LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and represents a labeling system that honors and differentiates energy-efficient buildings. Although the LEED green building certification system has been in existence since March 2000, knowledge and training for architects and engineers didn’t really hit the market until the late 2000s.

Everblue was one of the first training organizations established to fill this need in the marketplace, devoted to helping construction-industry professionals prepare for their LEED Accreditation exams. Here we are years later – we’ve trained over 20,000 professionals worldwide with our corporate clients ranging from Starbucks and Disney to Lowe’s and Architect of the Capitol. We are also the only approved USGBC Education Partner that was chosen by the U.S. Green Building Council, the nonprofit that created the LEED standards, to create the first edition of LEED v4 Exam Prep in June 2014.

In short, we’ve specialized in LEED training and exam prep for years. We’re immensely proud that all of the students who have provided us with feedback about their LEED Green Associate v4 exam have reported first-time passing scores. You might think this would cause us to rest on our laurels and stop looking for ways to get even better. But that’s not true. We’re still very active within the LEED green building community and always taking notice of the feedback and trends that surface. So, as we look upon this new year of opportunity ahead of us, we thought we’d share some of the insight and trends we’re seeing in regard to LEED training. Without further ado…

Trend #1

LEED Green Associate: A “Best of Both Worlds” Live & Online Product

These days, the LEED Exam Prep industry is flooded with competition. There are so many options – live classes, online classes, standalone study materials, bundled packages, tiers of bundled packages, reference guides, study guides, course outlines, etc. Preparing for this endeavor can be overwhelming enough. What we aim to do is make the entire process as SIMPLE and STRESS-FREE as possible – the way it should be!

Since 2008, we’ve specialized in providing a live 2-day classroom course as well as online exam prep options. Our course packages include everything you need to prepare for your LEED exam – instruction and study materials.

What’s great about these options is that a participant can choose to enjoy the excitement and interactivity of a live class or the convenience and flexibility of an online class! Both options come with digital course materials, so if you want to get a head-start on studying, you have instant access to the digital materials instantly after you register. If you have any questions, you can discuss them in person with a subject matter expert in class or any time by email or phone!

Trend #2

LEED AP Training: Online Courses Offer the Most Convenience

We mentioned above how there are so many training options to choose from. What we’re seeing is that the majority of LEED AP candidates are now looking to online training options to meet their goals.

Folks who are new to LEED may choose a live classroom course because they need that personal interaction with the instructor in case they have questions about the material. But after you’ve passed the LEED Green Associate exam and worked in the industry a bit longer, you become more familiar with LEED concepts. After all, the folks who pursue a LEED AP designation generally work in an environment where LEED projects are being developed on a regular basis. They look to the LEED AP as an opportunity to enhance their existing skill set and learn new ways to become more involved with LEED projects.

With that foundation and familiarity established, many LEED AP candidates pursue the online webinar training. The on-demand webinar, in particular, is a great way to guide yourself through the content at your own pace and not have to worry about fitting a live classroom session into an already-hectic schedule. Although a subject matter expert is available for email and phone correspondence, LEED AP candidates are generally able to navigate themselves through the online webinar without any additional assistance. At this stage in the process, LEED AP candidates know what they know and know what they don’t know, so it’s easy to fast forward through familiar topics and spend more time on new material.

The LEED AP online webinars were designed with interactivity in mind. As an e-learning presentation, candidates encounter a variety of activities throughout the curriculum, preventing them from losing interest, zoning out, or simply surfing the Internet.

Trend #3

LEED Credential Maintenance: Are You Waiting Until the Last Minute?

