What is LEED?
The premise behind green or sustainable building is to minimize the environmental impact and reduce energy consumption. LEED certification is the industry standard for measuring building sustainability in addition to recognition that a construction project can attain by utilizing environmentally friendly building practices during construction or remodeling.
LEED is the acronym that stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is the Green Building Rating System developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Achieving LEED certification is the best way to demonstrate a building project is truly “green”.
The rating system consists of the following 6 major categories, and maximum points:
- 14Sustainable Sites: 14
- Water Efficiency: 05
- Energy and Atmosphere: 17
- Materials and Resources: 13
- Indoor Environmental Quality: 15
- LEED Innovation Credits: 05
- Total Maximum Possible Points: 69
Certification Levels:
- LEED Certified: 26-32 points or > 37% of max.
- LEED Certified Silver Level: 33-38 points or > 47% of max.
- LEED Certified Gold Level: 39-51 points or > 56% of max.
- LEED Certified Platinum Level: 52-69 points or > 75% of max.
