As the green building industry grows, you can expect the LEED employment outlook to also explode. Not only can you get a job, but you’ll pick up valuable skills for the future…

Pop quiz. Who wants a job? Now who wants a job that pays well?

That’s what I thought.

The green industry is a great place to shift your career. Green building, in particular, accounts for a vast slice of the green jobs pie. These jobs require new training and new skill sets. Certification programs like LEED will soon become a necessary prerequisite in design and construction fields, and currently give job seekers an undeniable edge.

So What Is LEED Anyway?

LEED is the authority in green design. It tells us which buildings are “green” and who is certified to design “green” buildings.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is an internationally recognized green building certification system started by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council), an independent, third-party non-profit. It uses a point system to grade all aspects of a building’s (or neighborhood’s) environmental impact, from water use, to building materials, to stewardship of resources. Projects are ranked as Silver, Gold or Platinum. Its flexible approach considers the entire lifecycle of the building, applies to all types of buildings and allows for an evolution of the point system.

Growing Green

Fortunately for those of us in the ever-expanding “green” fields, green-collar jobs sit at the nexus of the future. They save energy, save money, and create jobs.

These jobs require skilled labor and innovative design. They are jobs that absolutely cannot be outsourced because they require local people on the ground. That’s a lot of green.

Will LEED Get Me A Job?

Since LEED is a comprehensive rating system that covers areas from citing, to exterior construction, to interior building materials, to operations and maintenance, it touches every individual involved in the lifespan of a building. Architects, engineers, landscape designers, interior designers, facility managers, sustainability coordinators, urban planners, contractors, tradesmen, sales personnel and teachers or professors all benefit from the LEED accreditation program. Click here to see the best jobs for using LEED.

Furthermore, since the green trend touches every aspect of our economy, virtually anyone benefits from attaining, at the very least, a LEED Green Associate certification. This is the most basic level of certification and is also a prerequisite for attaining higher levels of LEED certification. By itself, the Green Associate certification provides a broad understanding of green principles. This is useful in any imaginable field of the future, from education, to business, to sales. The solution to climate change demands that we consider a horizontal approach. A LEED Green Associate certification sets you up to be an authority on green principles, no matter what field you are in.

A quick job search for “LEED” on SimplyHired returns hundreds of job listings, all of which list LEED accreditation as a “major plus” or “required.” As more and more construction shifts towards green design and official LEED Certification, LEED Accredited Professionals will not only be beneficial, they will be mandatory. Anecdotal evidence suggests that anybody currently employment in the design and construction industries will attain more responsibility, more clients and more success after becoming a LEED Accredited Professional.

Of course there is no silver bullet that will snag you that dream job. But in today’s increasingly competitive job market, it’s important to set yourself apart from the pack. The LEED employment outlook is positive, so do what you can to research and join the industry. A LEED Certification is your first step to furthering your green design and construction education, adding an important credential to your resume and finally getting you where you want to be professionally.

Congrats to Joanne Haggerty! She used our LEED Green Associate Practice Questions to get a LEED exam perfect score of 200! Here’s what she had to say and below that is a copy of her exam sheet.

“I would like to say that the exam questions I purchased were excellent prep – I took my exam on Sunday and scored 200 – 100% throughout! I was stunned, and pleased of course- but I really feel that whilst your prep was tough it certainly helped me in my endeavors – they prompted me to read the questions thoroughly, as well as each answer and think about reasons behind each possibility to allow me to eliminate wrong answers methodically. I shall certainly be buying the AP equivalent materials when I start studying for this, and have already been recommending your material to colleagues who are on the same track.”

What an extraordinary achievement! So, in case you were wondering, it is entirely possible to earn a perfect score on the LEED exam! 

That said, a perfect score isn’t required. All that matters is that you pass. Potential employers and clients will not ask what your score was on the LEED exam; they only care that you understand enough to pass the exam. You can still call yourself a LEED Accredited Professional whether your score is 182 or 199.

In Joanne’s case, it just goes to show how incredibly proficient she is with the LEED credit requirements. We’re so darn proud of her! 

