Green Globes is Applicable to All Building Types

Green Globes programs are available for New Construction, Existing Buildings, and Sustainable Interiors (tenant improvements). Green Globes has been used on a myriad of building types and portfolios, including offices, warehouses, data centers, hospitals, laboratories, hospitality/multifamily, grocery stores, and mixed-use retail.

As a credible, practical, and cost-effective green building rating system, Green Globes has several unique features to allow building owners and managers to focus on addressing those aspects of sustainability most suited to achieving their operational goals.

Green Globes Provides

• Collaborative approach throughout the assessment process: Collaboration with a green building authority is important, and Green Globes is unique because it promotes sustainable thinking throughout planning and delivery, while fostering an interactive process. Each building is assigned a GBI staff person as project manager and a third-party assessor as a technical expert.
• Weighted 1,000-point based system in lieu of prerequisites: Instead of requiring that teams use one specific approach, which can eliminate some buildings from even considering green certification, Green Globes assigns high point values to incentivize achievement of criteria deemed most critical to high-performing, green buildings. The point system incentivizes teams to apply green building best practices to every building, regardless of size, type, or budget.
• Non-applicable options that increase the flexibility of the rating system: Green Globes offers increased flexibility with the ability to enter a Not Applicable designation when appropriate. Assessment criteria can be noted as non-applicable when local codes conflict or a criterion addresses a technology that is not appropriate for the building (e.g., cooling systems if the climate or building type doesn’t require their use).
• Online, interactive survey tool that acts as a user-friendly roadmap: The surveys generate discussion on how to achieve optimal energy conservation, water use efficiencies, responsible materials use, occupant comfort, and project team efficiencies.
• Reliable and tested criteria, pathways, and references: Green Globes incorporates content from ANSI/GBI 01–2010: Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings and references other American National Standard Institute (ANSI) approved consensus standards as the basis of benchmarks throughout the rating system. GBI, as an accredited standards developing organization through ANSI, incorporates and responds to input from hundreds of public commenters.¹ Additionally, GBI believes strongly that the best science and research is made available through open, audited consensus processes. To that end, GBI is conducting a revision of the ANSI/GBI 01-2010 standard that will become the next version of Green Globes for New Construction.

© WannemacherJensenArchitects

For Dunedin Fire Station 61 in Dunedin, Florida, the city sought to uphold its values and turned to Green Globes to make smart use of public funds, earning One Green Globe.

Financial Return on Investment for Green Globes Certified Buildings

Green Globes certified buildings are attractive to a growing group of tenants and individual buyers, making these assets more valuable.

According to the Appraisal Institute’s recent publication, Green Building and Property Value: A Primer for Building Owners and Developers, “In many markets, rental premiums are emerging in green buildings, as many of today’s best tenants are increasingly willing to pay a premium for green spaces. For these tenants, leasing green space is an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, attract the best employees, and improve productivity.” The report concludes that “National studies for commercial office buildings back up this trend on rents and occupancy, as certified green buildings outperform their conventional peers by a wide margin.”

With this in mind, it is no wonder that financial institutions have taken notice. For example, Fannie Mae gives preferential pricing for all green loans and reduces the fixed interest rate of a multifamily refinance, acquisition, or supplemental mortgage loan if the building is Green Globes certified. As of May, 26 2016, a $10 million conventional green loan would receive an interest rate that is 33 basis points (0.33 percent) lower than a comparable non-green loan. The amount of the interest rate reduction varies based on the size and credit quality of the loan and may change over time but can be as high as 40 basis points.²

In addition, Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada (BOMA Canada) data indicates that buildings certified in 2011 using a Green Globes protocol average 16 percent less energy consumption than average commercial buildings, use 55 percent less water, and divert 60 percent more waste than typical commercial buildings (although such results are not guaranteed).³

More Value with Green Globes Experts

All those who have worked on projects seeking green rating certification know that green building professionals are an indispensable part of the team. That is why GBI has a trained professional network that supports the growth of green building certifications and increases national awareness of green building best practices. Earning a professional Green Globes designation through GBI is a way to demonstrate a clear understanding of how the Green Globes certification and assessment process works.

One designation available is the Green Globes Professional (GGP). GGP candidates must possess at least five years of experience working with commercial buildings in the areas of architecture, engineering, construction management, facility management, energy analysis, commissioning, sustainability management, or another related area. The GGP program is entirely online and self-paced and has been approved by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for 8 LU/HSW continuing education credits. One training program covers all of the Green Globes modules.

Additionally, Green Globes Assessors (GGAs) are key to the user-friendly Green Globes experience. GGAs are technical experts contracted by GBI to perform independent third-party assessments for Green Globes building projects. Assessors have at least 10 years of experience in the areas of sustainable design, construction, energy, and facility management; remain current on trends in sustainability best practices and innovations; and are typically licensed architects or engineers. Working with the project team in real time, assessors do much more than verify achievements—they also serve as a resource for questions, offer guidance for improvements, and cross-pollinate green building concepts to create holistic solutions.

After first certifying as a GGP, Green Globes Assessor candidates complete extensive training in:

• Green Globes assessment methodology for New Construction and/or Existing Buildings
• Conducting on-site assessments, including review of documentation and actual building features
• Creating customized and comprehensive assessment reports

In addition to the assessor, every building is assigned a GBI project manager to guide administration of the Green Globes process and ensure things are always moving forward.