NEWH - November 2007 - (Page 12)

sustainability point of view by Glenn Hasek Hospitality Gets Greener LEED applications pile up as the program becomes an accepted standard WHEN FIRST LAUNCHING MY ONLINE PUBLICATION, Green Lodging News, in July 2006, there were just two lodging properties in the U.S. that had received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Glenn Hasek is publisher and editor of Green Lodging News. (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building He can be reached at Council (USGBC)—the Marriott-managed University of editor@greenlodgingnews.com Maryland University College Inn and Conference To subscribe to the Green Lodging News newsletter, go to Center, in Adelphi, Maryland, and the Len Foote Hike Inn in Dawsonville, Georgia. Since then, three other www.greenlodgingnews.com. U.S. properties have obtained LEED certification. Given that there are many hundreds of commercial buildings outside of lodging that have been LEED certified, it would appear that our industry has been late to the game, right? Not so fast. According to USGBC, there are now 118 hotels under development that have registered for LEED certification. That number is growing quickly. Many of the developers of those properties do not want their names to be known but here is a sample of some of the brands showing up on the list that I have: Drury Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express, Starwood’s Element, Marriott’s Renaissance, Hilton, Orchard, Ambrose, Westin, and Gaia. It really is astounding how quickly the lodging industry has latched on to LEED over the past year. In what states are there the most properties in pursuit of LEED certification? California leads the way with 23, followed by New York with 14 and Nevada with 13. Next are the following states: Florida with eight; Virginia and Colorado, each with six; and Texas and North Carolina, both with four. One would expect most activity to occur in states where most hotel 12 november 2007 www.newh.org tel 800.593.NEWH building tends to take place and that is true with LEED. For those that aren’t so familiar with USGBC and LEED, here are a few details you should know: LEED is a Green Building Rating System established by USGBC. The organization is a nonprofit composed of leaders across the building industry working to advance buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. USGBC was founded in 1993. LEED evaluates buildings in five areas: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. Within these credit areas, points are available and the number of points a project earns determines the level of certification the building will be awarded. There are four progressive levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. LEED addresses a variety of buildings and building project types through individualized systems, including: new construction; existing buildings; commercial interiors; core and shell; homes; neighborhood development (in pilot); and schools. In addition, LEED systems are in development for campuses, retail, labs, and healthcare. There are some in our industry who have been critical of USGBC’s rating system and justifiably so; it was not created for hotel buildings so it is not a perfect fit. The reality is that it is all the lodging industry has at this point. The good news is that LEED is ever evolving and improving and you can bet that USGBC is taking note of our industry’s yearning for its own rating system. I http://www.greenlodgingnews.com http://www.newh.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - November 2007

NEWH - November 2007
Table of Contents
Network Leaders
News
Sustainability Column
Sustainability: Green Luncheon
Have you Seen?
On the Scene
Cover Story: Passing the Torch
Scholarship: The Next Generation
Project: Harmonious Duet
Project: Second Act
Service: Recognizing Excellence
Save the Date
New Members
Partner Profiles

NEWH - November 2007