Washington, D.C. A study released by the U.S. General Services Administration shows that Green Globes, exclusively offered in the U.S. by the Green Building Initiative (GBI), aligns with more of the federal sustainability requirements than any other green building rating system for new construction - including LEED.
The GSA study evaluated and compared 180 third‐party green building certification systems for new construction, taking into account criteria outlined in the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings. The GSA commissioned the study in accordance with requirements set forth in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 Section 436(h) to identify tools that could help federal agencies comply with the requirements mandated in Executive Order 13514 issued in 2009.
The Guiding Principles employ integrated design, energy performance optimization, water protection and conservation, enhancement of the indoor environment, and the reduction of material impacts as best practices to achieve federal sustainability goals.
In a related announcement, the GBI has also formally launched its Guiding Principles Compliance certification system for existing federal buildings. Developed after the initiation of the GSA study and not yet included in their report, the new rating system is the first and only third party certification system for existing buildings designed to align 100% with the Federal Guiding Principles. Several federal agencies are using the GBI's Guiding Principles Compliance system to meet the requirements of Executive Order 13514. To date, nearly 200 federal buildings have been certified through this program.
"GBI's new Guiding Principles Compliance program is an effective way to take building evaluation guesswork out of the process and assign scores to the federally mandated areas," said Michael O'Brien, Third Party Assessor after assessing one of 190 VA medical facilities already assessed using the GBI system. "This process gave facility personnel... a clear understanding as to the areas for improvement as well as highlighting sustainability items being carried out effectively."
GBI president, Ward Hubbell said, "We applaud the federal government's initiatives to enhance the sustainability of their new and existing buildings and are pleased to play a role in helping agencies comply with EO 13514 by using Green Globes and our Guiding Principles Compliance Certification program."
Hubbell will provide testimony today to the US House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committee Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight on current federal policy regarding green building assessment and rating.
The Green Building Initiative is a nonprofit organization and ANSI Standards Developer dedicated to accelerating the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. For more information on the GBI's Guiding Principles Compliance Certification System, visit www.thegbi.org/guiding-principles-compliance/