Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
What Is LEED®?
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted
benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).The USGBC is a non-profit organization composed of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.
LEED gives building owners and operators the tools needed to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’
performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of
human and environmental health:
1. Sustainable site development
2. Water savings
3. Energy efficiency
4. Materials selection
5. Indoor environmental quality
LEED provides a roadmap for measuring and documenting success for every building type and phase of a building lifecycle.
Specific LEED programs include:
? New Commercial Construction and Major Renovation Projects
? Existing Building Operations and Maintenance
? Commercial Interiors Projects
? Core and Shell Development Projects
? Homes
? Neighborhood Development
? Guidelines for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects
? LEED for Schools
? LEED for Retail
? USGBC is also developing LEED for Healthcare, and LEED for Labs
How Was LEED® Developed?
The LEED Rating System was created to transform the built environment to sustainability by providing the building industry with consistent, credible standards for what constitutes a green building.The rating system was developed and is continuously refined via an open, consensus-based process that has made LEED the green building standard of choice for Federal agencies and state and local governments nationwide.
What Is LEED® Certification?
The first step to LEED certification is to register your project with USGBC.A project is a viable candidate for LEED
certification if it can meet all prerequisites and achieve the minimum number of points required.To earn certification, a building project must meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks (“credits”) within each category. Certification depends on the number of credits achieved. Projects are awarded:
? Certified
? Silver
? Gold
? Platinum
This comprehensive approach is the reason LEED-certified buildings have reduced operating costs, healthier and more
productive occupants, and conserve our natural resources.
Who Can Use LEED®?
Everyone:Architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, construction managers, lenders, government officials...
The LEED program also includes ongoing training workshops and a Professional Accreditation Program to develop
and encourage green building expertise across the entire building industry.
Source: U.S. Green Building Council website — www.usgbc.org
