Death to standards! Well, maybe not. - by doug mohney

Views and Opinions on Green IT (Jun 3 2010)

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   LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification gets whacked on weekly, but some of the basic thinking for LEED is flawed.  As an editorial in the Guelph Mercury points out, a high-LEED building score takes nothing into account about the trade-off between taking a virgin site and erecting the highest-scoring building possible vs. taking an existing building and renovating it, thereby using less energy and creating less waste.   Total lifecycle cost is not considered and now many organizations appear to be more concerned with getting a Green ticket punched for public consumption than taking a more holistic approach to new construction.  

   In New YorK City, 1 Bryant Park -- the second tallest building in New York City -- has received the highest LEED certification, Platinum.  New York Times contributor Alec Appelbaum points out that LEED is a snapshot in time and not a promise of future energy performance.  A five year old building can turn into an energy hog and still carry a LEED designation.

   Some landlords are already ahead of the curve, realizing that lower energy usage is of benefit both to the environment and to themselves.   Lower energy costs for tenants translate into lower total costs for everyone involved, so money is saved and happiness blooms.

   Meanwhile, the EPA Energy Star program is under threat by Senators Tom Coburn and John McCain.  As a part of a deficit reduction bill, the two want to repeal the Energy Star program over 10 years, taking the money saved on a strict-accounting basis to balance the budget.  Tax rebates for purchasing energy-efficient equipment would go away.

   While Energy Star has had its knocks over the years and could use a tune-up, I can't help but think to Benjamin Franklin's old saw about "penny wise, and pound foolish."  On the other hand, perhaps businesses and consumers can do the right thing energy-wise without requiring additional incentives. Certainly data center operators have figured out that replacing older servers with faster and more energy-efficient ones is a winner.

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