LEED Certified Buildings and Accredited Professionals

There is no shortage of talk about LEED these days so I think it merits a quick explanation.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and it is a green building rating system that has been put in place by the US Green Building Council. Each project is rated based on a variety of criteria and then it is awarded a level of Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum depending on the number of points it is eligible for. Criteria include energy usage, indoor air quality, sustainable sites, water use, construction waste, recycling, etc.

Projects can be certified under several different rating systems including LEED for New Construction, LEED for Existing Buildings, LEED for Commercial Interiors, LEED for Retail, LEED for Schools and LEED for Core and Shell. In addition there is a LEED for Homes that is new and a LEED for Neighborhood Development that is in its pilot phase.

Individuals who want to be LEED Accredited Professionals have to take and pass a test on one of the various LEED rating systems. When an individual passes the test they carry the LEED AP designation. Currently there are no continuing education requirements.

So for the record, buildings are LEED Certified and people are LEED Accredited. At least some of them.

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24 thoughts on “LEED Certified Buildings and Accredited Professionals”

  1. I do not know about the LEED exam in India, but perhaps some of the other readers of the thread will have input on that.

  2. Mayurdhwajsinh Dodiya

    Dear Mr. Sean O’Hara,

    i m working in HVAC Project Company as Sr. Engineer in Planning & Design Department. Now i m planning to give IGBC AP or LEED AP Exam. Can i give LEED AP Exam in Gujarat in India. how can i apply for this?

    Sir, i need your valuable feedback for the same. also provide me minimum eligibility criteria for this exam.
    From where i will get registration & study material ?

    Yours Sincerely,

    M. Dodiya

  3. Hi All,

    I am a civil engineer from India, having an experience of 6 years by now in Sales and Marketing of construction oriented chemicals and Pre engineered buildings.

    I am presently into market development of the Insulation chemicals useful for saving energy in the Pre engineering buildings and many others.

    I am very much interested in writing the USGBC certification this year.
    Can anyone please tell me that how useful USGBC AP certification will be for me in coming time?

    Thanks

  4. Dear All,

    I m planning to give the IGBC AP exam. But little confuse between IGBC AP & USGBC AP certification. Can some one help me in this regard.

    Also, I request to you, please send me the preparation materials for IGBC Or USGBC AP exams.

    Thanks n Regards,

    Deepesh Gupta
    engg_deepesh@yahoo.co.in
    +91-9891898901

  5. Hi Sean.

    I am from engineering proffesion with civil engineering graduate from INDIA haveing worked on senior mangment positions for more than 15 years in Middle east on almost all arena,s of civil engineering projects worth billions of dollors including MNC.S. which include USA project managment co TURNER CONSTRUCTION INTERNATIONAL.M.E.

    HavIing indepth knowledge of engineering and construction with specific information on LEED i wish to have
    LEED Acredited proffesional certificate, please mail what are the proccedure to appear for this course,i appriciate your prompt response.

    Thanking you

    Regards
    MD ANWAR

  6. Dear,
    I want to take LEED AP certification examiantion. Please guide me the literature and the study materials and the centre of the examination.

  7. Hi Shruthi,

    I took my exam outside,but you can take exams in india now but only the new addition i.e. LEED2009.
    Which projects you are working in Bangalore?How can I help you?

    Regards
    Ashutosh

  8. Sorry Guys,

    I was not in touch with this Blog, Yes Now I am a LEED AP working on some challenging green projects in India. You can mail me at ajleed@rediffmail.com
    It will be pleasure to help you in anyway.

    Regards
    Ashutosh

  9. Hi!
    We are an architectural practice in New Delhi, India. We are doing LEED facilitation for three buildings in India for LEED-India under IGBC. One of the buildings is a commercial builind (core&shel) in Bangalore and one a commercial building in Noida and another a school in delhi.
    We are currently looking for people who might be interested to work with us. I was wondering if you could let us know about anybody who would be genuinely interested.
    Thanks
    Amit Mendiratta
    info@ecodesignarchitects.in

  10. Hi Sean,

    1. I am currently in the US and i am planning to give the LEED exam. I am leaving for India for Good in May 2009. Should I give the exam here in the US or shud I give it in India ?
    2. Also is the US LEED AP accredation valid in India?
    3. For an interior designer is LEED NC or LEED CI preferable..how do I decide wch one to give…
    Thanks…Harshita

  11. Hi ashutosh,
    I am interested in takong up LEED AP exam.please do help me regarding the details,material,any websites,pattern of the exam. Hence i require more details about it. If you can guide me or atleast forward me your contact details which would be of great help to me.please do help us..thanks in advance

  12. Hi ashutosh,
    I a currently working on a project in Bangalore which is achieving LEED rating, n am very much interested in the concept and details hence am aiming for LEED AP exam. But can’t find details about taking exams here. Hence i require more details about it. If you can guide me or atleast forward me your contact details which would be of great help to me.

