2. What is LEED?
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is
the most widely used green building rating system in the
world.
LEED provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient,
and cost-saving green
buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized
symbol of sustainability
achievement
What are the different LEED rating systems?
There are four LEED rating systems: LEED for Building Design and
Construction (BD+C), which includes residential design and
construction; LEED for Interior Design and Construction (ID+C);
LEED for Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M); and LEED
for Neighborhood Development (ND). LEED for
Cities/Communities is a pilot rating system that addresses
performance in existing cities and communities.
How are the rating systems structured?
The LEED rating systems are made up of prerequisites and credits. Prerequisites are required elements or
green building strategies that must be included in any LEED-certified project. Credits are optional elements
that projects can pursue to gain points toward LEED certification.
Although the organization of prerequisites and credits varies slightly depending on the building type and
associated rating system, LEED is generally organized by the following broad concepts:
Integrative process
Location and transportation
Sustainable sites
Water
Energy
Materials and resources
Indoor environmental quality
3. Certified: 40-49 points
Silver: 50-59 points
Gold: 60-79 points
Platinum: 80 points and above
The LEED standards are comprised of categories:
•Integrative Process
•Location & Transportation
•Sustainable Sites
•Water Efficiency
•Energy & Atmosphere
•Materials & Resources
•Indoor Environmental Quality
Within these categories, there are specific strategies or
goals, called credits. Each credit is worth a number of
points. If you’ve heard about the four levels of LEED
Certification – Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum – this is
what those levels are referring to. Each level
corresponds with a point range.
Green Building Design & Construction
LEED for New Construction
LEED for Core & Shell
LEED for Schools
LEED for Retail: New Construction and Major Renovations
LEED for Healthcare
Green Interior Design & Construction
LEED for Commercial Interiors
LEED for Retail: Commercial Interiors
Green Building Operations & Maintenance
LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance
Green Neighborhood Development
LEED for Neighborhood Development
Green Home Design and Construction
LEED for Homes (The LEED for Homes rating system is different from LEED v3, with different point
categories and thresholds that reward efficient residential design. These Guidelines were also adopted by
the DOE Net Zero Energy Homes Project JD Polk Brought to the DOE 2005
LEED also forms the basis for other sustainability rating systems such as the Environmental Protection
Agency's Labs21.
4. LEED for Homes Rating System
Today, increasing demand towards environmental safety forces LEED certification to play
major role. The process of the LEED for Homes Rating System, available in the United States,
Canada and Sweden, is significantly different from the LEED NC rating system. LEED for Homes
projects are low rise residential and are required to work with either an American Provider
Organization or a Canadian Provider Organization and a Green Rater. A Provider Organization
helps the project through the process while overseeing the Green Raters. Green Raters are
individuals that conduct the two mandatory LEED for Homes site inspections; the Thermal
Bypass Inspection and the Final Inspection. Although LEED for Homes is typically viewed by
the construction industry as a simpler rating system, especially when compared to LEED NC,
LEED NC does not require an on-site inspection. The Provider and the Green Rater do not
certify the project, but rather assist in the certification process.
LEED Certification Minimum Requirements
The LEED certification process needs to meet at a minimum these requirements:
•Be in compliance with environmental regulations and standards
•Must meet the threshold of floor area requirements
•Meet a minimum of building occupancy in terms of number of users
•Maintain a reasonable site boundary
•Be a permanent building
•Share energy and water usage data
•Must have a minimum building to site area ratio
5. LEED Certification Credit Categories
In order to earn credits to achieve one of the above categories, the project must meet certain criteria and goals within
the following categories:
•Location and transportation - You should take into consideration the location of your project and how it can be
combined with the transportation option within the area, in other words how the users of the facility can get in and
out of the facility.
•Materials and Resources- Earn credits by using sustainable and earth-friendly products, while reducing waste
promoting better indoor air quality.
•Water efficiency - The building must be designed in such a way that potable water usage is reduced or resources can
be reused, minimizing the needs of water inside the building.
