Smaller Commercial Buildings Get Their Own Rating System

By Erin WeaverA new green building certification program for smaller commercial buildings has been launched in Portland, Oregon, with plans for nationwide availability. Portland-based Earth Advantage Institute (EAI) has announced the Earth Advantage Commercial (EAC) green building certification program for commercial buildings under 100,000 square feet. The system was developed to simplify certification and make it more accessible, according to EAI, because with smaller building projects “green certification is often overlooked due to its perceived complexities and cost.”

Originally a program of Portland General Electric in the 1990s, EAC has been revised and updated with three certification levels (Platinum, Gold, and Silver) based on cumulative, prescriptive measures. A pilot program began testing EAC’s requirements in ten new buildings in 2010, and EAI has since trained representatives from eight Pacific Northwest firms in applying the certification program.