It has been speculated about for years: Is LEED certification — based on the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards — anything more than a PR stamp of approval, even though USGBC contends that buildings with this “stamp” actually use less energy than their uncertified counterparts? Hard evidence now answers this question.
Research conducted by the Environmental Policy Alliance reveals that large privately-owned buildings in Washington, D.C. certified under the USGBC’s LEED standards actually use more energy than uncertified buildings. In fact, despite having the highest number of buildings in the country certified under LEED, the research reveals that Washington, D.C. buildings are actually less energy efficient than the national average.
By Barbara Vergetis Lundin
For more visit http://www.leedexposed.com/what-is-leed/
