People today are becoming attuned to sustainable practices of using energy-efficient light bulbs, insulating homes as creatively as possible and making heating systems more efficient.

However, unless they are in the market for a new home purchase, they may be unaware of how forward thinking sustainable design and building practices are today.

This kind of thinking has been left to experts, who are stepping up to the plate to respond to market demand for homes certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, as well as commercial buildings projected to have a resale edge over non-LEED-certified buildings.

Many folks thinking about purchasing homes look for intrinsic qualities of sustainability. Elements that will save on energy costs have already been addressed by the architects and builders.

Jim Pulver, vice president of architecture for the Bread Loaf Corp. (BLC) in Middlebury, said more than 50 percent of BLC’s design and management staff is now LEED-accredited professionals. Twelve of them have gone through the course work, which prepares them to discuss the merits of LEED with clients and execute LEED practices as far as a client is prepared to go.

“We have supported and facilitated our employees obtaining accreditation over the past three and four years,” said Pulver. “We’ve seen the LEED accreditation as an important part of one’s professional credentials, and supported it as a continuing education component.

“Many people are asking about LEED and what’s involved in going through the process,” he said. “The people asking the questions aren’t necessarily well-versed in the program. Many of the people who build buildings don’t necessarily build them on a recurring basis; those who do build on a regular basis – the University of Vermont, private colleges and large institutions – understand LEED and the certification process.”

He said his company has handled a number of projects that are LEED certified or are in the process of obtaining the certification.

“We’ve also done projects that have followed the LEED criteria, but clients have decided not to pursue certification,” he said, noting LEED isn’t a code issue, but rather is a voluntary program that allows owners to ensure they’ve met the appropriate standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

Pulver said LEED does on occasion change its certification requirements and therefore its courses. After June 27, new projects will need to register with the new version of LEED, stepping up from version 2.2 to version 3, he said.

Blair Enman, president of Enman Engineering on Prospect Street in Rutland, said his company focuses on civil and sanitary engineering services and environmental permitting consulting. Since Enman entered the field in the early 1970s, he said he has seen numerous regulatory changes and has become an active participant in understanding and meeting certification standards mandated specifically for LEED-certified sustainable building.

“With LEED certification, you have to do what you feel is socially and economically appropriate,” he said, noting that in some instances, LEED’s certification requirements exceed mandatory regulations.

He said he also is concerned about the regulatory front if LEED standards shift into state regulations. While supportive of the high standards achieved in LEED certification, this shift could be problematic, he said.

“The regulatory process may end up legislating much of what LEED seeks,” said Enman. “I think it’s great that LEED is a voluntary program and each individual sees how far they want to go. I would hate to see it become a mandated program.

“Regulations have never gotten any simpler nor less expensive to maneuver. The bureaucracy has become far more expensive. Years ago, when we encountered a problem in the regulatory process, there was a sense of collaboration. Now, the regulations have become strict interpretations, whether they make sense or not.”

Enman recently completed a three-day LEED course called Vermont Residential Green Building Certification Programs, which compared programs by LEED, the National Home Builders Green Home Building Program and a state organization called Vermont Builds Greener. While he noted all three programs share similar goals, he said the VBG program “probably has a higher threshold. I think their intent was to set a higher threshold than a LEED program.”

“These programs share a sense of commonality: they all are structured around the same programming format of energy efficiency and sustainable lifestyles,” Enman said. “They all work on a point or merit program where if you engage and do certain activities, you get points that lead to, for example, a four-point performance level: bronze, silver, gold and emerald.” Points are awarded in subcategories such as site development, which is his company’s specialty. Other categories are energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and operations and maintenance.

He noted there may be more resale cachet in a LEED-designed home, because more money often is put into a LEED-certified house than in others. VBG pushes smaller domiciles, a very big component of the state program.

“We’re finding significant dialog and interest in LEED in industrial and commercial activity,” said Enman. “We’re finishing right now in Rutland the first commercial LEED program that we’re aware of. This is Vermont Eye Care Associates on Stratton Road. We’ve collaborated on that project with NBF architects.”

Ed Clark of NBF Architects in Rutland said his firm specializes in commercial and educational work. He planned to take the LEED certification exam in early June, joining staffer John Berryhill, who was to date the one LEED-accredited professional on the NBF team.

“LEED changed the exams, and I am one of the first to take the new exam,” said Clark.

Does Clark expect to see more business come his firm’s way because of the new certification?

“Most people understand what LEED is in very basic terms and understand the concept of green building practices,” said Clark. “But, people haven’t necessarily been asking for it. We were able to suggest LEED to one client, and he agreed to pursue LEED certification in the building.”

Does it necessarily cost a great deal more for LEED certification? Clark said that for a $1 million project, the additional LEED-related services may amount to about 2 percent of the costs.

“I don’t see it being a huge cost increase from base cost of building to be LEED certified,” said Clark. “But, if I went for LEED platinum, I’d be spending money. But, at the lower levels we don’t see a huge increase in building costs. We may buy some additional insulation, some more efficient mechanical equipment or spend a little more for certain materials, but is a pretty small percentage of the cost of the project.”

He noted the only state regulation that corresponds to what LEED does is Vermont’s commercial energy code.

“In the LEED process, you’re encouraged to beat the requirements of the energy code. If we design the building to those standards, we can calculate the energy costs of a building over a year’s time. LEED encourages you to better that model by percentage points.

“We were able to beat the baseline standard by 32 percent,” he said. “If the baseline costs $10,000 to heat and cool, a building we design is only $6,800. The payback time for LEED certification is certainly there, but if you choose to design to standards anyway, LEED pays back in terms of energy usage, select local materials and sustainably produced materials.”

Chuck Reiss of Reiss Building and Renovation in Hinesburg helped conduct the course, which reviewed the two national programs as well as Vermont’s program. He chairs the Vermont Builds Greener program, which he said is coming head to head with LEED and actually requires a greater part of the building to pass certification than LEED requires. He noted there are 200 building-related businesses in the program directed to what he calls “building for social responsibility.”

“We feel we have a better, more rigorous program,” Reiss said, noting that it is “designed by Vermonters for Vermonters.”

Although his organization co-branded with LEED in the past, he said the consensus was that LEED didn’t address Vermont-specific needs including weather, snow load and heating with wood. As a result, the organizations separated about a year ago.

“One size doesn’t fit all, and LEED is making an effort to do that,” said Reiss. “Our whole program is geared to regional.” Reiss noted that VBG uses the Vermont Green Building Network, an association of people performing green building, as a resource.