Owners and tenants of the more than 22,000 LEED® certified buildings worldwide invested in greener buildings for expected benefits, such as lower utility bills and a better occupant experience. Now that many buildings have a few years of real performance data available, the media and the market have found some green buildings aren’t meeting their owner and tenant expectations.

The reasons these gaps occur can’t be easily blamed on greenwashing or technical errors. People, times, and technology constantly change, so protecting a green building investment means managing for human behavior as well as technological changes. Technical retuning of a building’s systems is frequently where owners turn first, and strategies like re-commissioning and performing ASHRAE audits can make a huge impact. But influencing human behavior is actually the least expensive way to help support good building performance, and it can also produce the biggest payback.

About Jessica Green

Jessica Green, Seattle Regional Director, LEED AP O+M, BD+C

Jessica has educated audiences across the West Coast on the value, cost, and process of LEED, green building, and sustainability. She has also taught LEED Exam Trainings in multiple rating systems and taught Green Design for Interior Design as a faculty member at the Art Institute in Portland. Previously a LEED project manager and a LEED NC reviewer for the USGBC, Jessica possesses expertise in the LEED review process and Credit Interpretation Rulings.

As a Director for Brightworks’ Seattle Region, Jessica provides overall project leadership and thought leadership for both built environment projects as well as organizational sustainability projects. She brings almost 10 years of urban design practice in Oregon and California, along with sustainability and LEED project experience in a wide range of rating systems. Jessica has managed over 50 LEED NC, CI, and EB projects and has worked with an extensive variety of building programs. In addition to LEED project management, Jessica advises teams on how to strive for true sustainability on master plan scale projects and individual buildings seeking to go beyond LEED.