USGBC Names Groups to Perform LEED Certifications

In May 2008 the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that it would be outsourcing LEED certification to the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) and, through GBCI, to independent certification bodies (see EBN Vol. 17, No. 6). USGBC has now named the ten companies that will be certifying LEED buildings beginning in January 2009. The designated certification bodies are:

• ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc. (www.abs-qe.com)

In May 2008 the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that it would be outsourcing LEED certification to the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) and, through GBCI, to independent certification bodies (see EBN Vol. 17, No. 6). USGBC has now named the ten companies that will be certifying LEED buildings beginning in January 2009. The designated certification bodies are:

• ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc. (www.abs-qe.com)• BSI Management Systems America, Inc. (www.bsi-global.com)• Bureau Veritas United States (www.us.bureauveritas.com)• DNV Certification (www.dnvcert.com)• Intertek Group (www.intertek.com)• KEMA Registered Quality, Inc. (www.kema.com)• Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, Inc. (www.lrqa.co.uk)• NSF International Strategic Registrations (www.nsf.org)• SRI Quality System Registrar (www.sri-i.com)

After the changeover, project teams will still submit their LEED applications through the LEED Online website managed by USGBC, but the reviews and ultimate certifications will come from these companies. USGBC has not yet explained how it will determine which companies will certify which projects. If it continues to follow typical International Organization for Standardization (ISO) practices, however, eventually project teams will be able to make that choice.

– Nadav Malin

For more information:

U.S. Green Building Council

www.usgbc.org

Green Building Certification Institute

www.gbci.org