In my November 2004 column titled "Green Design Liability," is the question, "Should engineers obtain green liability insurance?" As I get more and more involved in LEED® projects (12 active so far), however, other worries are taking shape.

To begin with, it is important to note that as commissioning agents, we have had the opportunity to participate in several LEED projects while design teams and construction firms are locked into job-by-job opportunities. As a result, we have been able to accelerate our LEED education faster than the design and construction teams. Based on this fast-track education process, we have developed the following four rules of thumb for these certification projects.