The United States Green Building Council is now offering an ecology-oriented building certification program called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This program focuses on five areas: energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials selection, sustainable site development, and water savings. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is granted to all kinds of structures which meet the criteria in these categories, so many certified individuals are needed to uphold the standards. Training is available for this purpose.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Credentialed Maintenance programs are available for professionals who wish to expand their knowledge of certification principles. The program begins with LEED Green Associate and LEED AP Operations + Maintenance credentials and continues with LEED AP Homes, Building Design + Construction, Interior Design + Construction, and Neighbor Development. All credentials that have been awarded by the GBCI must be maintained through accumulation of Continuing Education credits on a 2-year cycle.

This 2-year period is referred to as the CMP reporting period and if professionals do not complete their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Continuing Education requirements within this period their credential expires. Individuals who are undergoing AP training are required to complete 30 CE hours biannually, 6 of which must be LEED-specific. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associates only need to complete 15 CE hours biannually (including 3-specific hours) of credentialed maintenance activity to maintain their credential. Different activities earn different amounts of CE hours, but the GBCI provides a CMP guide to assist with calculation. Professionals are responsible for reporting their own hours, a process which can be completed online without any additional documentation. Once the CMP requirements for credential have been met, an individual may simply pay a $50 CMP renewal fee to renew his credential. This fee must be paid within thirty days of the end of the reporting period or the credential will expire.

The GBCI also offers another option for maintaining a credential – many professionals choose to undergo optional retesting as a way to maintain their credential. Individuals using this method must take the required exam between 3 and 12 months of the end of their reporting period. With so many options available for achieving and maintaining LEED credentials, every year more professionals are making the choice to earn their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. Programs like these are revolutionizing the construction industry and making the world a cleaner, healthier place to live.

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