I passed the LEED exam a couple of months ago, and found confirmation of this in my profile on the GBCI website. But I've never heard a peep from anyone at USGBC about the fact that I'm now one of their legion of acolytes.
What's the experience of other LEED APs on here? Where's this "certificate" I've heard about? Or is a cancelled $400 check all we have to show for this milestone?
I think that it takes approximately six weeks to receive the certificate. They might be experiencing a backlog if so many people are trying to get accredited before the changeover to 2009?
I passed in Novemeber. I didnt get a certificate. I didnt know there was one. I dont actualy want to go do Leed paperwork either so maybe this is a good thing.
At least as of last year, uploading a scan of the certificate was how you proved your LEED A.P. Innovation in Design Credit. So it is worth chasing them on it.
LEED is a joke, just another organization pretending to have some sort of authority. I'm all for environmentally sensitive architecture, but this organization is not necessarily the way to do that, and certifying people like this is just a money-maker for them. JOKE-AP
LEED isn't perfect but it at leasts gets people talking about issues of sustainability. Its not supposed to be a green design guide all it is mean to accomplish is start swinging the industry torwards thinking sustainably. It is doing this through economic means - getting architects to specify green materials means manufacturers are going to supply them and also research and introduce new materials.
Of course a LEED rated building doesn't mean it is a sustainable building but at least it isn't this: click here
I'm also suspicious of USGBC's tactics and ulterior motives, especially as LEED becomes more of a business in its own right. Environmentally responsible design has been around for millennia, and is very important. Branding it for consumption is much less interesting and less valid, in my opinion.
That said, and to be honest, I'm in it as much for the credential as for the current topical knowledge. The "alphabet soup" on one's business card, despite what we'd like to think, does matter sometimes. I'm on the job market, and am networking like crazy. I'll renew my AIA dues this year so that I can continue to use that designation, too.
Credentials provide important shorthand information about us to potential clients and employers --information we may not otherwise be able convey unless we get the chance to actually converse with them. Business cards and email signatures serve this purpose. When I sign my emails or hand out my cards with "Citizen, PhD, AIA, LEED AP," that's a lot of information about my skillset automatically communicated without a resume or phone call.
LEED is gaining currency in the field whether we like it or not. To have a new credential that more people are looking for (regardless of its true value) only makes one more noticeable on the job market.*
*None of the above means that real knowledge and experience are not more important. They are. But sometimes, abbreviated information can be very helpful in getting work from places we many not even know about yet.
Much of this LEED work being done is following along the same logic as fighting wars to make peace.
Existing buildings are being demolished- creating more landfill waste, and areas of land are being torn up and leveled - destroying natural vegetation and removing layers of topsoil, to build a "more sustainable" building.
The problem is that by making all these regulations and "guidelines" the approach becomes too tunnel-visioned. Instead of actually making something sustainable and considering the total environmental impact of the building, it's about filling check boxes and getting a certificate or whatever to slap into marketing materials. As long as the office or client can get the LEED gold or LEED platinum status, they honestly could give a shit if what they are doing is actually doing the environment any good what-so-ever.
Never mind the fact the LEED usually means cover-up for bad design.
This is always the problem when someone tries to rationalize and quantify an inherently complex set of systems. I got more and more annoyed the further I dove into the LEED materials while studying.
Apparently, USGBC and GBCI are merging/sharing info and alot of people's accreditation records are being lost in the transfer.
I had to visit a couple websites, place a bunch of phone calls, dig out my certificate, scan it, and upload it in order for me to be current in some LEED AP database. Total PITA...
I got accredited about 3 years ago after working on a LEED Gold project and wanted to become more familiar with the process and sustainable methods as it was starting to trickle down into the custom residential market (some clients were starting to inquire about it).
