LEED-certified federal buildings aren't using less energy, Carnegie Mellon study finds
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/leed-certified-federal-buildings-arent-using-less-energy-carnegie-mellon/599499/May 4, 2021
A new study from Carnegie Mellon University finds federal buildings with an energy efficiency certification managed by the U.S. Green Building Council (GBC) are not using less energy, potentially due to "trade-offs" in how their energy score is developed.
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program was launched in 1998 by the GBC, and obtaining that certification is a tool the U.S. General Services Administration utilizes in its efforts to save energy.
GBC defended the LEED program, pointing to other studies indicating certified buildings are consuming significantly less energy. And, "anecdotally we sometimes hear that renovated green buildings often are used much more than previously," GBC Senior Policy Counsel Elizabeth Beardsley said in an email.
LEED has been around more than 20 years, is internationally-recognized and is "one of the most sought-after" green certifications in the building sector, according to the Carnegie Mellon research. However, the study found LEED has "no effect" on the average energy consumption of federally-owned buildings....
