The sustainability field has a number of credentialing programs that help to separate the novice from the committed professional.  But the number of programs and their different focuses can be a little bewildering.  Here's a short (and by no means comprehensive) summary of the main programs. 

LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a designation for both people and buildings.   Now repeat after me: in the world of LEED, people are accredited, and buildings are certified, and never the reverse.  For a building, in the words of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), who administers the program:

"LEED certification provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and builtusing strategies aimed at improving performance across the following core metrics:

         energy savings

The LEED designation is international in scope and can apply to homes, commercial buildings, developments, and communities.  It can also apply to people, but in order to use the designation, those people must pass a test, after which they are called LEED AP (Accredited Professional).  Over the years, as more and more people have passed the test, the USGBC has made the exam more difficult.  Most leading architectural firms require LEED accreditation of its staff.

Recently the USGBC has introduced a new level of accreditation, the LEED Green Associate, which will allow people with non-technical backgrounds (Real Estate professionals, government officials and workers, and other related professions) to demonstrate their commitment to green building principles and sustainability.  Going forward, the Green Associate level will have to be passed through before moving on to the LEED AP level. The LEED Professional Directory is at this link.

North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP)

NABCEP certifies solar energy installers.  This is a fairly select group since, as of Sept. 2009, only 1,048 solar PV or thermal installers have achieved this certification.  (We congratulate two of the newest graduates - Tracy N. Hall of Munster, IN and Alex Jarvis of Bloomington, IN - on their recent certification!) A full list of Indiana NABCEP installers can be found on the NABCEP site.  NABCEP has also created an Entry Level Certificate Program for those wishing to enter the solar installation field.  Also new for 2010 and still in development, is the Small Wind NABCEP certification. If you are a small wind installer or possess significant small wind energy expertise and would like to volunteer to help develop the new NABCEP Small Wind Certification Examination or Study Guide, please contact NABCAP at info@nabcep.org. 

RESNET: The American Building Performance Rating System

RESNET establishes standards for buildings' energy efficiency rating systems, which are used by mortgage companies offering "green" mortgages, and by the feds to validate tax credits, EPA Energy Star designations, and by 16 states for minimum code compliance. A RESNET Rater is "a person trained and certified by an accredited Home Energy Rating Provider to inspect and evaluate a home's energy features, prepare a home energy rating and make recommendations for improvements that will save the homeowner energy and money."

In order to be certified, Rater candidates must pass a national online test and perform 5 ratings under the supervision of a certified rater provider. The process of finding a RESNET provider with whom to train can be a little frustrating. You have to already be hired by a certified rater, or be the recipient of a rater's extraordinary generosity. There is more information at the RESNET site.

Carol Gulyas is a Founding Member of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association. She and her husband, David, reside in Bloomington.