It’s hard to say why LEED credential holders wait until the last minute to pursue continuing education. There are a number of potential reasons…

• Didn’t realize LEED Credential Maintenance was a requirement
• Didn’t know how to get LEED continuing education hours
• Wanted to save money
• Wanted to make sure the LEED credential was valuable to their career

The reality is, LEED Credential Maintenance IS a requirement for all LEED credential holders. LEED Green Associates must earn 15 hours of continuing education every 2 years, where 3 of those hours are specific to LEED concepts. LEED APs must earn 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years, where 6 of the hours are specific to LEED concepts. If you’ve earned two LEED AP designations, you must earn 6 LEED-specific hours for one specialty (such as BD+C) and 6 LEED-specific hours for your other specialty (such as O+M), bringing you to a total of 36 hours.

The USGBC CMP Guide lists a number of ways to earn the LEED continuing education hours, including participation on a LEED project, volunteering, authoring articles, teaching, and education. Everblue offers online LEED Credential Maintenance programs for Green Associates and APs. Our LEED CMP packages are designed to completely fulfill the hour requirements – even the LEED-specific hours.

We offer a one-stop-shop solution for professionals seeking LEED accreditation. Our LEED training discount is a 10% discount when a candidate bundles any combination of LEED webinars – Green Associate, AP, and Credential Maintenance.

The most popular bundles are LEED Green Associate plus LEED AP BD+C or LEED Green Associate plus LEED AP O+M. It surprises me how few people bundle the LEED Green Associate or LEED AP Specialty with the corresponding LEED CMP package. Granted, some folks begin with LEED Green Associate – as you should – with plans to upgrade to a LEED AP within the two-year credentialing period. In that case, I see why the LEED CMP requirements could get sticky. But for the LEED AP candidates interested in online training (as we saw in Trend #2), it seems to make sense to bundle the LEED AP webinar with the corresponding 30-Hour LEED CMP package, no? For more information about this opportunity, visit our LEED Training Discounts page!

Trend #4

How to Get LEED Certified: Quality vs. Quantity

There is a preconceived notion that getting the best bang for your buck means buying a relatively inexpensive exam prep product with 700 practice questions, 6 practice exams, 1000 flashcards, 10-hour MP3 audiobook, a 250+ page book, etc. Who has the time to go through each of those resources and allocate the proper attention to digest the information and learn? In all actuality, having an excessive number of resources can have the adverse effect. It can be overwhelming, tiring, and stressful.

We know that the vast majority of professionals who express an interest in LEED have limited time, energy, and brainpower to devote to studying for the exam. The reason you’ve come to us – or any LEED training provider – is because you want subject-matter experts to cut out the fluff and give you an idea of what information is actually important. What information will actually be on the exam? You could waste countless hours memorizing every term and concept related to LEED only to find out that you won’t be tested on it.

I know it’s shocking to believe, but QUALITY is KING. Our curriculum team is comprised of subject-matter experts who have worked on LEED projects, read the USGBC Reference Guide, taken and passed various versions of the LEED exams multiple times, reviewed up-to-date USGBC changes and addendum, created curriculum and taught LEED exam prep, created curriculum and taught other disciplines. The study materials that we offer are based on tried-and-true solutions.

Our goal is to provide a concise and accurate outline of what to study in order to pass your LEED exam. And we’re effective in doing that – we’ve trained individuals from a variety of educational and occupational backgrounds. I’ve seen new Everblue employees with backgrounds in public relations, English, political science, and financial accounting PASS their LEED Green Associate exams within their first month of employment. All you need is a proven, quality product and a determined work ethic, and you’ll be fine! Let us worry about everything else. That’s what we’re here to do.

I had a live chat conversation in September 2015 with one of our LEED students named Chris. I keep the chat transcript in my inbox because Chris’s comments about Everblue’s LEED Exam Prep are especially touching to me. Chris wrote:

I love that! Very eloquent and insightful.

Anyway, thanks for visiting our website and learning about our top trends in LEED training. If you have any questions about your pursuit of a LEED credential, please give us a call at (800) 460-2575 or start a live chat with us.

When you’re ready to become a LEED Green Associate, let us know! Take it from a company whose LEED Exam Prep is like a well-oiled machine. We’ve helped thousands pass the LEED exam, and we can help you too!