Obtaining LEED certification costs a lot of time and money. The resources required are not limitless and are generally diverted from other uses, though that seems impolite to discuss when pursuing sustainability.
But LEED certification does not, of course, add to a property’s sustainability. Rather it confirms, or certifies, that objective sustainable criteria have been met. If anything, the high costs of LEED certification divert funds that may be otherwise be spent on sustainable materials or systems.
In the end, the high cost of LEED ultimately comes from somewhere….or someone.
I wonder how the retirees of Stockton, California feel about their city’s expense in obtaining LEED Gold certification for their new water plant after having their retirement benefits cut in Stockton’s bankruptcy proceedings.
While hardly the sole culprit of bankruptcy, Stockton’s self-imposed requirement to LEED certify all structures over 5,000 square feet is indicative of City Hall’s feckless finance.
SERF offers a low cost sustainable certification that doesn’t break the bank. I bet that sounds like a good idea to some good folks in Stockton.
