Washington, DC -- The US Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) has launched the CMP Wizard, an interactive online tool to help LEED Professionals understand their requirements in terms of maintaining their credentials and to explore continuing education options. (LEED stands for the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design programme).
LEED AP and LEED Green Associate require that credential holders stay up to date with the quickly evolving body of knowledge around green building, said a 17 Feb 2011 GBCI statement.
"We created the CMP Wizard to answer questions from current LEED APs," with the goal of making the process clear and easier to understand, said Peter Templeton, GBCI president. "The CMP Wizard navigates directly to the key requirements each credential holder needs to know."
GBCI claims that its credential maintenance programme is unique in offering eight flexible options for earning hours. These range from working on LEED projects to reading case studies to taking professional development courses. LEED Professionals can also often earn hours while performing activities they are already doing at work.
Maintaining LEED Professional Credentials is especially relevant in today's economic climate, said GBCI. More than one million square feet of construction space are certified to the LEED rating system every day.
And earlier this month, President Obama introduced the Better Buildings Initiative, which also provides incentives for green building.
GCBI said that demand for green building in the US is "expected to rise greatly as building owners take advantage of the momentum afforded by the President's new policy, which catalyses private-sector investment through incentives to upgrade offices, stores, schools and universities, hospitals and other commercial and municipal buildings."
"Green building is a critical element to a jobs creation programme," added Templeton. "Professionals who are knowledgeable about green building and the LEED process are today, more than ever, being sought after by employers, clients and project teams."
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