LEED for Existing Buildings Crosses Important Threshold

It has finally happened. According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the square footage of LEED-certified existing buildings has surpassed LEED-certified new construction by 15 million square feet. Historically, USGBC has seen the stock of LEED-certified green projects overwhelmingly made up of new construction projects, both in volume and square footage. That began to change in 2008, when the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (O&M) program began experiencing explosive growth. In 2009, projects certified under LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M surpassed those certified under its new construction counterpart on an annual basis, a trend that continued in 2010 and 2011. “The market is becoming increasingly aware of how building owners can get better performance through green operations and maintenance, and tools such as LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M are essential to cost-effectively driving improvements in our economy and environment,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, USGBC.

According to the most recent list of LEED-certified hotels that I have, there are 122 certified projects, only 28 of which are for existing buildings. Looking at the list of those hotel projects that have registered for LEED-certification, the majority are new construction.

In a press release announcing the LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M landmark, Fedrizzi said, “The U.S. is home to more than 60 billion square feet of existing commercial buildings, and we know that most of those buildings are energy guzzlers and water sieves. Greening these buildings takes hands-on work, creating precious jobs especially for construction workers. Making these existing buildings energy and water efficient has an enormous positive impact on the building's cost of operations. And the indoor air quality improvements that go with less toxic cleaning solutions and better filtration create healthier places to live, work and learn.”

With the majority of our industry's lodging stock primarily consisting of existing buildings, here's hoping that more of those buildings' owners will invest in programs like LEED to make their buildings more energy and water efficient.

Are you currently pursuing LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M for your property? I would love to learn about your experience. Be sure to leave your comments here or write to editor@greenlodgingnews.com.