Now I'm working on more complex public projects and most clients/owners want sustainable, healthy buildings - they understand the benefits, payback periods, LCCs, etc. However, a lot of them agree that LEED paperwork/bureaucracy is a crock so in many instances they ask us to follow LEED guidelines, but they have no intention of going thru the certification process because of the added fees/paperwork.
wow, i actually find myself getting less and less annoyed as i study for the LEED exam (i'm about halfway through the reference guide ..)
it seems pretty open to me so far and also seems to address some of the different site conditions you could have (for example you can't get a credit for 'development density' unless your site is in a similarly dense neighborhood which just makes perfect sense).
are you/have you studied the LEED materials, DashDot? because if you're checking those boxes and getting gold or platinum status then that would be next to impossible if '... areas of land are being torn up and leveled - destroying natural vegetation and removing layers of topsoil ...'.
this is an extremely interesting thread for me - let's just say that I'm heavily involved with USGBC, and, well, I'll just leave it at that ;o)
Trust me, people aren't any more interested in making money with LEED at USGBC/GBCI than any other professional would be at other organizations. It's a business, so naturally they want their product to be successful and make them a lot of money - and they will market it and "commodify" it accordingly to do so. But everyone (ok, most) shares the bottom line of promoting sustainability. USGBC is an organization that has a good head on it's shoulders.
And a lot of the criticisms that you all are voicing are already acknowledged internally at USGBC - they're very aware that things aren't perfect (especially LEED). It's a relatively young organization so it's going to take a while for things to even out.
I really think the criticism shouldn't lie at the feet of the USGBC or the LEED system but rather the architects that implement it. Applying for a LEED certification for your building is a marketing tool. It helps clients understand the benefits of building sustainably. However LEED is not a design tool. It doesn't talk about how to make great architecture or even sustainable architecture. All it offers is a checklist off issues to think about while designing. As a rough guideline I think it does a good job. A good architect will always go above and beyond the LEED list to make a great building. The fact an existing building was demolished or a client chose to build on a greenfield isn't the fault of LEED but rather one of the many other factors that go into each project.
Back to the original question- LEED is definitely backed up on printing their certificates. I passed in January and still haven't gotten mine more than 15 weeks later. When I emailed them about a month ago, I got a canned response about how their printer ran out of blank certificates and they were working to complete January's batch of certificates.
I saw a coworker's certificate, which looked like it was printed at home on cheap recycled paper- so I don't quite buy the excuse, but I'm sure they have been very busy with launching v3 and dealing with the flood of people trying to test under v2, so it's understandable.
Long story short: If you haven't gotten your certificate, it's probably coming, but it might take a while.
I carelessly forgot in my original query above that printing out a certificate means --GASP-- using a sheet of paper (in LEED-speak: 1/257,558th of a tree).
GCBI did do its part for the environment, however, when it thoughtfully removed from circulation four hundred little green sheets of paper cluttering up my wallet.
the problem w/ LEED is that it's product/mechanical systems driven.
so i could do an off the grid, completely passive box, which has a minimal palette and footprint (comparatively) but it'd never qualify for platinum status.
or conversely, an energy hog that complies w/ all the material/sustainable sites aspect, yet still hits LEED silver.
this is a systemic problem which had to do w/ crafting LEED w/ mech and product cos. instead of developing a system of certification upon hitting energy reduction levels. (yes, LEED does this, but it's like 2 points)
personally, i'd rather do an uncertified low-tech green project that utilized quality finishes over cheaper/untested finishes and certification fees.
I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to implement some kind of pre-qualification process for LEED through which things like exurban office parks and indoor ski slopes could be dismissed from even being considered for certification at all. It would have to be done at the discretion of a person or committee at USGBC and that would certainly be controversial, but it would at least help LEED maintain some credibility as more and more people pile on.
I think the format of the test is wrong. It should be an OPEN-BOOK exam, with real-life situations to solve. For example, giving situations and evaluating what mix would help the building achieve a certain LEED status.
I dont understand the point of memorizing the ASHRAE credits etc. If I ever work on a project wanting to achieve leed certification, I am pretty sure I will have the reference guide in front of me.
I agree sameolddoctor, after all when you sit for your PE license (at least in Ohio) you can bring any resources you'd like. Unfortunately I don't think this is ever going to happen.
May 31, 09 10:21 pm ·
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LEED AP certificate?
I passed the LEED exam a couple of months ago, and found confirmation of this in my profile on the GBCI website. But I've never heard a peep from anyone at USGBC about the fact that I'm now one of their legion of acolytes.
What's the experience of other LEED APs on here? Where's this "certificate" I've heard about? Or is a cancelled $400 check all we have to show for this milestone?
Milestone? Hmmmm?
Good luck cashing in on that certificate.
You should have gotten a wall certificate, contact GBCI.
