LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
The LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a third-party certification program and a benchmark for design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings created in 2000 by the US Green Building Council®. LEED projects are certified or under certification in more than 165 countries and territories.
More than 200 000m2 are built LEED certified per day and 91 700 projects use LEED certification.
LEED certification levels
Four certification levels are available: LEED certified, LEED silver, LEED Gold, LEED Platinum. Generally, LEED rating systems have a base of 100 points plus 6 innovation points and 4 regional priority points.
Each level requires a minimum of points :
BUILDING TYPES
TO BE CERTIFIED
New construction, ongoing operations and maintenance of an existing building, and a significant tenant retrofit to a commercial building are all addressed by LEED rating systems.
The following project types and scopes are addressed by LEED certification rating systems.
Homes
Existing
buildings
Core and
shell
Commercial
Interior
New
construction
Neighborhoods
development
LEED CATEGORIES
Achieving LEED certification requires satisfying all prerequisites and earning a minimum number of credits from each following category :
TRANSPORTATION
Reward the use of alternative transportation, bikes, public bus and subway, electrical vehicles.
SUBSTAINABLE SITES
Minimize a building’s impact on ecosystems and waterways; encourages regionally appropriate landscaping.
Reward stormwater runoff control and promote reduction of erosion, light pollution, heat island effect and construction-related pollution.
WATER EFFICIENCY
Encourage smarter use of water, inside and out.
Water reduction is typically achieved through more efficient appliances, fixtures and fittings inside and water-conscious landscaping outside.
MATERIALS AND RESSOURCES
Reward the selection of sustainably grown, harvested, produced and transported products and materials.
Promote waste reduction as well as reuse and recycling, and it particularly rewards the reduction of waste at a product’s source.
ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE
Reward a wide variety of energy-wise strategies:
Commissioning; energy use monitoring; efficient design and construction; efficient appliances, systems and lighting; the use of renewable and clean sources of energy, generated on-site or off-site; and other innovative measures.
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Design and build to enhance the occupants’ lives and atmospheres.
Improve indoor air and access to natural daylight and views and improve acoustics.
INNOVATION
Encourage the use of innovative technologies and strategies to improve a building’s performance well beyond LEED requirements.
Promote new green building considerations that are not specifically addressed elsewhere in LEED.
More informations on LEED :
