LEED

INTRODUCTION TO LEED:

THE LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (LEED) IS A VOLUNTARY, MARKET-BASED RATING SYSTEM ESTABLISHED UPON EIGHT CATEGORIES TO ENSURE EFFIECIENT, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS.

GREEN CONSTRUCTION IS SPREADING ACROSS THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. GREEN BUILDINGS INCLUDE COMMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND MULTI-UNIT RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION AND MAJOR RENOVATIONS. THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL (USGBC IS A NATIONAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION COMPRISED OF ARCHITECTS, BUILDERS, MANUFACTURERS, INSTITUTIONS, AND GOVERNMENTS) LAUNCHED THE LEED PROGRAM, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN ADOPTED BY THE GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL, IN 1999 TO PROMOTE THE GREEN BUILDING MOVEMENT AND SET HIGH STANDARDS FOR LEEDS MISSION.

LEED PROCESS:

LEED IS BASED ON ACCEPTED ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND STRIKES A BALANCE BETWEEN KNOWN EFFECTIVE PRACTICES AND EMERGING CONCEPTS. IT ENCOURAGES A WHOLE BUILDING APPROACH OVER A BUILDING’S LIFE CYCLE THAT GUIDES A COLLABORATIVE AND INTEGRATED DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.

LEED IS ON A POINT RATING SYSTEM MEASURED IN EIGHT CATEGORIES

INNOVATION AND DESIGN
LOCATION AND LINKAGES
SUSTAINABLE SITES
WATER EFFICIENCY
ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
AWARENESS AND EDUCATION

THERE ARE LEED PROJECT TEAMS FOR EACH BUILDING SEEKING CERTIFICATION. TEAMS ARE COMPRISED OF OWNERS, ARCHITECTS, DEVELOPERS, AND CONTRACTORS. THE LEED RATING SYSTEM IS USED AS A TOOL FOR THESE TEAMS TO HELP DETERMINE PROJECT GOALS, INDENTIFY GREEN STRATEGIES, MEASURE AND MONITOR PROGRESS AND DOCUMENT SUCCESS.

AFTER A BUILDING HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND THE PROJECT TEAM HAS SUBMITTED THE PROJECT DOCUMENTATION, THE COUNCIL WILL ASSESS AND CERTIFY THE PROJECT LEED CERTIFIED, SILVER, GOLD, OR PLATINUM BASED ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POINTS EARNED ON THE MENU OF GREEN BUILDING MEASURES.

BENEFITS OF LEED CERTIFICATION:

GREEN BUILDINGS, ALSO KNOWN AS SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, ARE STRUCTURES THAT USE VALUABLE RESOURCES AS ENERGY, WATER, MATERIALS, AND LAND MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN BUILDINGS THAT ARE SIMPLY BUILT TO CODE. GREEN AND LEED CERTIFIED BUILDINGS ARE KIND TO THE ENVIRONMENT, AND PROVIDE HEALTHY, COMFORTABLE, AND PRODUCTIVE INDOOR SPACES. FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, THIS ISSUE OF GREEN BUILDING WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO GROW IN IMPORTANCE – WHETHER IT’S BECAUSE OF REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS, THE COST OF ENERGY GOING UP, THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION ON STORM WATER, SPILLS AND DIESEL EMISSIONS FROM CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION DEBRIS, THE IMPACT ON HABITAT AND ENDANGERED SPECIES, SPRAWL AND AIR QUALITY IMPLEMENTATION PLANS, OR OTHER ISSUES.

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