It has been argued that the greatest contribution that LEED Certified buildings may have for the planet is in reducing the level of greenhouse gas that is currently produced by the inefficient building stock (in the U.S., it is approximately 39% of the total country's ghg production). The reduction of ghg would be caused by the improved building performance of LEED buildings (more efficiently managing inputs and outputs) and by innovating to do more with less (energy and electricity).

However, not long ago, serious doubts were raised about the actual efficiency of LEED buildings. The most prominent and vocal critics were well known engineers Joseph Lstiburek and Henry Gifford. Mr. Gifford has over 25 years of experience making buildings, in New York City and elsewhere, energy efficient, using common sense approaches. Mr. Lstiburek, B.A.Sc., M.Eng., Ph.D., P.Eng., is a principal of Building Science Corporation. He is a building scientist who investigates building failures and is internationally recognized as an authority on moisture related building problems and indoor air quality.

Among other things, Messrs. Gifford and Lstiburek called out the US Green Building Council on a New Buildings Institute (NBI) report, originally released in 2007 (and updated in 2008) during the Greenbuild conference, which is run by the USGBC, that stated that LEED buildings in various occupancy categories saved 25% to 30% of measured energy compared to average commercial energy consumption figures, as reported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

As reported earlier on Green-Buildings.com, Mr.Lstiburek's article in the journal of ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), shames architects and the engineers that support them for chasing "points" for superfluous "green" motives that have nothing whatsoever to do with saving energy once in place. Mr. Gifford also wrote a thoughtful piece criticizing the NBI report. Indeed, Mr. Gifford continues to make his arguments in pugilistic public forums, inviting all comers to debate him on his positions that LEED buildings actually use more energy than non-LEED buildings.**

So it was of concern, to say the least, for fervent LEED APs, members of the USGBC tribe and green building true believers, that LEED could be considered comparable to greenwash.

However, a report by Rob Watson, Executive Editor of GreenerBuildings.com, states that, after considering and reviewing the positions of both critics and the NBI/USGBC: "we believe that energy savings from LEED buildings are real and quantifiable -- both in terms of financial savings and resource savings -- but are not as large as hoped and definitely require improvement. Key issues to evaluate going forward are the relationship of modeled results to measured results, and better measurement and tracking of buildings' energy consumption over time."

The report states that "the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated in 2006 that buildings used 40% of primary energy consumed globally, accounting for roughly a quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Commercial buildings comprise one-third of this total. Urbanization trends in developing countries are accelerating the growth of this sector relative to residential buildings, according to the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Reducing these emissions is therefore a cornerstone intention and responsibility of green building standards and initiatives."

The claims of Messrs. Gifford and Lstiburek seem more than acceptable as political discourse considering the broad acceptance of LEED and its use as a marketing tool. These men are not crackpots, their positions not calumny. Indeed, as LEED becomes, for all intents and purposes, synonymous with green, the USGBC must do more to publicly address legitimate questions about the effectiveness of LEED, instead of seemingly hiding behind swagger and self-righteousness.

** Mr. Gifford's speaking schedule referenced from his website EnergySavingScience.com

Building Energy 09 - NorthEast Sustainable Energy Association's Annual Conference
http://www.nesea.org/
March 10 - 12, 2009 Boston, Mass.
The conference's special Tuesday Evening Public Forum which is open to the press will feature two debates with Henry Gifford:
- One about the extra energy used by LEED rated buildings, and
- One about the usefulness of depending on building energy modeling.
(these debates will only be held if people can be found who are willing to defend the opposite viewpoint in public)

Panel Discussion on Green Buildings and Energy Use
25 March, 2009 Maine Indoor Air Quality Association's Annual Conference. Augusta, Maine

Why Green Buildings Don't Save Energy, and What Can Be Done About It?
02 April, 2009 5:30 - 7:00PM Science, Industry, and Business Library. 34th St & Madison Ave, NY, NY