AIA Assesses Three Green Rating Systems

The in-depth reviews are designed to help design and construction professionals understand the strengths and weaknesses of each system.

by Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 5/16/2008

Gunning toward the goal of achieving carbon-neutral buildings by 2030, the American Institute of Architects puts green rating systems under the microscope in a new report that evaluates three widely-used building standards: Green Globes, LEED NC 2.2, and SBTool 07. These aren’t Consumer Reports-like rankings, but rather in-depth reviews to help design and construction professionals understand the strengths and weaknesses of each system.

"We reviewed these particular systems because they are the most broadly used in the U.S. market and they take a comprehensive approach to evaluating an entire building," says AIA president Marshall Purnell. "With new sustainability continuing education requirements in 2009 for AIA membership, the results of this study can help better inform our members and the profession on green rating systems as they relate to our carbon reduction goals."

The report found that Green Building Initiative's Green Globes system offers a broad-based evaluation of projects, but may require more stringent requirements in the areas of energy reduction and operational performance -- two areas that influence carbon production most.

As for the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED NC 2.2 system, the report describes it as a good measure of environmental achievement that should continue developing lifecycle assessments, requirements for renewable energy, and carbon reduction targets.

The International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment's SBTool 07 is actually a toolkit for designing a rating system. But if it is to be used as a certified rating system, the report says it should increase the number of items it requires to be documented, as opposed to ones it simply encourages.