Let us know how you did on the LEED Exam by emailing info@everbluetraining.com.

If you haven’t taken the exam yet and want to earn a LEED credential, sign up for a LEED Green Associate prep course today! Our students report a 99% first-time pass rate. We look forward to celebrating your LEED exam passing score too!

The LEED Rating System is by and large the best thing we’ve got to identify and rate sustainable, energy-efficient buildings. But, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still challenges to overcome.

1 – Cost. We’re in a recession, and two of the LEED Rating System’s biggest proponents (Colleges and Government) are hurting for money. LEED Certification needs to streamline its cost structure to retain the loyalty of budget-conscious universities, municipalities and states. I don’t mention the federal government because they already only build LEED certifiable buildings and don’t bother paying for the plaque.

2 – Its own growth. What is LEED Certification? Is it an exclusive club for only the greenest projects, or does it aim to be a national building code impacting as many properties nationwide as possible? It started out with exclusivity and has built a great aura. However, in some markets, LEED Certification is no longer exclusive enough to be a significant market differentiator. Basically, most of the active construction projects right now are pursuing LEED Certification. If everyone is doing it, is your project still special?

3 – Project review backlogs and confusion. We hear stories of projects finishing construction before they even receive their design submittal documentation back from GBCI – that’s not good. Additionally, the USGBC has reduced the role of CIRs, which previously could serve as additional interpretation beyond the reference guide. Basically, if someone had done it before you knew that you could too and get the point. Now there’s no guarantee, and that creates a lot of uncertainty – also not good.

4 – CalGreen. California is the nation’s leading standard bearer for the environment and green building. With CalGreen, the state is not just trying to exist alongside the LEED Rating System, but it is actively competing and marketing against LEED. At this point, no one knows what impact CalGreen will actually have on the number of LEED projects in California. The USGBC has effectively claimed that CalGreen is really just government-sponsored greenwashing.  The state fired back claiming that the USGBC is only trying to protect their brand. Time will tell us who wins that battle.

Last post I discussed California’s new CalGreen building code standard and how that might interact with LEED, Build It Green and other green building standards. The California governor’s office has fired back with criticisms of its own in response to those citing CalGreen challenges and issues.

Here I’ll lay out their four main points supporting CalGreen:

MYTH 1: “The 2010 Green Building Standards Code is not stringent enough to make a difference in the climate change efforts.”

FACT 1: The California Air Resources Board estimates that the mandatory provisions will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent) by 3 million metric tons in 2020. Additionally, the provisions will reduce water use by 20 percent and divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills.

ANALYSIS: I have not read the actual building code standards yet so I cannot comment on their stringency.  However, from what I have read, it seems that the requirements for energy and water savings are now a part of building code.  Yes, some builders may cheat the system, but many will not, and California will likely continue improving the standard as more data becomes available.  In terms of which standard is better, this is a non-issue in my mind.  Each standard has its flaws that could allow builders to cheat, but each also accomplishes their mission of changing the way people approach building design and construction.

MYTH 2: “Local jurisdictions do not have the technical expertise to verify whether builders are complying with the Green Building Code.”

FACT 2: The code will utilize the long-standing, successful enforcement infrastructure that the state has established to enforce its health, safety, fire, energy and structural building codes making verification of the Green Code for local building inspectors a simple transition. Unlike many private green building certification programs, the CalGreen Code will not require businesses or property owners to pay additional fees for certification. Additionally, the CalGreen Code requires field inspections to ensure compliance.

ANALYSIS: The technical expertise may not exist right now at the local level, however, cities and towns will educate their inspectors and code departments about the CalGreen green building code.  Additionally, this standard applies to every building, while LEED and Build It Green apply to less than 1 percent of the built environment. So even if it wasn’t as stringent or technically enforced, the CalGreen code should have a much bigger impact. Builders that want to go above and beyond will still be able to pursue LEED to distinguish themselves.

MYTH 3: “California’s CalGreen label and the tier structures will create market confusion with other third party verification systems.”

