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Green Building Training ——Free for the Asking ...
for the Curious
Online Courseware
So, you are interested in the built environment, and you want to know more about what all the excitement is about?
The biggest impact is coming from LEED®, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,
a product of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
usgbc.org
LEED is today the grandmother of green building standards in the
U.S. and Canada, and gaining acceptance all over the world. By no means a standard developed in a vacuum, LEED utilizes
qualifying tools developed by many others, including:
- the HVAC standards of ASHRAE,
- the Portfolio Manager of the EPA's EnergyStar®
- California and Washington State guidelines for green building.
A building can become LEED Certified, LEED Silver Certified, LEED Gold Certified, or LEED Platinum Certified.
[PLEASE, try not to say 'LEEDS,' a temptation due to the name of cities, and knowing that multiple requirements must be met?]
A person can become an Accredited Professional in the LEED building arena, or a LEED Green Associate, to promote LEED standards
in the built environment and community. As a LEED AP you can focus your expertise on any of a variety of specialties:
Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance; New Construction; Commercial Interiors; Homes;
Neighborhood Development; Schools, Health and Retail Spaces.
There are some really well-done online introductions, tutorials, and webinars for those who would like to get a taste of
the green, without getting too bogged down in all the strict details at the outset. We have listed some
fun and interesting links here. Many of the observable applications for LEED criteria carry across various specialty
areas, so don't hesitate to enjoy a micro-course on schools, when you are really interested in Commercial Interiors.
You will notice that universities and states as well as the EPA are making educational contributions to
these opportunitites for Americans to learn about green building (verb), green buildings (noun), and green building (adjective) operation and maintenance.
These resources can be a real asset if you need to check it out when you can't sleep at 2am, or while
you're waiting for a flight.
Many of these learning tools are not too deep, but watch the vocabulary, because in the long run,
many words have critically special meaning in this brave new world of Green Standards.
~maribeth yarnell, LEED® Green Associate, Sustainable Building Consultant
The following are courses/providers to help you obtain both valuable info and continuing education units:
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