even though the International Green Building code only requires what LEED's minimum requirement does even 30% of the minimum LEED requirements are not business friendly.
If every thing was only focused on energy and water saving design it would be good for both the environment and business. But when industry has to pay for certified wood, pervious paving, carbon credit this is a deal breaker.
Besides, does anyone see China embracing carbon credits? Not so much.
What's the International
What's the International Green Building Code? What is this all about? Any updates? developments?
This is not a report on green
This is not a report on green building but on LEED building that totally ignores other NA green building schemes both local and national. Unfortunately a narrow perspective masquerading as comprehensive report. Useful despite the blinkers.
Wow...a 0.35% percent
Wow...a 0.35% percent reduction in CO2! And a 4.92% reduction in 20 years (are you kidding me - would like to see how that # was arrived at) all for the cost of adding billions of dollars on feel good construction. Time to get real and put that wasted money (a fixed commodity) to something of real value.