Growth of Green

Green Building Industry Grows by Leaps and Bounds, ENR November 24 2003, describes the state of the 10-year old US Green Building Council. For example:

• USGBC now has more than 3,500 members, two-thirds of which have joined in the last two years.
• USGBC's budget has grown from $400,000 in 1999 to $17 million for 2004.
• USGBC continues to refine its LEED rating system for new buildings, and is developing systems for building operation and maintenance, interior renovations, and core and shell construction.

Two issues currently being looked at by the USGBC, described as contentitious by ENR, are awarding LEED credits for alternatives to the use of halocarbons in HVAC equipment and inclusion of a PVC-related credit (i.e., award LEED credits for avoiding PVC materials).