•Energy and atmosphere - The building must enhance energy performance and promote great indoor air and
environmental quality.
•Sustainable sites - Design the project in such a way that the natural resources and ecosystems nearby can naturally
take part of the design minimizing environmental pollution.
•Indoor environmental quality - Increase daylight usage and promote natural ventilation.
•Innovation - Any idea that is not covered under the five LEED main areas.
•Regional priority credits - Addressing any particular concern based on the regional or geographical location.
6. Additional benefits of being LEED certified is that it will:
•Increased Building Valuation
•Reduces liability
•Promote better employee relationships
•Reduce energy and water usage
•Promote better indoor air quality
•Reduce maintenance and operation costs
•Triggers innovation and processes to optimize building
performance
•Reduce construction waste during the process
•Promote and attracts companies with sustainable goals
•Reduce 'sick building' syndrome in the employees
•Increase employee performance
•Promote the usage of recycled material.
The LEED for New Construction and Renovation (LEEDNC):
Version 2.2 was originally developed for new office buildings and is
the most common green building rating system used nationwide. LEED
Certification does many things for a building including: establishes
metrics for the sustainability of a building, holds the design and
construction teams accountable for their performance and functions
as a valuable marketing tool.
LEED-NC requires seven prerequisites including:
•Erosion and Sedimentation Control
•Minimum Energy Performance - meet ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Energy
Standard
•Refrigerant Usage Including No CFCs
•Commissioning
•Onsite Recycling
•Minimum Ventilation Performance - meet ASHRAE 62-2004
Ventilation Standard
•Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control
7. LEED energy modeling
Design teams have the option of achieving points under the Optimize Energy Performance credit by building
an energy model. This energy model must follow the modeling methodologies outlined in Appendix G of the
ASHRAE 90.1 building energy standard. The guidelines in Appendix G require that the team make two energy
models: one representing the building as designed, and a second “baseline” building. The baseline building
must be modeled in the same location, and have the same geometry and occupancy as the design building.
Depending on location (climate) and building size, the standard provides requirements for HVAC system
type, and wall and window definitions. The goal of this methodology is to provide a baseline building to use
as a reference point to compare the design building against. It is a way to standardize the baseline, while
putting weight on important factors that heavily influence building energy consumption (e.g., location,
geometry, and occupancy patterns). The number of points achieved in this credit is correlated with the
percent predicted energy cost savings demonstrated by the difference between the design and baseline
energy models.
8. 1. When it opened in 2003, Pittsburgh's 1,500,000-square-foot (140,000 m2) David L.
Lawrence Convention Center was the first Gold LEED-certified convention center and
largest "green" building in the world. The convention center subsequently earned
Platinum certification in 2012, becoming the only convention center in the world with
certifications for both the original building and new construction.
2. In October 2011 Apogee Stadium on the campus of the University of North Texas became
the first newly built stadium in the country to achieve Platinum-level certification.
3. In Pittsburgh, Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens visitors center has received a
Silver certification, its Center for Sustainable Landscapes has received a Platinum
certification along with fulfilling the Living Building Challenge for net-zero energy, and its
greenhouse production facility has received Platinum certification, the first and only
greenhouse so certified.
4. Also in Pittsburgh, Sota Construction Services completed construction on its new 7,500
sq. ft. corporate headquarters, which features a super-efficient thermal envelope using
cob walls, along with other energy-saving features like a geothermal well, radiant heat
flooring, roof-mounted solar panel array, and daylighting features. It earned a LEED
Platinum rating in 2012 and received one of the highest scores by percentage of total
points earned in any LEED category, making it the "greenest" building in Pennsylvania and
in the top ten greenest in the world.
The Philip Merrill Environmental Center is recognized as one of the
"greenest" buildings ever constructed in the United States at the time
when it was built. Sustainability issues ranging from energy use to
material selection were given serious consideration throughout design
and construction of this facility. It was the first building to receive a
Platinum rating through the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Rating
System.
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