Recently the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) made some significant changes to their website as well as launched a new site www.greenbuild365.org which is intended to make education that is accessible for all. The USGBC has been an incredibly successful non-profit organization responsible for the LEED certification program, the standard for rating Green Buildings today.
Why is this important to absolutely everyone in the construction industry? It is important because the U.S. market in green building products and services has gone from about $7 billion in 2005 to nearing $12 billion in 2007. I can tell you for certain the entire building industry has not gone up 40% over the same two years period. Consumers are demanding Green Buildings, which basically translates to LEED certified buildings. Large companies like Tuner Construction have lead the way in adoption and found ways to build green at equal or even reduced costs. The benefits of building green are huge; these companies receive tons of great PR, bid on project with less competition and make people feel good about helping to reduce effects on the environment.
Small and midsize construction companies should all be getting involved at this time. LEED certification is not just for “specialty environmentalist builders” this is the trend of the entire construction industry. In the next 10 years, it is likely every building will be given a ranking on the LEED standard. The USGBC currently offers several low priced ($80 or $200 for series) courses to educate industry professionals through seminars at the Green Building Expo or online courses you can find on their website. These courses also count towards continuing education for many professions.
This is the future of the construction business, time to get ahead of the competition.
