How Efficient is Your Vehicle? LEED and the ACEEE

Photo:humanityy.co

As one explores the USGBC and the various LEED rating systems, a realization occurs that without third-party programs, certifications, policies and verification…there would be no LEED as we know it today. These third-party programs help develop the framework that supports LEED on a universal scale. One instance of this is found with the accepted green cleaning products, highlighted in a previous post about Green Seal and Environmental Choice. As more third party programs develop, LEED becomes more stringent and transparent simultaneously.

the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has developed a database of all vehicles and ranks them by the associated “Green Score”. This score is determined by pollution during manufacturing, production and distribution of the required fuel type, exhaust emissions, fuel efficiency, hydrocarbons and much more. This information is reported through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resource Board. The top vehicle in 2013 scored a 58 and the average is a 35. The monsters of the road average at a score of 15, what hogs!

Photo: http://www.aceee.org

LEED for Existing Buildings, Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) reserves a potential for 15 points for promoting alternative forms of transportation for building occupants. These 15 points are potentially 25% of the points needed for a building to reach LEED Gold certification! The Green Book of vehicles, created by ACEEE, is the database holding the scores for each vehicle on the road today. Points under LEED EBO&M are captured by determining how many occupants use alternative forms of commuting, such as carpool, telecommuting, biking and even running (yes, some people exercise their way to work!). Drive-alone occupants may still fall under the “alternative forms of transportation” if their vehicle meets the ACEEE Green Score of 40 or more.

Greenercars.org, a derivative of ACEEE, has a wealth of information including the meanest and greenest vehicles of 2013, green driving tips to improve fuel efficiency, and market trends regarding vehicle manufacturers, technology, and sustainability. Find out how sustainable your vehicle is today!

Healthy Buildings Achieves Climate Registered Status

For the third year in a row, Healthy Buildings achieved Climate Registered™ status by successfully measuring its carbon footprint according to The Climate Registry’s best-in-class program, having it third party verified, and reporting the data on The Registry’s website. Healthy Buildings joins other leading organizations across North America in adopting a truly sustainable approach to business. Carbon footprint measurement includes a detailed investigation into energy consumption, operational procedures, and company culture.

About The Climate Registry

The Climate Registry is a non-profit organization that operates the only carbon footprint registry in North America supported by states, provinces, territories and tribes. The Climate Registry helps hundreds of public and private organizations measure, report and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions with integrity. For more information, please visit the Climate Registry Website.