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Since today a lot of attention is being focused on green buildings it has generated demand for people to know how to measure the ‘greenness’ of buildings and for this they need LEED Certification. LEED that stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is really a system that can help determine the ‘greenness’ of buildings as well homes.

It follows that in case you want to construct or even design LEED Certified structures and buildings that you will have to have obtained certification in LEED which in turn is possible by successfully completing the LEED AP examination which helps in getting accreditation with US Green Building Council or the USGBC.

If you want to prepare well for LEED Certification you will certainly need to visit the website of USGBC and there read their LEED Reference Guide that is however quite voluminous but nevertheless it is an essential guide for everyone wishing for certification in LEED.

In fact, this guide comprises of 400 hundred plus pages and you will obviously have to carefully read all these pages so as to understand things such as codes and standards and also learn of formulae that are sprinkled all through the pages of this guide.

In addition, it is important to understand more about credits as the LEED system actually revolves around a series of different credits that are each worth anything from 1 to 10 points. You must also learn to calculate how a certain scenario helps you to earn a certain number of credits and of course you will also need to learn different kinds of formulae.

The USGBC website has various credit templates that you must learn about because much of the LEED AP exam involves filling out the different credit templates and also knowing who is to be held responsible for each template and you must also be sure about the kind of documentation that is to be included. This information is readily available with the USGBC site though finding the information requires searching different parts of the website.

It is also important to understand how the LEED process is administered. This means that you will need to study subjects such as Credit Interpretation Rulings and also internal processes involving the USGBC and which relate to the manner in which buildings are certified. You must have thorough understanding of these topics if you want to past the LEED AP examination.

Finally, be sure to try doing practice tests as only then will you be able to determine whether you are ready to take the exam and it also helps you know whether you have a chance of succeeding in obtaining your LEED Certification. However, even if you fail the test you will get another opportunity to retake the test.

When you’re gearing up for LEED Certification, you will do best if you take LEED Certification classes. Make sure the classes are USGB accredited so you’ll be prepared for your examination. Learn more about the LEED exam and classes, here.

Comments (0) Jan 30 2010

The push towards green housing has taken off in the last few years, but what is a green home? There are 4 major topics I want to discuss in what makes a green home: sustainability, energy efficiency, healthy environment, and carbon footprint. Learn more about green housing here.

If a home is built sustainably, it means that the products and practices used in construction can be maintained and used again and again over the long-term, i.e. “renewable”. The products need to be recyclable like steel, or re-grown quickly enough to support demand (i.e. bamboo & hemp grow so quickly that they can be harvested yearly as opposed to large trees which require tens of years to re-grow). If the machines used in the homes construction run on gas, that is not sustainable because our earth has a limited supply of oil (not to mention the harmful effects of emissions on our environment). These are just a couple examples.

You’ve probably heard of the “Energy Star” rating for appliances and this is a good place to start. Seek appliances with higher efficiency ratings. Replace an old hot water heater with a tankless one. Get your ducts checked and resealed for better efficiency when heating/cooling. Run your appliances on off-peak hours (11-7 are peak hours). All these solutions will save money along with saving energy.

Being green is being healthy. Our most common function as human beings is breathing – it is very important to have clean/healthy air in our homes. Some tips to do this would be to replace your forced air unit filter with a green/washable one, get an air purifier(s), and make sure that your home does not have water intrusion that could, or already has, led to mold.

You’ve heard “carbon footprint” I’m sure, but do you think about it in your home and with the products you buy? For example, it is always best to buy local foods (and other products) from the grocery store because they have travelled less distance (used less gas) to get here. Inquire about the production practices of the companies that you buy from – ensure that they are not polluting our earth to bring you the products you are using.

You can make a difference – do it little by little, day by day and you will be surprised where you’ll end up in 10 years. With continual effort, you will create change and a better world. If you are a local and are interested in San Diego green homes for sale, I welcome you to contact me.

Adam Pascu is a San Diego Realtor and green housing enthusiast. He makes his living his passion by promoting the green home movement in San Diego and beyond. Use his website to find San Diego green homes for sale.

Comments (0) Nov 25 2009