by Shane Henson — June 24, 2013—The Green Building Initiative (GBI) recently announced the release of the most significant upgrade to its Green Globes for New Construction (NC) program since it first became available in the United States in 2006.
Green Globes is a Web-based program for green building guidance and certification that includes an on-site assessment by a certified third party. According to the GBI, the program is a user-friendly and affordable alternative to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building program that can be used by building owners to advance the overall environmental performance and sustainability of their commercial facilities.
Green Globes NC is now based on an ANSI standard: ANSI/GBI 01-2010: Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings. Suitable for new construction and major renovation building projects, the Green Globes NC program includes:
- Comprehensive environmental assessment protocol
- Online software tools that speed and simplify assessment
- Best practices guidance for green construction and operations
- Qualified assessors with green building expertise
- Rating/certification system
The standard was developed using an ANSI-approved consensus process involving stakeholders from across the building sustainability industry, says the GBI. For federal agencies, the program now includes the ability to assess and certify new construction and major renovations of federal buildings for compliance with the Guiding Principles as required by Executive Order 13514 signed in 2009.
In addition to utilizing the ANSI standard, Green Globes received major enhancements to all seven assessment areas led by those covering energy and materials and resources, adds Sharene Rekow, GBI vice president of business development. She says the program uses advanced building science, which will result in higher-performing buildings, but that GBI kept the unique program attributes that have made Green Globes the choice of an increasing number of sustainability professionals. Attributes include the Web-based survey, the transparent process, the live customer support, the on-site assessment, and the written and in-person feedback for improvement, adds Rekow.
