From the Editor
If you’ve been in this industry long enough, you’ve probably acquired a virtual alphabet soup of credentials following your name. The one you’ve probably noticed more and more frequently these days is LEED AP  (LEED Accredited Professional). In fact, more than 100,000 industry professionals now post the LEED AP credential after their names.

In the past, people may not have viewed the LEED AP designation with the same, um, credibility they do these days. Many who took the first iterations of the test reported that it was so easy, anyone with even the most elementary knowledge of green building would pass with no trouble.

That perception is changing today, especially with the release of LEED v3 this April. LEED credentialing now contains three levels — the LEED Green Associate, the LEED AP, and the LEED Fellow. And you can (or soon will be able to) earn the LEED AP credential in three subject areas: Building Design and Construction (BD+C); Operations and Maintenance (O+M); and Interior Design and Construction (ID+C). The new LEED AP O+M and LEED Green Fellow exams are available as of last week, but you’ll have to wait until the end of the summer for the new LEED AP BD+C and LEED AP ID+C exams.

One of the features of the new and improved LEED AP credentialing program is the Credentialing Maintenance Program (CMP) — essentially a system for continuing education to keep LEED APs current. You’ll need 30 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain your LEED AP designation, and 15 hours to maintain your LEED Green Associate status. CMP addresses one of the main concerns about the LEED AP — in the past, you could just take the test once and be done forever.

If you’re already a LEED AP, and are wondering if you have to re-test under the new system, go here for a quick, easy explanation of your options.  (The short answer, though, is even though it’s very much encouraged, if you don’t want to re-test, you don’t have to – you’ll be able to maintain your LEED AP credential, but without the BD+C, O+M, or ID+C specialization.)

I’d like to hear from you — what are your impressions of the LEED AP credential? Have you signed up for the new LEED AP O+M exam, and if so, what are you doing to prepare? 

Cheers,

Greg Zimmerman, editor  

Green Strategies
LEED AP: How It Can Help Facility Managers
This article explains the potential benefits for those who own and operate buildings. 

In the News
GBCI Begins Testing for New LEED Credentials
Tests for the new LEED Green Associate and the LEED Accredited Professional Operations and Maintenance credentials are now available. Exams for the LEED AP: Building Design and Construction and the LEED AP: Interior Design and Construction credentials will be available later this summer.   

Green Toolkit
Green Building Certification Institute
GBCI was founded in 2008 to be the certification and credentialing arm of the U.S. Green Building Council. Here, you can get all the information and resources you need to study for and take the LEED Accredited Professional O&M exam. The site also has information about the new LEED Green Associate and LEED Fellow credentials.     

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