FACT 3: The CalGreen Code is a moniker to distinguish California’s many other building codes from the California Green Building Standards Code. The tier structure was developed by the Commission to promote market continuity. Having a mandatory code with a tier structure in place will allow California’s builders to build to a certifiable green standard without having to pay costly fees for third-party programs.

ANALYSIS: This is a legitimate concern. The market is already confused and frustrated with both the variety of standards and shady marketing claims (green washing).

MYTH 4: “The new code will significantly impact California cities’ own green building programs.”

FACT 4: The Code sets a sensible floor that all new structures must meet to significantly minimize the state’s overall carbon output. Each individual local jurisdiction retains the administrative authority to decide what is best for their communities while meeting the mandatory provisions in the new Green Code. They are encouraged to take additional actions to green their buildings that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, and conserve our natural resources.

ANALYSIS: Both statements are true. Some cities will always go above and beyond the code. However, how many consumers will think that the CalGreen label is all they need? What will be interesting too is that if CalGreen works, then it will steal much of the thunder from the other green building standards. For example, CalGreen requires a 20 percent water usage reduction and mandates much of the easily achieved water efficiency items like flow faucets. To distinguish even greener buildings, LEED will now have to require ever greater water efficiency which will become more costly to achieve. Ultimately, that’s a good problem to have.

If you’re interested in learning more about the CalGreen challenges, LEED, or the basics of green building, I recommend that you take Everblue’s LEED Green Associate course.

It will be interesting to see how the CalGreen challenges evolve over the years and whether they choose to mingle with LEED or not.

California’s green building code standard, called CalGreen, is interesting and perhaps a bit innovative in that it attempts to be both standard building code (a good thing) and a marketable green building rating system (like LEED). What’s odd is that building code usually sets the floor or the minimum standards. Because every home or building has to meet code, you don’t see builders advertising, “Buy our home, we meet code!”

When CalGreen was released , many organizations (including the USGBC and San Francisco-based Build It Green) criticized it on two fronts. First, they challenged the integrity of the CalGreen effort – would it really have an impact on building standards, or would it be greenwashing? Second, they challenged the building code’s attempt to be a builder marketing tool. 

On the integrity question, green building standards will ultimately have to integrate into the building code. It’s a natural progression, and it’s ultimately where the biggest impact on our built environment is to be had.  There are legitimate concerns about the ability of building inspectors and city officials to handle inspections, reviews, etc. The answer to that problem is not abandon the existing and successful enforcement infrastructure. As buildings become more complex, code officials and inspectors will need to be better educated and, ultimately, specialize further within their skill sets.  Instead of opposing CalGreen, the USGBC and others have started to encourage independent third-party testing and research into the effectiveness of existing building codes, LEED, CalGreen, Build It Green, and more. That research has driven best practices.

On the marketing front, the USGBC and Build It Green have legitimate concerns. However, I would think that the state’s real desire is to advance their own marketing credentials. California prides itself on being at the forefront of environmental issues, and CalGreen is a way to give their leadership position a brand name. The problem with that effort is likely to be the dilution of the existing national standards and additional confusion in the minds of consumers. The really advanced consumer will still seek LEED and Build It Green, but the average off-the-street consumer already has a hard time knowing what is truly green from the 50+ standards that exist on a regional and city level.

As for the USGBC, it has to decide what it wants to be. Does it want to be the Coach purse of standards where every woman covets one but few can afford it (what LEED has historically been), or does it want to be more like Walmart and McDonald’s (everywhere) – it’s hard to be both. Something widespread and widely available loses its coveted status because everybody has one. In fact, the central challenge to LEED’s highly coveted status is its growth and widespread adoption. Now that the federal government and many states are mandating LEED on ALL constructions, LEED is becoming a lot less special. In fact, builders are already bemoaning the difficulty in getting press attention for “yet another LEED building.” So the question is whether there is room in the world for CalGreen and LEED to exist. CalGreen would be everywhere like McDonald’s, while LEED would be the equivalent of a high-end steak restaurant?

CalGreen and LEED: Where Are They Now?

As of the writing of this post (2010), much has happened! We’ve published a new blog (2017) that looks at exactly how CalGreen and LEED have been working together. Keep reading more about California green building here!