I just passed my LEED AP exam. I started out thinking it would be a matter of 8-12 hours of study and soon learned that the depth and breadth of information would require a much greater commitment. My hat is off to all of you in the facilities field that have obtained this and other serious professional designations. Most people, including clients and employers, have no idea of the expertise and experience some designations represent.
Now that I won't have to spend all of that time studying I hope to blog more about the real estate side of facilities, including the intersection of "green" issues and real estate ownership, leasing and value.
You are making the right strides, long way to go. keep it going!
Congratulations!! If you had to do it over again would you get your LEED AP or LEED Green Associate (new designation)?
Good question. From what I have read the Green Associate designation would probably be more suited to most commercial real estate businesses. In appears to be broader in scope and geared toward being able to support the LEED process and other professionals.
With that said, I have been in the commercial real estate business for over 30 years, and have worked with clients on a wide variety of projects. Those have included pre-project evaluation of requirements, site search, build-to-suit specification and some degree of project monitoring. This have been in addition to the more traditional brokerage functions of negotiation and transaction management. That has given me a wide range of experience and industry information, so I believe the more in-depth, technical knowledge required to obtain the AP designation would probably still lead me to that designation.
I am beginning on my path to become a Leed Green Associate. I work for a company that sells Doors, Frames and Hardware for new construction and I have yet to work on a LEED Project. I am frustrated by the fact that I need a "letter" stating that I have worked on a LEED project in order to take the test. I don't understand the need, shouldn't it be enough that I'm interested in learning and becoming accredited. Just venting. Amanda