The silent majority in commercial buildings

I worry about the state of our building industry. Our buildings account for 40 percent of the nation's energy use, yet we don't have a strong standard for measuring and, consequently, improving performance. Despite studies indicating great potential for reducing our buildings' collective appetite for a volatile energy supply, the LEED rating system has proven more publicity stunt than reliable energy saver. It's time for serious energy performance metrics.

For those outside the building industry, LEED - which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, an internationally recognized green building certification system - assigns points based on how building energy …