San Francisco has announced the adoption of a Green Building Ordinance, which requires that all new projects, including city-owned facilities and leaseholds, achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). San Francisco joins nine other cities that have adopted green building ordinances requiring LEED.
The LEED Green Building Rating System, developed by the USGBC, is the only nationally recognized green building rating system. LEED evaluates the performance of buildings from a "whole building" perspective, over the course of a building's lifecycle, which provides a definitive standard for what constitutes a green building.
San Francisco's Green Building Ordinance will apply to all new city construction projects, renovations and building additions. Under this ordinance, municipal buildings will need to follow green building design principles, which will help to create healthy workplaces, increase energy productivity, protect the environment and save the city millions in funds.
In related news, the National Association of Realtors recently moved into the first newly constructed building in Washington, D.C. to meet LEED standards. For more information on LEED certification, check out www.usgbc.org.