I think that it takes approximately six weeks to receive the certificate. They might be experiencing a backlog if so many people are trying to get accredited before the changeover to 2009?
Yes, "milestone" should've been in quotes, dripping in sarcasm.
I passed in Novemeber. I didnt get a certificate. I didnt know there was one. I dont actualy want to go do Leed paperwork either so maybe this is a good thing.
Demand your certificate. Have something to show for the ridiculous cost of that exam.
I think mine is in a stack of papers I stuck on the floor behind my PC somewhere, but I haven't seen it in months....
i would have expected usgbc would distribute non printable pdfs. I filed my certificate in the recycle bin
At least as of last year, uploading a scan of the certificate was how you proved your LEED A.P. Innovation in Design Credit. So it is worth chasing them on it.
" Have something to show for the ridiculous cost of that exam."
You have some alphabet soup group behind your name, don't you?
Should be satisfying enough I'd think.
Joe Blow, LEAD-AP
Don't forget to change your business cards.
LEED is a joke, just another organization pretending to have some sort of authority. I'm all for environmentally sensitive architecture, but this organization is not necessarily the way to do that, and certifying people like this is just a money-maker for them. JOKE-AP
AGREED.
LEED isn't perfect but it at leasts gets people talking about issues of sustainability. Its not supposed to be a green design guide all it is mean to accomplish is start swinging the industry torwards thinking sustainably. It is doing this through economic means - getting architects to specify green materials means manufacturers are going to supply them and also research and introduce new materials.
Of course a LEED rated building doesn't mean it is a sustainable building but at least it isn't this: click here
- Lucas Gray
www.talkitect.com
I'm also suspicious of USGBC's tactics and ulterior motives, especially as LEED becomes more of a business in its own right. Environmentally responsible design has been around for millennia, and is very important. Branding it for consumption is much less interesting and less valid, in my opinion.
That said, and to be honest, I'm in it as much for the credential as for the current topical knowledge. The "alphabet soup" on one's business card, despite what we'd like to think, does matter sometimes. I'm on the job market, and am networking like crazy. I'll renew my AIA dues this year so that I can continue to use that designation, too.
Credentials provide important shorthand information about us to potential clients and employers --information we may not otherwise be able convey unless we get the chance to actually converse with them. Business cards and email signatures serve this purpose. When I sign my emails or hand out my cards with "Citizen, PhD, AIA, LEED AP," that's a lot of information about my skillset automatically communicated without a resume or phone call.
LEED is gaining currency in the field whether we like it or not. To have a new credential that more people are looking for (regardless of its true value) only makes one more noticeable on the job market.*
*None of the above means that real knowledge and experience are not more important. They are. But sometimes, abbreviated information can be very helpful in getting work from places we many not even know about yet.
The problem is this:
Much of this LEED work being done is following along the same logic as fighting wars to make peace.
Existing buildings are being demolished- creating more landfill waste, and areas of land are being torn up and leveled - destroying natural vegetation and removing layers of topsoil, to build a "more sustainable" building.
The problem is that by making all these regulations and "guidelines" the approach becomes too tunnel-visioned. Instead of actually making something sustainable and considering the total environmental impact of the building, it's about filling check boxes and getting a certificate or whatever to slap into marketing materials. As long as the office or client can get the LEED gold or LEED platinum status, they honestly could give a shit if what they are doing is actually doing the environment any good what-so-ever.
Never mind the fact the LEED usually means cover-up for bad design.
Amen, DashDot.
This is always the problem when someone tries to rationalize and quantify an inherently complex set of systems. I got more and more annoyed the further I dove into the LEED materials while studying.
Apparently, USGBC and GBCI are merging/sharing info and alot of people's accreditation records are being lost in the transfer.
I had to visit a couple websites, place a bunch of phone calls, dig out my certificate, scan it, and upload it in order for me to be current in some LEED AP database. Total PITA...
I got accredited about 3 years ago after working on a LEED Gold project and wanted to become more familiar with the process and sustainable methods as it was starting to trickle down into the custom residential market (some clients were starting to inquire about it).
