In May 2012, I had a long look at Islington, London-based environmental consultancy SouthFacing and its TrackerPlus application. This is used to streamline the BREEAM environmental assessment process for members of the design team and allows assessors to submit their assessments directly from the system to BREEAM for quality assurance (QA) and certification. I met with SouthFacing’s Ben Cartmell again on Monday and he told me TrackerPlus can now also be used to compile and submit LEED reports, opening up a new and bigger international market.
BREEAM is primarily used in the UK, while LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is managed by the US Green Building Council. Like BREEAM, it is a rating system to support design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, helping building owners and operators find and implement ways to be environmentally responsible and resource-efficient. However, LEED is used across a much bigger domestic market and is also extensively used outside the US.
To date, TrackerPlus has been used on almost 2000 developments, and has a user base extending across 100 BRE assessor companies, collectively employing some 400 accredited BREEAM assessors, and reaching out to around 9000 design team members. As the process involves compiling detailed information for regulatory and compliance purposes (information often already created for other design purposes), I have always felt there was an opportunity to integrate the TrackerPlus system – perhaps via some kind of licensing arrangement – into construction collaboration technology platforms – and Ben is now actively considering opportunities in this respect.
A new TrackerPlus website, presenting a combined portal for BREEAM and LEED processes, went live on Monday. The launch of TrackerPlus LEED is the latest step in a development process with USGBC that began in 2010, Ben told me. He says:
“The system now interfaces directly with LEED Online making it a one-stop shop for the management of your LEED assessments. You can carry out pre-assessment charrettes, set up the credit scorecard, edit LEED credit forms and submit for review direct from Tracker Plus LEED without the need to interface with LEED Online. It also has many of the useful features of its BREEAM counterpart such as automated report generation and email reminders.”
US-based professionals will be able to talk to Ben about TrackerPlus LEED in Philadelphia later this week as he will be at GreenBuild 2013.
