Green Rating Systems

Though I’m sure others have seen this much earlier than I did, I just checked out the Ratings Systems Study found on the AIA Sustainability Resource Center website.  The study is a comparison of Green Globes from US Green Globes, the LEED system via USGBC and the SB Tool 07 from iiSBE.  The AIA doesn’t want to take sides in the debate on what is the best rating system which means that the report really has no teeth in saying which one is best.  But still, it’s instructive to learn a little bit about each system’s approach.

I don’t think I’m alone in suggesting that the LEED system from USGBC is the dominant one in the marketplace.  What I did find interesting in reading the study is that they seem clear that the LEED system is the one that has the most requirements, whereas in both the Green Globes and the SB Tool the checklists read as suggestions.  I’m no expert on either Green Globes or the SB Tool, but if it is true (which this would suggest) that LEED is the most stringent set of requirements, it’s pretty fascinating that the most rigorous requirements have became the norm.

My sense is that in other industries the dominant rating system is the one which is the easiest to adopt - which may not be the most stringent.  Anyone have any thoughts?