Green Building

Percent of new, eligible, construction, renovation and remodeling projects within King County government that have achieved any level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating.

About This Performance Measure: This measure represents the number of commercial buildings being built by King County government that meet certain environmental standards. The standard being used is the national Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed the LEED rating system to provide a benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance commercial green buildings. LEED recognizes performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

2007 Results: 1

2007 Target: 4

2008 Target: 5

Influencing Factors: Some County buildings that could qualify for LEED certification have not gone through the certification process. The King County Green Building ordinance states that buildings must get certified if it is within budget to do so. As material and labor costs have increased, LEED certification has not been pursued for every eligible project. In addition, it takes several years for a project to go from registration to completion to certification, thus projects registered in one year will be certified several years later.

Strategy Going Forward: In 2008, an updated green building and sustainable development ordinance is expected to be adopted by the Metropolitan King County Council. The ordinance requires county owned and financed building projects that are eligible to attain a LEED Gold rating. SWD will continue to provide LEED information and training to King County project managers in 2008, including hosting a conference for project managers as well as ongoing trainings.

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