Canadian Industrial Real Estate Blog

Everywhere you look today, the big topic is greening the planet and that includes Commercial real estate. Green means various things depending on the context upon which you apply the term(s). This movement towards a more sustainable planet should not be considered a flash in the plan trend that will see it glory and soon pass. This is the way of the future and an entire explosive industry is being spawned by the cause and necessity of cleaning up our backyards. Over the course of the next month, we will be commenting on various "need to knows" associated with greening as it applies to our industry.

There is a common and/or accepted benchmark upon which builders/developers/landlords strive when is comes to green buildings and it effectively is to qualify as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rated building. The rating system in Canada is an adaptation on the US Green Building Council which rates these buildings and developments based on a Green Building Rating System™, which is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

The rating system has various levels of achievement relative to the degree to which a building has been "greened". The four generally accepted levels are - LEED Certified, Silver Certification, Gold Certification & Platinum Certification. Most buildings that qualify for LEED status are at the LEED Certified level while the extreme other end of the pedulum is the Bank of America building in New York which is currently under construction and is striving to be the "greenest" office tower on the planet with a Platinum Certification.