Last year was the biggest year so far for green building. This is especially true in the commercial sector, where for the first time Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) registered floor area is expected to exceed the total floor area of new construction starts. 2009 was also the year where the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, which includes a National Building Code. Already, more than a dozen Federal departments, over 30 states and well over a 100 cities require LEED certification for publically funded projects, with many of those providing incentives for private developers to pursue green building. The conversation surrounding green building is now moving to “Net Zero” and a few smaller buildings have already achieved this impressive accomplishment. These and many other trends indicate that green building is now a priority that requires consideration in all decision making processes related to the design, construction and operations of buildings.

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