GBCe (Green Building Council España)is an autonomous organization, member of the “World Green Building Council”, WGBC,a non-profit International Association. GBC España has currently been recognized as an Established Council of this organization. The process was led by the United States Green Building Council, USGBC
GBCe and USGBC have signed a collaboration agreement to work together towards an energy and ecologically conscious approach to the design of the built environment.
Through this agreement, both organizations acknowledge their common interest in sustainable building and their determination to join forces, exchanging experience, knowledge, resources and information to achieve these objectives. As a starting point, USGBC has acknowledged GBCe as the only Spanish representative in the Leed International Round Table. Therefore, GBCe is currently responsible for the information and distribution of the American certification tool.
LEED® Certification
LEED® promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance and impacts in several key areas:
1.Sustainable Sites
2.Water Efficiency
3.Energy and Atmosphere
4.Materials and Resources
5.Indoor Environmental Quality
6.Locations and Linkages
7.Awareness and Education
8.Innovation and Design
9.Regional Priority
LEED® Guides
LEED® Certification Process
LEED® Certification process is guided by USGBC. All submissions are forwarded to GBCI (Green Building Certification Institute), who has been commissioned by USGBC to lead the certification process. In order to apply for a LEED® Certification, extensive information on the project is required, as well as simulations, calculations and other justifying measures.
The procedure follows 3 stages:
1. Project Registration with USGBC
To be completed by the project manager, through the web application www.LEED®online.com. To find the direct USGBC authorized link to LEED® online, visit our GBCe website, www.gbce.es. Once the registration process is complete, USGBC and GBCI will provide access to online tools, documents, communications and other indispensable information to fulfill the certification process.
2. Request a Certification
LEED® allows the certification process to be carried out in two different ways, by either submitting one final document at the end of the construction stage or separating the certification process in 2 phases, as follows:
- Design Review Phase. In the first stage design considerations and criteria that should be adopted in the project are established. LEED®considers the design strategies and measures assumed before the start of the building works allow the certification process to begin. The credits weighed in this first phase can be submitted for revision to USGBC/GBCI.
The design team can perform any required modifications or objections to GBCI comments in order to solve deficiencies or lack of information.
- Building Phase. Credits revised in the Design Phase should be carried out in the Building Phase, while information on remaining credits is submitted for revision.
In order to easily and successfully complete the LEED®Certification process, the appointment of a LEED® Manager is vital. He/she will advise and guide the team to observe all the pre-requisites and credits, preferably starting from the early design stages of the project. The LEED® Manager will also be in charge of gathering data, completing charts, calculations, LEED®specific simulations or any needed information to comply with the data required by USGBC/GBCI. The procedure demands the coordination and effort of the design and building team.
However, USGBC and GBCI are at the LEED® Manager’s disposal at all times, from the very beginning of the Certification Process, should he/she have any questions or need extra information. The CIR (Credit Interpretation Request) and Database are two of the aid tools provided by USGBC and GBCI for all LEED®registered projects and Managers. In the Database one can find all the questions and answers poised by previous Managers. The CIR, however, is not public and common for all projects but is created for each project, individually.
3. Revision and Certification
For each of the phases described above, USGBC/GBCI studies and revises the information provided by the LEED® Manager online, and ensures that the project has accomplished the needed requirements and credits. As a result, a score is given to the building, indicating the LEED® Certification Level obtained: Silver, Gold and Platinum.
In some cases the LEED® Coordinator will suggest strategy and/or design changes, in order to meet the specifications. This will entail the team to study alternatives and produce other solutions to the problems that might arise.
