Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) has officially launched PEER, its rating system designed to measure and improve sustainable power system performance.

Modeled after the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED green building rating system, PEER, or Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal, evaluates power generation, transmission and distribution systems through the lens of the customer, focusing on efficiency, quality, reliability, resiliency and the environment. GBCI will serve as the independent, third party, global certification and credentialing body for PEER.

“Buildings don’t exist in a vacuum, so integration with other industries, such as energy and power, is crucial if we are to create a more sustainable built environment. PEER will be a transformative tool for power systems regulation, design and operation,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO & founding chair, USGBC, and CEO, GBCI. “It is a great complement to the array of rating systems already administered by GBCI, in particular LEED, the most widely used green building rating system in the world.”

The convergence of policies and technologies driving transformation in green buildings and the power sector provides USGBC with an unprecedented opportunity to launch Energy Innovation at USGBC, the evolution of a leadership initiative conceived by the Robert F. Galvin Foundation to leverage emerging technologies. With a focus on performance and better consumer understanding, Energy Innovation at USGBC provides a collaborative space for industry leaders looking to transform the power sector. Through PEER, Energy Innovation at USGBC provides a core set of principles for making the electricity delivered to buildings more environmentally sustainable, economically efficient and socially equitable.

“Through LEED, USGBC has created a common language, standard and platform for advancing knowledge, technology and innovation in green building. It now aims to do the same in the power sector with PEER,” said John Kelly, program lead of the PEER rating system, “and we anticipate similar transformative results.”