What is LEED? Most people know the term “green building”, and most likely have heard various things about what makes a building “green”. Well you will begin to hear more and more about LEED certification. LEED certification is THE leader in implementing a system of design and verification of “green building” performance and will no doubt become commonplace and synonymous with Class A buildings in the construction and real estate industry in the coming years.
The LEED system was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is managed and coordinated by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). I won’t go into all the details of what LEED certification entails, if you’re interested in digging deeper, you can visit the USGBC website or feel free to ask questions here.
So what is a LEED AP? A “LEED Accredited Professional” is someone who has passed the LEED AP exam which requires knowing the LEED system inside and out. So the simple answer is: Someone who knows the LEED system very well. However they just put into effect new guidelines that create three tiers of accreditation (Green Associate, AP, and Fellow). The tiers will differentiate a professional’s project experience and level of knowledge.
