(Washington DC) - The District Office of Property Management (OPM) has released the LEED Certification Guidebook. The book guides District Government project managers in complying with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards and achieving the highest possible LEED certification. Compliance is required under the District’s Green Building Act.

“The LEED Guide is already making a difference in the District,” said Robin-Eve Jasper, Director of OPM. “Thanks in part to the LEED Guide, OPM expects to have more LEED Gold projects like the Consolidated Forensic Laboratory in Southwest and the Department of Employment Services headquarters in Northeast.”

“This Guide will help assure that our vision for a Green DC becomes a reality,” added George S. Hawkins, Director of the District Department of the Environment (DDOE).  “I urge support for the District’s green efforts to retrofit buildings with green roofs, expand recycling and reduce energy consumption.  Using the LEED Guide will help us achieve these goals.”

LEED is a third-party certification program established by the U.S. Green Building Council, which serves as a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

The DC Green Building Act requires all publicly-funded, substantial improvement projects to achieve LEED Silver or higher starting last year.  Along with other mandates, the DC Green Building Act requires all new or substantially renovated public buildings and projects receiving public funding to achieve LEED Silver or higher certification.

The LEED Guide is posted on the OPM website under “Construction Division.”