The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Developed by the USGBC, LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need 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: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
LEED Certification
We encourage companies to participate in the LEED certification process. Here are a few reasons why:
Buildings with a LEED certification prove that they are designed to lower operating costs, conserve energy and water, and are overall healthier for occupants.
LEED certification occurs through the Green Building Certification Institute, an independent non-profit. Thus, LEED certification provides third-party verification that a building was designed using a whole-building approach to sustainability.
Furthermore, the LEED certification comes with benefits regarding financial and environmental aspects.
With the participation in the LEED certification process, a business also demonstrates leadership and social responsibility.
Who Needs LEED?
Architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, construction managers, lenders and government officials all use LEED to help transform the built environment to sustainability.
State and local governments across the country are adopting LEED for public-owned and public-funded buildings; there are LEED initiatives in federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Energy, and State; and LEED projects are in progress in 41 different countries, including Canada, Brazil, Mexico and India.
LEED Rating Systems
LEED Rating Systems are developed through an open, consensus-based process led by LEED committees. Each volunteer committee is composed of a diverse group of practitioners and experts representing a cross-section of the building and construction industry. The key elements of USGBC's consensus process include a balanced and transparent committee structure, technical advisory groups that ensure scientific consistency and rigor, opportunities for stakeholder comment and review, member ballot of new rating systems, and a fair and open appeals process.
If you want to learn more about LEED certification or the LEED Rating Systems, please contact us today or visit the website of the UGSBC.