It Doesn’t stop at the LEED Certification Plaque: Why Ongoing Building Performance Tracking Matters

Kal Wellman
Associate, LEED
U.S. Green Building Council

It has become widely accepted across the commercial real estate world that LEED certification has the potential to add value by presenting a number of benefits including higher rental yields, lower vacancy rates, reduced operating costs and improved employee productivity. The extraordinary growth of LEED over the past decade is clear evidence of this industry-wide understanding.

Receiving the LEED plaque should not be the end of the process for building owners. The plaque symbolizes the beginning of a building performance journey, one where data is at the center of attention. Having the ability to measure, track and benchmark a building’s energy and water data can help pinpoint operational inefficiencies within major building systems and can help the management team set actual reduction targets. Don’t believe us? See how it helped the Christman Company.

One way many LEED projects are tracking their performance over time is by participating in USGBC’s Building Performance Partnership. This free and voluntary program is for LEED-certified commercial and residential buildings. Once enrolled, commercial projects share at least one year’s worth of whole building energy and water data with USGBC through EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. In return, USGBC provides eligible participants access to a personal online performance dashboard which displays energy and water consumption patterns in graphical form, as well as provides report cards and diagnostics.

Interested in participating in the Building Performance Partnership? Learn how &raquo