LEED Blogger

Tag: leed

  • Occupant Empowerment: Creating a Culture of Sustainability with LEED

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    Less power, more occupant empowerment. Photo credit: Public Domain Photos

    I hear people say it all the time: “Buildings don’t use energy, people do.” So then I ask myself: Why has the idea of engaging with building occupants fallen by the wayside?…Despite the fact that it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to minimize energy consumption and save money? I wish I could provide a simple answer to that question, but the reality is that influencing occupants to modify their behavior to meet the sustainability goals of a building and/or an organization is far from straightforward.

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  • A Toast to LEED: Volume Program Brings Industry Leaders Together

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    USGBC's Rick Fedrizzi and Scot Horst raise a toast to LEED Volume participants
    What happens when Kohl’s Department Stores, Wells Fargo, and Subway Restaurants walk in to a room? At the USGBC offices, it means a great conversation on green building is about to ensue – among some of the foremost business leaders in sustainability. Last month, we were thrilled to welcome participants in our LEED Volume Program to USGBC’s Washington, DC headquarters for full-day orientation seminars to kick-off their journey in scaling up with LEED.

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  • Green Hotel Case Study: The Shore Hotel Santa Monica

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    It doesn’t take a luxurious property (or budget) to build in sustainability, the Shore Hotel Santa Monica is a strong example of how luxury and green building can work hand in hand in the hospitality industry. I’ve profiled elements of the Shore Hotel, Santa Monica’s newest boutique hotel to combine LEED with luxury.

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  • #EarthDay: What You Did

    Every day should be Earth Day. But having a holiday to serve as an important reminder and a rallying point for all makes celebrating that much sweeter…and significant.

    We asked you about your #EarthDay plans on Twitter: Read on for some of our favorite tweets and submissions.

    Happy Earth Day! I’m celebrating by reducing my carbon footprint & telecommuting to work each day instead of driving 50+ miles.
    – @SpaceSays, Andrea Henderson, LEED AP ID+C

    Walk in the woods and planting seedlings with the kids. 🙂

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  • Well Worth the Sleepless Nights: Fourth Public Comment Period for LEED 2012

    Earlier this week, USGBC announced a Fourth Public Comment period for LEED 2012, running from May 1 – 15. While we’re not particularly looking forward to the upcoming sleepless nights required to keep things on schedule, staff is excited about other aspects of this upcoming comment period.

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  • My Vampire Pad in Frankfurt and the Youngest LEED AP in Germany

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    Old town Frankfurt: Who would guess it's hiding my all-black hotel?

    My time in Frankfurt had a rather interesting start.

    For those of you who haven’t been there, at first glance, Frankfurt is a very conservative, very straight-laced, finance-focused town. So, it came as quite a pleasant juxtaposition that my home base in Frankfurt was a cool boutique hotel that I can only describe as a trendy vampire pad…with a bird fetish.

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  • Among the Canals of Amsterdam

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    Cradle to cradle project in the Netherlands

    This is the story of how I almost drank a 45 euro shot of Japanese whiskey, why I fell in love with Amsterdam, and the Dutch LEED AP – who, through his friendship and sincere passion for LEED – has touched my heart and validated for me yet again the transformational power that is LEED.

    I’ll rt with the LEED AP.

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  • LEED and Life in the City of Lights: Paris

    My job fascinates me. Obviously because I get to visit interesting places, but more importantly, because of that delicious curl of anticipation that comes with facing large groups of strangers (yes, I actually enjoy this) and the thrill of discovery that comes with getting to know people. Who among them will be that passionate local advocate I’m looking for to unite the LEED community in that country? Is that lady by the window in the green skirt a technical expert with a rare specialization? How has LEED transformed the lives of those I meet? Hmmm, where did she buy those shoes!

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  • Next Steps for LEED 2012: Q&A with Chrissy

    It takes a lot to finalize a new LEED rating system: A lot of time (years), a lot of public comments (over 19,000), and a lot of steps in the process (hence this explanatory entry). With the closing of third public nt, now seems a particularly good opportunity to focus on a fundamental piece of LEED 2012’s evolution – the ballot period.

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  • Happy Birthday, LEED!

    12 years, 12,000 commercial projects. Don’t forget to raise a pint or stick a candle in that cupcake to celebrate the market force that is green building – and of course, to celebrate all of the amazing, thoughtful, ground-breaking projects that have brought us here. We’d love if you share your favorite LEED project in celebration of this milestone in the comments.

    Happy birthday LEED!