Green Globes vs. LEED v4

Late last year, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) identified the Green Building Initiatives’ rating program, Green Globes, as an acceptable standard for green buildings.

The Green Globes rating program is in addition to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating program.

After comparing the two programs, staff at the Irrigation Association put together this analysis:

“…while the government represents a very small portion of the total construction market, GSA’s endorsement of Green Globes is expected to significantly increase the visibility and use of this alternative standard.

Like LEED, Green Globes rates the sustainability of a building’s design, construction and maintenance, including landscape and irrigation systems. Overall, LEED allocates a larger percentage of total available points to areas relevant to the landscape and irrigation industries. Under LEED, points for landscape (8 points out of 110) and irrigation and water efficiency (3 points) together account for 10 percent of the total. The Green Globes system allocates only 5 percent of available points to landscape (42 points out of 1,000) and irrigation (12 points).

In contrast to trends in the field, where the focus has been on reducing potable water use for irrigation, both LEED and Green Globes award the most points to projects that require no irrigation or significantly reduce the irrigated landscape. For example, under LEED, projects receive additional points for requiring no irrigation or reducing landscape water use by 50 percent or more (as determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Water Budget Tool).

For Green Globes, at least 25 percent of the project’s landscaping must be non-irrigated to earn points, with additional points awarded for further reductions in irrigation use. Unlike LEED, Green Globes does award points for using non-potable water, water harvested onsite or sub-meters for potable water systems. Projects can also earn points under Green Globes for using drip irrigation, WaterSense-labeled products or those tested under the Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) protocols, and swing joints or flex pipes for in-ground sprinklers…”

Green Globes vs. LEED v4: A Comparison of Landscape, Water & Irrigation Provisions

Green Globes 2010/2013	Prerequisites/Points	LEED 2013 v4	Prerequisites/Points
Prerequisites	None	Prerequisites	No Irrigation Required or Landscape Water Use Reduced by 30% or More Construction Activity Pollution Prevention
Potential Points	1,000	Potential Points	110
Levels of Certification 4 Green Globes 3 Green Globes 2 Green Globes 1 Green Globe	≥850 700 – 849 550 – 699 350 – 549	Levels of Certification Platinum        Gold Silver Certified	≥80 60 – 79 50 – 59 40 – 49
Irrigation Related Points	12	Irrigation Related Points (Water Efficiency)	3
Landscape Related Points	42	Landscape Related Points (Sustainable Sites)	8
TOTAL RELATED TO LANDSCAPE & IRRIGATION	54 (5% of total)	TOTAL RELATED TO LANDSCAPE & IRRIGATION	11 (10% of total)
Irrigation Related Points	Potential Points	Irrigation Related Points	Potential Points
Alternate Sources of Water	0 – 5	Outdoor Water Use ≥50% Reduction 100% Reduction   (No Irrigation)	1 2
Irrigation Meter on Potable Water	0 – 3	Water Meter for Irrigation & One Other Use	1
Directed Downspouts, Cisterns or Water Harvesting	1
Drip Irrigation	1
Smart Controller	1
Pressure Regulation	0.5
Swing Joints	0.5
POTENTIAL TOTAL	12	POTENTIAL TOTAL	3
Landscape Related Points	Potential Points	Landscape Related Points	Potential Points
Landscape & Irrigation Plan	6	Site Assessment	1
Soil Type Identified	2	Protect/Restore Habitat	2
Structural Limitations	1	Rainwater Management	3
Drought Tolerant Plants	0 – 3	Heat Island Reduction	2
Native Plants	0 – 4
% of Vegetation Not Requiring Irrigation ≥75% 50 – 74% 25 – 49% <25%	14 11 8 0
Minimal Turfgrass	3
Soil Prep	1
Organic Mulch	1
Hydrozone Grouping	2
Plants Spaced for Maturation at Five Years	1
15% Pervious Materials	4
POTENTIAL TOTAL	42	POTENTIAL TOTAL	8