Impact of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional Credential on Design Professionals

The perceived value of green professional credentials to credential holders in the US building design and construction community

“…Surprisingly, the study concluded that LEED APs working for prime/general contractors believe their green credential has had a more positive impact on their career in terms of compensation, promotion and prestige than do those employed by other types of construction industry organizations. In a follow-up study, Gebken et al further supported this conclusion by finding that LEED AP design professionals working for architecture and engineering (A/E) firms do not indicate as strongly as LEED APs employed by other organizations that their green credential has impacted on their career, in terms of professional recognition, prestige, promotion and opportunities for professional contribution (Gebken et al, 2010).…”

“…A survey was considered to be the most appropriate instrument to efficiently reach a large number of respondents, and previous studies serving as a point of departure for this study have also been administered using surveys (Byrne et al, 2004;Bruce et al, 2009;Gebken et al, 2010). Demographic portions of the survey were closely modelled after previous studies of credentials in the construction industry (Bruce et al, 2009;Gebken et al, 2010).…”

“…Demographic portions of the survey were closely modelled after previous studies of credentials in the construction industry (Bruce et al, 2009;Gebken et al, 2010). Questions related to perceived value were adapted from the Perceived Value of Certification Tool (PVCT) to pertain specifically to aspects of green building certifications identified in the literature.…”

“…However, these studies have not explored practitioners' choices of professional credentials, either associated with rating systems or not, in contexts where multiple options exist. Several studies have explored the impact of LEED AP accreditation on construction employees (Bruce et al, 2009;Gebken et al, 2010), but information is lacking to compare professional credentials associated with green construction and design in terms of their perceived value to a range of professionals holding those credentials.…”

Analysis of building environment assessment frameworks and their implications for sustainability indicators

“…Issa et al (2010) noted in the response to their survey that the most significant prohibiting factor in LEED certification is typically the cost associated with consultants and contractors in the form of design fees and additional fees for LEED documentation. On the other hand, assessors of BEA like LEED-APs, does not have enough return regardless of qualification (Gebken et al 2010).…”