Okay, so we’re finally registered for LEED-H
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System for Homes).
I think my procrastination was more of a manifestation of an inability to commit. After all, LEED registration, like saying “I do,” isn’t hard; it’s what lies ahead that is daunting. And speaking of commitment, it was actually my husband, Mark, who finally got us registered. Mark, an IT manager, has a knack for details which I do not. He doesn’t know a lot about LEED (yet) which is probably how I managed to talk him into helping me out with the process.
On the other hand, I’ve written enough about LEED commercial projects to know that it is a long and tedious process. The joke used to be that you’ll knock down a forest of trees just to complete the LEED paperwork—that is until the USGBC (US Green Building Council) adopted an electronic submission process. This new process may save paper, but I doubt it makes it any less time consuming. My impression is that LEED makes filing your income taxes seem as simple as bidding on eBay. I recently co-authored an article on the world’s first LEED Platinum Hotel – Proximity Hotel—right here in Greensboro and have a tremendous amount of respect for the effort that went into that certification.
Our next step, which we have just about completed, is to fill out the LEED for Homes Checklist, identifying the various green building points we hope to obtain. Our total points will determine whether we get LEED Platinum, Gold, Silver, Certified, or (dare I say) fail altogether. For guidance and encouragement, I have my green rater, Michael Guy of Adonai Building Science Service, Inc. And I have my certifier, Lee O’Neal of CGE Solutions, Inc.
So why LEED you ask? Well, why do people run marathons? To prove they can, I suppose. Besides, LEED is a lot easier on the knees. But the real reason anyone commits to LEED is for the 3rd party verification. For most people, that isn’t such an issue, but since I have publicly committed to building green, I decided I could use the credibility. That said, LEED is the toughest standard out there and certification is far from in the bag. We have many months of scraping together documentation of everything we did to make this home worthy of certification.
I’ll keep you posted.
Ode to the Great Seamstresses of World - Journal Entry - 02/28/09
Sleuthing the Noise in Our Ventilation - Journal Entry - 02/27/09
My Greenspiration Valentine - Journal Entry - 02/19/09
"SEAMED" Like a Good Idea at the Time: - Journal Entry - 01/20/09
Floors to "DYE" For. - Journal Entry - 01/15/09
A Funny Story about Our Kitchen Lighting…. - Journal Entry - 01/05/09
Happy New Year Greenspiration Voyeurs! - Journal Entry - 01/01/09
I.O.U. Journal Entries! - Journal Entry - 12/18/08
If Walls Could Talk, These Would Say, “I look MAVALOUS!”- Journal Entry - 11/27/08
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda- Journal Entry - 11/22/08
Name that Geothermal Unit!- Journal Entry - 10/24/08
This part of the construction process goes fast. - Journal Entry - 10/19/08
Okay, so we’re finally registered for LEED-H - Journal Entry - 10/08/08
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." - Jounal Entry - 09/16/08
It’s been a tense couple of weeks for Greenspiration. - Journal Entry - 08/11/08
A lot can happen in a couple of weeks. - Journal Entry - 07/04/08
Groundbreaking: A Tree Leans On Greenspiration - Journal Entry - 05/31/08
"How's the house coming, Trish?" - Journal Entry - 03/31/08
