Trane has been named a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) education provider and will offer curriculum to equip professionals with the continuing education needed to stay competitive in the sustainable building industry. To become an education provider, Trane had to develop courses that were then peer-reviewed and approved by USGBC as having educational content meeting USGBC’s rigorous quality requirements for LEED Professional Credential holders and the green building marketplace.
The company’s four initial Engineers Newsletter Live (ENL) course offerings have been approved by USGBC and will help LEED APs and LEED Green Associates maintain their credentials by counting toward Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) Continuing Education (CE) hours:
“It is an honor to have the USGBC recognize Trane leadership and expertise in the green building industry,” said Scott Tew, leader of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Ingersoll Rand. “We are pleased that our technical knowledge, practical experience, and resources can help others in the industry produce safe, comfortable and energy-efficient environments.”
To be USGBC approved, courses must relate to green building practices, support the LEED rating systems and be non-commercial. For LEED Professionals’ credential maintenance, LEED APs with specialty must earn 30 hours (6 LEED-specific) biennially and LEED Green Associates must earn 15 CE hours (3 LEED-specific) biennially. The LEED AP with specialty credentials signify an advanced depth of knowledge in green building practices with the ability to specialize in applying LEED to specific project types: Building Design + Construction, Interior Design + Construction, Operations + Maintenance, Homes, or Neighborhood Development. For professionals who want to demonstrate green building expertise in non-technical fields of practice, the LEED Green Associate credential denotes basic knowledge of green design, construction, and operations. As of March 1, 2010, there were more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders.
The LEED rating systems provide third-party certification for buildings and communities that have demonstrated leadership in reducing their energy and environmental impacts. Credit toward the four levels of LEED certification is awarded based on assessments in a number of different categories, including energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management and reduction, indoor environmental quality and others. As building owners are discovering, building or renovating to LEED standards ensures efficiencies that generally result in cost savings over the life of the building.
About USGBC
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 80 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013.
About Trane
Trane, a business of Ingersoll Rand – a world leader in creating and sustaining safe, comfortable and energy efficient environments – improves the performance of homes and buildings around the world. Trane solutions optimize indoor environments with a broad portfolio of energy efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, building and contracting services, parts support and advanced controls for homes and commercial buildings.