Now I'm working on more complex public projects and most clients/owners want sustainable, healthy buildings - they understand the benefits, payback periods, LCCs, etc. However, a lot of them agree that LEED paperwork/bureaucracy is a crock so in many instances they ask us to follow LEED guidelines, but they have no intention of going thru the certification process because of the added fees/paperwork.
wow, i actually find myself getting less and less annoyed as i study for the LEED exam (i'm about halfway through the reference guide ..)
it seems pretty open to me so far and also seems to address some of the different site conditions you could have (for example you can't get a credit for 'development density' unless your site is in a similarly dense neighborhood which just makes perfect sense).
are you/have you studied the LEED materials, DashDot? because if you're checking those boxes and getting gold or platinum status then that would be next to impossible if '... areas of land are being torn up and leveled - destroying natural vegetation and removing layers of topsoil ...'.
this is an extremely interesting thread for me - let's just say that I'm heavily involved with USGBC, and, well, I'll just leave it at that ;o)
Trust me, people aren't any more interested in making money with LEED at USGBC/GBCI than any other professional would be at other organizations. It's a business, so naturally they want their product to be successful and make them a lot of money - and they will market it and "commodify" it accordingly to do so. But everyone (ok, most) shares the bottom line of promoting sustainability. USGBC is an organization that has a good head on it's shoulders.
And a lot of the criticisms that you all are voicing are already acknowledged internally at USGBC - they're very aware that things aren't perfect (especially LEED). It's a relatively young organization so it's going to take a while for things to even out.
I really think the criticism shouldn't lie at the feet of the USGBC or the LEED system but rather the architects that implement it. Applying for a LEED certification for your building is a marketing tool. It helps clients understand the benefits of building sustainably. However LEED is not a design tool. It doesn't talk about how to make great architecture or even sustainable architecture. All it offers is a checklist off issues to think about while designing. As a rough guideline I think it does a good job. A good architect will always go above and beyond the LEED list to make a great building. The fact an existing building was demolished or a client chose to build on a greenfield isn't the fault of LEED but rather one of the many other factors that go into each project.
Back to the original question- LEED is definitely backed up on printing their certificates. I passed in January and still haven't gotten mine more than 15 weeks later. When I emailed them about a month ago, I got a canned response about how their printer ran out of blank certificates and they were working to complete January's batch of certificates.
I saw a coworker's certificate, which looked like it was printed at home on cheap recycled paper- so I don't quite buy the excuse, but I'm sure they have been very busy with launching v3 and dealing with the flood of people trying to test under v2, so it's understandable.
Long story short: If you haven't gotten your certificate, it's probably coming, but it might take a while.
Thanks, alanna. That makes sense.
I carelessly forgot in my original query above that printing out a certificate means --GASP-- using a sheet of paper (in LEED-speak: 1/257,558th of a tree).
GCBI did do its part for the environment, however, when it thoughtfully removed from circulation four hundred little green sheets of paper cluttering up my wallet.
the problem w/ LEED is that it's product/mechanical systems driven.
so i could do an off the grid, completely passive box, which has a minimal palette and footprint (comparatively) but it'd never qualify for platinum status.
or conversely, an energy hog that complies w/ all the material/sustainable sites aspect, yet still hits LEED silver.
this is a systemic problem which had to do w/ crafting LEED w/ mech and product cos. instead of developing a system of certification upon hitting energy reduction levels. (yes, LEED does this, but it's like 2 points)
personally, i'd rather do an uncertified low-tech green project that utilized quality finishes over cheaper/untested finishes and certification fees.
I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to implement some kind of pre-qualification process for LEED through which things like exurban office parks and indoor ski slopes could be dismissed from even being considered for certification at all. It would have to be done at the discretion of a person or committee at USGBC and that would certainly be controversial, but it would at least help LEED maintain some credibility as more and more people pile on.
Hey low and behold there was one at my door yesterday - totally forgot took that test.
i passed today leed-ap yea!
I think the format of the test is wrong. It should be an OPEN-BOOK exam, with real-life situations to solve. For example, giving situations and evaluating what mix would help the building achieve a certain LEED status.
I dont understand the point of memorizing the ASHRAE credits etc. If I ever work on a project wanting to achieve leed certification, I am pretty sure I will have the reference guide in front of me.
Congrats FRaC. Doesn't it feel good?
I agree sameolddoctor, after all when you sit for your PE license (at least in Ohio) you can bring any resources you'd like. Unfortunately I don't think this is ever going to happen.
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