Why doesn't USGBC sell a PDF of the LEED Reference Guide?

In studying for the LEED-AP exam, the best advice I received was to read the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for New Construction Reference Guide version 2.2 -- and read it again, and memorize as much specific credit by credit information as possible. Since passing the exam, that's become the advice I give most often.

I'm glad I work at a company, BuildingGreen, that already has a copy of the Reference Guide in its library and supports firmwide studying for the exam, because the cost of the guide is $150 plus $7.50 shipping. You can download other LEED-related documents, but non-members looking to learn more about LEED and potentially take the test can't download a copy.

Let's look at the other costs USGBC puts in the way of the LEED-curious:

• Taking the exam is $300 for USGBC members and $400 for non-members. I hope you pass the first time, but a lot of people don't and pay that fee again.
• USGBC course on "Essentials of LEED Professional Accreditation" -- $150 for USGBC members, $200 for non-members. Optional but helpful.
• Additional study materials or courses -- anywhere from $50 to $1,000 and up.

The LEED-NC 2.2 Reference Guide, all three pounds of it (yes, I weighed it), should be available as a PDF. There aren't any downloadable resources that offer the detail that it offers for LEED practitioners and potential LEED practitioners (the LEED candidate handbook is helpful but far from essential). Sure, sell it to recoup costs of writing it and maintaining the LEED rating systems, but sell a PDF at a lower cost to:

• Making it easier for people to get familiar with LEED, expanding the green audience
• Save the financial and environemental costs of printing, shipping, and disposal. It's already in its third edition and is about to be eclipsed by LEED 2009. Get with the digital age, USGBC.

Will people pass it around to each other for free, depriving the USGBC of revenue? Sure. Is that a problem? Maybe, maybe not. If there is that much demand, then USGBC should be capitalizing on that by signing up new members, certifying more projects, and gaining more LEED APs, all of which it is doing fairly successfully -- so why not open up the tent for more.

A lower price of entry will make also make LEED more sustainable when the slowing economy takes its toll on green building. Finally, they can mitigate any revenue lost by updating the reference guide more frequently with key CIRs, policy changes, innovation credits, improvements to the writing, and, even better advice on how to actually achieve credits -- thus making purchase even more essential. Because once you've earned that LEED-AP credential, the work has just begun.