By Greg Richardson
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System provides a standardized method by which to evaluate and recognize sustainable building design. It was first launched in August, 1998, by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and has become the accepted benchmark for green building projects.
While the USGBC initially only offered LEED-New Construction (NC) certification, which was designed for new office buildings, the success of the program has since led to the development of seven new rating systems. These systems were developed to meet the specifications of different building types and include:
Each rating system is broken down into six categories: Sustainable Sites; Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere; Materials & Resources; Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation in Design. Within each category are credits that, if met, result in the acquisition of LEED points, and based on the number of points obtained, a building can receive one of four levels of certification – Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. There are currently over 1,400 LEED-certified buildings worldwide, and this number is growing rapidly each year.
As stated on the USGBC website: “LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.” By providing architects, contractors, developers, government officials, etc., with clear and accessible information, as well as recognition for their sustainability efforts, the LEED system has been a significant contributor in the growth of the green building movement.
Visit the USGBC LEED site for additional information.
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