So, what exactly is the USGBC?

by Mike Long, Accu-Tech Corporation, LEED Green Associate/LEED Program Manager

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993. It is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated. USGBC is best known for the development of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems and Greenbuild, a green building conference and expo that promotes the "green building" industry, including environmentally responsible materials, sustainable architecture techniques and public policy.

The USGBC is sometimes confused for a government agency or entity because of its name. However, it is a private 501(c)(3) membership based non-profit organization. At the end of February 2011, USGBC had more than 20,000 member organizations from every sector of the building industry. USGBC works to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. To achieve this it has developed a variety of programs and services, and works closely with key industry and research organizations and federal, state and local government agencies. In some respects, the USGBC is very similar in function and purpose as BICSI for the telecommunications industry. Meaning, they can influence spec and have a reputation for excellence in training. BICSI and the USGBC are also similar in that the membership consists of folks all across the construction industry. It may seem hard to include us "telecom" folks in that group. However, we all know that on any given project we are dealing with a general contractor, subcontractors, engineers, consultants as well as the end user. It is anticipated that by the end of 2012, approximately 1/4 of all new construction projects will be LEED projects. If you want in on the millions of dollars being spent on green buildings, it may be time to start looking at what the USGBC has too offer. Or perhaps you may want to look into attending an Accu-Tech LEED seminar being hosted in your area.

USGBC also offers a host of educational opportunities, including workshops and Web-based seminars to educate the public and industry professionals on different elements of the green building industry, from the basics to more technical information. Through its partnership with the Green Building Certification Institute, USGBC offers industry professionals the chance to develop expertise in the field of green building and to receive accreditation as LEED Green Associates or LEED AP's with specialty.

So how do you get involved? The answer is rather simple. Join the USGBC on a national level. Or if you want to simply check things out in your own "backyard," you may want to consider joining your local chapter. On a local level, you will find that your membership dues are fairly inexpensive and the networking potential is unlimited. If you would like to meet other construction industry professionals and professionals from the design community (architect, consultant, engineer), this is the place for you. Most chapters have a website and a chapter "calendar." Each month a chapter may have educational opportunities as well as a "social function." More than likely the social function will have a catchy name like "Green Scene." I am confident that you will find that your membership dues were well worth the money spent. For more information on the USGBC and the "chapter" level, please check out the links below.

http://www.usgbc.org/

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1741

http://www.accu-tech.com/leedseminar/

Stop by again next month! In August, I will be giving a detailed explanation of the LEED rating system and areas that the telecommunications industry can contribute on a project.

You can contact Mike Long at michael.long@accu-tech.com