New York Times Op-Ed Doesn't "LEED Us Astray"—Too Much

Today's op-ed piece in the New York Times presents a remarkably balanced viewpoint on LEED and green building issues. Unfortunately it also has a major blindspot.

First, the good points about the article, "Don't LEED Us Astray" (I love it that even the esteemed Times can't help but get in on not-very-subtle LEED punning). The author, Alec Appelbaum, is perceptive enough to see that LEED may not be to blame for the imperfections of LEED-certified buildings and their performance:

The LEED program, which awards points for incorporating eco-friendly material and practices into buildings’ design and construction, has led to a sea change in the industry, introducing environmental awareness into everything from regulatory processes to rents.

But while the standard is well-intentioned, it is also greatly misunderstood. Put simply, a building’s LEED rating is more like a snapshot taken at its opening, not a promise of performance. Unless local, state and federal agencies do their part to ensure long-term compliance with the program’s ideals, it could end up putting a shiny green stamp on a generation of unsustainable buildings.

To be fair, the council never meant for its system to be a seal of green approval. Rather it was to be a set of guidelines for architects, engineers and others who want to make buildings less wasteful.

LEED has been a great tool for bringing sustainability into the conversation. Blaming it for not delivering better energy performance in operational buildings, as some have done, is to miss the point of the LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) rating system. Designers don't operate buildings, and they need a tool that gives them feedback on the environmental merit of their design. LEED-NC does that. The New York Times piece recognizes that, to some extent:

Some certified buildings end up using much more energy than the evaluators predicted, because the buildings are more popular than expected or busy at different times than developers forecast, or because tenants ignore or misuse green features. Bike racks merely encourage cycling to work, and operable windows merely offer the opportunity to use less air-conditioning.

The Green Building Council reformed the system last year to reflect actual energy use by having owners report annual performance data. But that’s not enough detail to measure energy consumption accurately, and there’s no clear way to repeal certification if tenants or owners miss their energy-saving targets. As a result, a five-year-old building can turn into an energy hog and still carry its LEED designation.

The piece goes on to call for municipalities that require LEED to follow through on that with checkups, and here is where I beg to differ. Nice idea, but what municipality struggling with budget cuts today has the staff time or expertise to check up on buildings that have earned tax credits or rebates? And what would they do with that information once they had it?

A better solution would be for any building that receives taxpayer support as a result of its LEED-NC certification, to follow through on that with enrollment and at least a Silver certification in the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) rating system. LEED-EBOM builds naturally on LEED-NC, giving points for things like energy and water metering, and creates a framework for sustainable operations, from energy use to water use to purchasing and solid waste management. LEED-EBOM also works with a process of continual re-certification and performance improvement. Buildings that don't keep up their green practices can lose certification—a clear trigger, if one is needed, for municipalities who might be looking to assign penalties.

LEED-EBOM is quickly moving from the dark horse of the LEED rating systems to one of the most popular, what with the new focus on green operations. I hope the New York Times recognizes it in its next op-ed coverage of LEED.

Finally, congratulations to the team behind One Bryant Park for official recognition of their LEED Platinum office tower, the first in the nation—and the occasion for the article. It's a landmark building, one that has come up in our coverage of how it makes ice at night to cool itself, and in a great EBN article on financing green buildings.

For more on the details of the LEED-EBOM system, I would encourage readers to check out LEEDuser, BuildingGreen's LEED project help tool. Here's a list of the LEED-EBOM credits, with links to summaries of key requirements and documentation samples.