The Scoop on LEED Credentialing in 2009

A heads-up to both current and prospective LEED AP certified building professionals who haven’t yet heard: the certification program is undergoing some changes in 2009, and these will affect all of you.

As you’re probably already aware, LEED AP (Accredited Professional) certification is now one of the hottest credentials for people in all aspects of the building industry to have. According to the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), the separately incorporated entity that began administering the credentialing program for the U.S. Green Building Council in January 2008, more than 65,000 people have earned the LEED AP credential since the program was launched in 2001.

Beginning in 2009 — as in, immediately — the program will introduce a three-tiered credentialing system to replace the former one, and the new system will incorporate requirements for ongoing professional education or “credentialing maintenance.” The GBCI helpfully summarizes the differences between the old system and the new one in their LEED Credentialing FAQ:

  • There will be three levels of excellence for a professional to pursue. This improves upon the current LEED accreditation system by providing a mechanism to recognize knowledge and expertise beyond a basic understanding of green building practices. A tiered credentialing system allows the marketplace to distinguish between practitioners with basic, advanced, and extraordinary levels of knowledge.
  • GBCI will have eligibility requirements for all levels of the exam system.
  • GBCI will have credentialing maintenance required for all levels of the exam. As sustainable technologies advance and the LEED rating system evolves, the LEED accreditation system needs a mechanism to ensure that LEED Professions have the latest knowledge and understanding of green building practices.

The three tiers will be LEED Green Associate, LEED AP+, and LEED AP Fellow, each with its own specific set of requirements. The LEED AP+ credential will involve five possible areas of specialization. The GBCI says the new program “will ensure that LEED-credentialed professionals have the latest knowledge and understanding of green building practices AND that they’re recognized with this distinction.”

The changes will not take effect all at once but will instead “be phased in throughout 2009 starting with beta testing for the LEED Green Associate Exam and the LEED AP Operations and Maintenance exams in February.” The same FAQ and, more broadly, the GCBI Website in general contain specific information about the nature of these exams, as well as a Candidate Handbook, materials to help with studying and preparing for the exam, a registration page, and more helpful materials.

Of particular interest to current holders of LEED AP certification under the old program is the fact that you must specifically opt into the new system in order to avoid having your credential become inactive. But this doesn’t mean failure to opt in will cause you to lose your credential outright. Instead, it means you’ll be relegated by default to the new “Legacy LEED AP” status, and if you wait until after 2011 to opt in you’ll have to meet certain eligibility requirements and retest. Here’s the scoop, straight from the horse’s mouth:

Thousands of LEED APs who pioneered the green building field may continue to bear the credential as a legacy with inactive status. To gain active status, they must choose to opt into the new system. LEED APs who elect to opt in to the new credentialing system should note the following:

  • Beginning in June 2009, current LEED APs have two years to opt in. For example, if you choose to opt in December of 2009, you will have until December 31, 2011 to complete you required hours of credential maintenance.
  • Opt-in requires signing the disciplinary policy and agreeing to credential maintenance. You will get to use the new LEED AP+ designation and be listed in the active registry.

The rest of the FAQ gives information on testing fees and other related issues.

For extra help, the Green Building Law blog features a post (“Leed 2009 Credentialing: The Least You Need to Know“) that summarizes all of the LEED 2009 credentialing changes in grid form, courtesy of Re:vision Architecture in Philadelphia. You can also download a PDF of this grid. Also see “Major changes announced for LEED AP credential program” at BuildingGreen.com.

And certainly don’t forget that the LEED program itself is undergoing a significant revision for 2009, as discussed previously here at Just Venting in “New LEED Guidelines for 2009 Include Significant Changes.”

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