  13. Hi Ashutosh.Congrats.Can i have your e-mail or contact no. so that i can get some more info on LEED Exam.
    Thank you
    warm regards

  14. hi, ashutosh. Have you got through the exam. Can i have your e-mail id & Cell no. I am an architect & I have done my masters in Sustainable Architecture. Currently working in Delhi. Even i am planning to have Leed-AP exam. I want to talk to you regarding the same.

  15. Hi,
    it was good to know that there are people like me, from India, taking (already taken) the LEED exams. How much study time should one plan, before scheduling exams considering i am a practising architect and have limited hours of study per day.

    Sukhen

  16. I just want to tell you that,I have passed my exam for LEED AP on last friday.Thanks for all the feedback.

    Regards
    Ashutosh

  17. Thank you Sean & Elicia,

    Well, I have scheduled my exam through prometric in Kathmandu, Nepal.It’s the same US Version & no difference. I will take exam for NC on 18 Dec 2008.

    Well, I am going through the NC Ref Book, I think intheled.com is also a great source, besides that, I am also taking mock exams through greenprep.com.It’s a good help in preparation. Let’s see what happens on the big day?

    By the way Sindhu,there is no difference in exams whether you take in US or elsewhere & there is no difference in accreditation as well, same as you get in US.(I have cross-checked with IGBC & USGBC,So don’t worry)

    I am doing it just because, I think LEED AP will be mandatory in coming years, this process will become integral part of Design in this fast environmentally degrading world. I am passionate about the green Design & now I want to get involve with it.

    If you still wish to take LEED Exam, Hurry LEED 2009 is coming & everything will change.

    Regards
    Ashutosh

  18. Thanks for the information guys.

    I wrote to exam@gbci.org and just got a reply from them. Here it is:
    “Dear Sindhu,
    Sorry for the delayed response. Unfortunately, we currently do not offer our LEED AP exam in India. This is because the Indian Green Building Council has developed its own IGBC AP Exam. For more information on that exam, you can go to their website, http://www.igbc.in. The LEED AP exam is offered internationally, for a list of locations, visit the Prometric website at http://www.prometric.com/gbci.

    I hope you found this information helpful; if not, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any other questions.

    Regards,
    Isabelle Willson.
    Credentialing Communications Associate
    GBCI
    Washington, DC”

    So, that’s that!

    I guess I will call IGBC and find out what they have to say.

    Will keep everyone posted.

  19. Elicia Ratajczyk

    I’d like to reply to both Ashutosh & Sindhu with this post:

    First Ashutosh, reading (and re-reading) the Reference Guide (not just the Rating System) is the best way to study. There are, however, also a number of study guides and practice exams that are available. The Colorado Chapter of the USGBC has a particularly good study guide available and I believe that you can find it on the website at http://www.usgbccolorado.com. I thought that this was very helpful and that the most current practice exams that I could find on the internet were also very helpful. You should just search for them (in order to get current ones) and practice with any that you can find.

    To Sindhu – I don’t believe that the international tests are handled through Prometric or at least I know that there definitely are different testing sites available in many countries that are not handled by Prometric. Your best bet would be to call the GBCI at either of these numbers:

    1-800-795-1746 or (202)436-9500

    and ask them where you may take the test and whether or not it is the same as the US version. It sounds like you have been to the GBCI website (www.gbci.org) previously but you may also want to take a look through the ‘Candidate Handbook’ which is available for download on that website.

    Good luck to both of you!

    I also wanted to let you both know that we are going to be starting a weekly blog post specifically about Sustainable Design sometime in the next couple of weeks & I would love to be able to generate an ongoing conversation on the subject which would benefit from your perspectives! Please check back into the blog in the next couple of weeks and let us know your thoughts! Thanks! 🙂

  20. Looks like we’re getting a lot of India traffic.

    Sindhu, I think the best way to find that information would be to call the Indian Green Build Council at 040 – 23112971 – 73. The website is under construction so the information on becoming a LEED AP in India is not on the site. I know you can become IGBC AP by taking the exam that IGBC puts out. Again, I’m afraid the information is sketchy on their website and you may have to resort to a phone call. Please post what you find out as there seems to be more interest.

    Thanks for Contributing, Sean

  21. Hey Sean,
    I spent 9yrs in the US and just returned to India. I’m planning to take the LEED AP exam but I can’t find India under countries on the Prometric website. Do you know if I can take this test here in India? I want to take the GBCI (US) one. Will greatly appreciate your help! Thanks.

  22. Ashutosh,

    I think its very interesting that LEED, created by the United States Green Build Council has spread to other countries. Let me know more about whether its being used in India or if you’re taking it more to bolster your resume with the LEED AP title.

    As far as what to study for the LEED exam. It is primarily about reading the LEED NC 2.2 Reference Guide. There are a lot of other resources on the web but that is the source of the test questions. I wouldn’t over think this, read the reference guide and go through the credit checklist until you know the numbers and take the test.

    Can you take the actual exam in India or will you come to the US to take the exam?

    Good Luck, Sean

  23. Hi Sean,

    I am an architect from India,will be taking LEED AP NC 2.2 exam in first week of December,well I am preparing hard at the moment.If you have any study material,which you beleive will help me.Kindly send it across.I am looking for some help.

    Regards
    Ashutosh

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