Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Developed by the USGBC, the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for designing, constructing and operating high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED was created to:
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- Define 'green building' by establishing a common standard of measurement
- Promote integrated, whole-building design practices
- Recognize environmental leadership in the building industry
- Stimulate green competition
- Raise consumer awareness of green building benefits
- Transform the building market
How Does LEED work?
LEED
recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through
a comprehensive, point-based system. Using the system, building owners
can measure their success in environmental stewardship.
USGBC
has designed LEED programs for the following construction:
- New Construction (NC)
- Existing Buildings (EB)
- Commercial Interiors (CI)
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USGBC
has designed five main categories to achieve LEED points:
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy & Atmosphere
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- Materials & Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
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Buildings
can earn four levels of certification:
Note - Points vary depending on
construction type.
- Certified
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
Water Efficiency:
- Innovative Wastewater Technologies
- Water Reduction 20%-40%
Materials & Resources:
- Recycled Content, specify 10% - 20%
- Local/Regional Materials, 10% - 20% manufactured locally
Note - No building products are LEED certified;
only buildings are certified. Building products can only contribute
to earning points in various categories. |
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