The demand for sustainable building is pushing architects, commercial developers, contractors, designers and others in the industry to look for ways to gain or increase their knowledge in green building.

The competitive arena in the green building market is rapidly expanding and in order to keep up you need to achieve accreditation under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and become LEED certified.

Finding the time to take classes isn’t always easy. And, if you want your employees to become LEED certified, it can cause job delays and travel expense. So, what can you do?

The most convenient way for you and your employees to become LEED certified is via online classes. There are several LEED educational classes available online, including the LEED AP test prep class. Both the Green Building Council and The Association of Interior Designers offer classes or webinars and LEED AP study guides online.

Earning a LEED AP designation or getting your feet wet with the LEED Green Associate accreditation? You can do it all online.

• As a LEED AP your clients automatically earn an Innovation in Design point when working with them on a LEED Certification project – automatic point. As a General Contractor with a LEED AP designation, you’re able to handle the entire LEED Certification process for your client. This designation also enables you to gain recognition as a LEED AP on the USGBC web site. Their online accredited professional directory is where consumers will go to identify and contact qualified service providers.
• The LEED Green Associate accreditation is a great place to start and provides an excellent platform in which to grow.

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In order to further spread the wealth of necessary information on green building and design, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is hosting a series of web seminars – Webinars – for remodeling contractors. The series is aptly titled REGREEN Revolution. The first two sessions took place in December and January, with one last session on REGREEN & Deep Energy Retrofit scheduled for Wednesday, February 11.

This three-part series of webinars attacks green building on the renovation and remodeling front. They aim to steer contractors through the history, intent, and content of USGBC’s new REGREEN guidelines and discuss the future of the program. The sessions will also provide information about the green remodeling market and additional education opportunities available to remodeling contractors in need of further green renovation expertise. (more…)