LEED Certification – Learn About the LEED Green Associate Certification

Green Associate – LEED Certification

Anyone planning to work in the construction field would be wise to add some sort of sustainability credential to your resume, because green building is the future. One way to add a little green to your credentials is to earn a LEED certification. The LEED rating system is becoming the worldwide standard by which a building project measures how it is reducing its carbon footprint.

The whole issue of sustainability is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Every day some sort of sustainability issue is reported on the news. Green products and technologies are advancing at lightening speed, and to keep up with these rapid changes the LEED credentials have recently undergone some changes.

The LEED AP designation originally achieved through testing one time. The credential process now requires two exams. One exam covers the more general green building information, and the second tier exam covers an area specialty. There is also a third level under development, but its criteria are as yet unknown.

The first of these three levels of certification is the LEED Green Associate which denotes that its holder has a general knowledge of the green building industry and an understanding of the LEED rating system. This designation can stand on its own and is appropriate for any non-technical managers and staff working on a sustainable project.

LEED Certification – When Green Associate is Not Enough

If a project manager is a technical contributor to the job or if they are the lead person, then the LEED AP+ designation is more appropriate. In this case they would need to continue on after taking the Green Associate exam and take the LEED AP+ exam.

Deciding where and how you plan to incorporate your LEED credential into your building career may take a little planning, so it is good to understand the system before deciding how to proceed with your credentials.

There are prerequisites that you must fulfill as part of the application process for the LEED credential exams. For example, to take the LEED Green Associate exam you must produce documentation showing that you have at least met any of these following requirements.

• You must have recent experience on a LEED registered project. This experience should be that you are in some way exposed to green building practices, which illustrates that you are working somewhere related to the field of sustainability.

• You must be able to prove that you have had experience working on anything that relates to a sustainable construction project within the last 3 years. The farther away you get from and actual sustainable construction project, the more explaining you will have to do. For example, if you work for a carpet manufacturer, that may not qualify as meeting the prerequisite. However, if you work for a carpet manufacturer that manufactures only using recycled materials that may be enough, or if your employer only supplies local purchases keeping transportation to a minimum, that may help you qualify.

• You must be enrolled in a sustainable field of study. If you are a college student and you are taking courses in sustainable construction, that would satisfy the prerequisite.

Proof of your prerequisites is required, and you will need written documentation from an employer or instructor.

Once all of the prerequisite requirements have been satisfied, you can register for the LEED Green Associate multiple choice test. Once the exam has been successfully completed you can decide if the LEED Green Associate credential is enough, or if you want to continue your LEED certification by earning an AP+ designation.