Green Badger use

Yes, we have been using it on 5 projects and we do find it useful for documentation management and to have all the information about different LEED projects on one platform. Their library is not that developed, as yet. But there are other sources to find related information. Let me know if you want to know more, happy to share our experience.

I’ve tested it out on one project and really loved it, it helps simplify the process, especially for my teams who don’t have much LEED experience. I’d like to get more projects in so I can manage them and be able to collect data. Just working on convincing corporate that the cost is worth it, we’ll likely have to absorb into overhead and as clients don’t seem to be willing to allow us to charge the project for it. Jessie Buckmaster, LEED AP BD+C Sustainability Manager [HDCCo Logo] Office: 213.634.2796 Cell: 213.435.4191 buckmasterj@hdcco.com From: Ste

  We’ve done a soft roll-out organizationally of Green Badger on our LEED projects. I control the platform so it allows me to have a dashboard view of all the jobs in the system at once. When a project team has an issue or a client needs an update I can just log in to see what is happening. There are small issues that we’ve run across like double counting EPDs, which can be fixed manually after exporting the calculator. Also, we recently ran across some issues where low-emitting information in the Green Badger library was incorrect and it doesn’t allow you to edit the info in the fields, but we’re working with them to help clean up the database.  We’ve also found it helpful on CI projects to invite the furniture vendor into Green Badger to include their materials.  The app is super helpful for recording IAQ photos for field staff especially when you have one person responsible for photos and another doing documentation. Happy to answer any other questions you might have, but I would recommend it.    

I just finished using it on a project and I would say I have mixed feelings, though more good than bad.  The pros are the user interface and dashboard display, ease of inputting information, ability to sort entries by division, and that you can invite anyone from the project team.  The cons are that especially on long jobs you go through long periods where it doesn't really offer any value.  Since you pay by the month, on a multi-year job you might start by buying out the sitework and steel and concrete and then not really be processing submittals for months on end until you buy out subsequent packages.  Our staff already produce monthly IAQ and ESC plans, and we get our CWM logs from our haulers.  Since that is the case, the biggest value it offers is being able to shortcut working in the LEED spreadsheets.  Which is a big value, but you still have to put in the same information either way, so while it's certainly helpful from a sanity POV, I don't know how much time it actually saves. When I was pitched on it there was supposed to be the ability to scan your VOC materials in the field for compliance just using their barcode, but that wasn't upgraded v4 while I was using it.  If that could be enabled I would have us using it on every job. In the end it's short money at $200 a month.  If an entry level employee is charging $100 / hour, over the course of a year does green badger help them save 24 hours of time?  I'm not sure about that.  But maybe it does.  But again, it can be a sanity saver for someone new to LEED (even though they'll need coaching either way). If LEED could upgrade the quality of their spreadsheets - let's not hold our breath on that one - I would say the value would decrease significantly. Honestly, one of my biggest annoyances is how they market it.  They promote the platform through LEED bashing, talking about what a pain in the ass LEED is and how their platform is the salvation contractors have been looking for.  I agree that LEED has so many areas that need improvement, but I'm trying to still help people with it and get more projects to do it, and I feel like their messaging campaign with "LEED War Stories" and email updates about USGBC blunders is contradictory to what I'm working towards. I wouldn't say they are wrong in their critiques, but I also don't think it's helpful to harp on the documentation burden and complexity built into sustainability projects to an industry that is already thinking sustainability and green = added costs + more work + BS standards = I don't want to do it if I don't have to.  I'll talk shit about LEED all day behind closed doors with my peers and colleagues, but I don't blast to the world what a shitty process it is. In the end, I still promote it to jobs as something to look at but most are not that interested - probably because it's added cost and they have me as a resource - and we seem to be getting along just as well on the jobs without it as the one that did use it. I guess the last X factor is the role of sustainability consultants on the job.  If you have a good one working for the owner or the design team they can change the dynamic of the documentation process - especially if they are managing the compilation of product documentation directly then it definitely loses relevance.  If you're flying solo it's much more beneficial in that instance.