As publication of the nation’s first code-intended high-performance green building standard draws nearer, a Webpage providing the detailed information about the standard, including a draft copy of the document, has been launched.

The Sustainable Sites Initiative released the nation’s first rating system for the design, construction, and maintenance of sustainable landscapes, with or without buildings. A partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the U.S. Botanic Garden, the initiative’s rating system represents four years of work by sustainability experts, scientists, and design professionals, as well as public input from individuals and dozens of organizations.

Requirements to “lighten up” energy use and costs through fenestration, parking lot lighting and other proposed measures are being recommended for Standard 90.1.

ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, provides minimum requirements for the energy-efficient design of buildings except low-rise residential buildings. Currently, 15 proposed addenda to the standard are open for public review.

The total building sustainability package, addressing everything from design and commissioning to plans for high-performance operation, is covered in a proposed green building standard currently open for public review. Proposed Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is being developed by ASHRAE in conjunction with the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The standard is slated to be the first code-intended commercial green building standard in the United States. It is expected to be published in early 2010.

Structural engineers are familiar with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, but many are not as familiar with the Green Globes rating system. The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier, and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches for residential and commercial construction.

The USGBC hopes to finish work by year-end on a proposal to allow wood certified by groups other than FSC to qualify for points under LEED, according to USGBC's vice president for LEED technical development Brendan Owens. That's at least half a year longer than some observers had expected the group would need to resolve this long-simmering issue.