PORTLAND, OR – The Green Building Initiative (GBI) recently announced the certification of the 100th building in the United States through the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system. The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, located in Houston, Texas, received a rating of Three Globes for achievements in energy efficiency and environmental management practices. This medical center is one of 15 VA facilities in the United States that has received an official Green Globes certification from the GBI.
“Reaching the 100 building mark is a significant milestone for the GBI as we continue our work to make green rating tools practical and affordable,” says Ward Hubbell, president of the GBI. “Projects like this that obtain a Green Globes rating demonstrate to the building community that it is possible to benchmark and improve the environmental performance of an existing building, even with a limited budget and resources.”
Since it was introduced and released into the U.S. market in 2005, Green Globes has gained considerable usage and recognition and, despite the downtown in the construction industry, is a widely-accepted and credible standard for commercial green building. Twenty states officially recognize Green Globes through legislation or executive order, as well as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education and the Department of Interior. Green Globes has also been recognized by the private sector, with insurance companies such as Aon, Liberty Mutual and the Fireman’s Fund offering various products and discounts for buildings that achieve an official Green Globes designation.
This latest milestone continues significant momentum for the GBI, which recently released two new personnel certification programs, called Green Globes Professional (GGP)™ and Green Globes Assessor (GGA)™. These programs were launched to further enhance green building professionals’ knowledge of sustainable building practices and the Green Globes system, distinguishing them as true green building experts in the field.
The GBI is also in the final stages of establishing Green Globes as the first and only official national standard for sustainable construction of commercial buildings through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The ANSI Technical Committee recently finished the fourth round of public comments on the proposed Standard, and is now in the final stages of completing the soon-to-be released Standard, which will serve as a benchmark for sustainable commercial buildings across the United States.
For more information about the GBI or Green Globes, visit www.thegbi.org.
About The Green Building Initiative
The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. A not-for-profit education initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction. For more information on the Green Building Initiative, visit www.thegbi.org.