Greentech Media

Certifying a building has many benefits, including user health, environmental protection, lower long-term costs and increasingly more government tax credits. And it's not hard to convince a large company in the public eye to go green. It's great PR, and that can go a long way.

The biggest down side to building green is the initial cost. It is perceived as high and not worth the investment because no one is talking about the maintenance or investment return offered by a LEED-certified building. Currently, making a building green costs about $3 per square foot more than constructing a conventional building -- which is a big turn-off for many builders. But the savings over time is about $73 per square foot in energy costs. As the market heads more and more down a green path, the initial cost will become lower and may even surpass traditional building method costs. "[Sustainable and green building] needs to be democratic -- available for everyone," says Azizan Aziz, a senior researcher and adjunct assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics, "and cost makes it democratic. Only 3 percent of total new construction is green, but there is a huge opportunity out there. Make it simple, make it understandable." By having a nationally recognized rating system in place, LEED becomes less of an idea and more of an implementation.

Another downside to certification is the "paperwork" (although LEED certification is done entirely on the Internet in an attempt to be paperless). Each point you receive needs to be documented and a form needs to be filled out. For some, this is more of a turn-off than cost. In some areas, building permits are expedited for green buildings, which can be a big incentive for some. However, many builders are following the guidelines of LEED, but skipping the certification process because at the end of the day, as long as your building is actually sustainable, the seal of approval from the USGBC is inconsequential.

It's easiest to quantify the soft cost savings in LEED-certified schools (see pdf Greening America's Schools: Cost and Benefits). Studies have shown that sick days for teachers and students are significantly lower, test scores increase and teacher retention is higher than in a traditional school building.

LEED certification has become an important and fundamental part of the "green movement." "People talk about green stuff, but what is green? LEED helps define that [green]. It's a benchmark for people," says Aziz. In response to the question of why go LEED, Aziz says, "It's the right thing to do. Why really destroy the environment? I think it's our responsibility."

At the moment, people don't really know enough about LEED, but that number is decreasing. The market is growing and the population is becoming more aware. An important part of understanding LEED is that it starts at beginning of a project. It is not an add-on or an afterthought. The idea is to integrate sustainability into original design. "It's just common sense, integrated design. I mean why wouldn't you do that?" says Aziz.