LEED Certification

 LEED

THIS is LEED

http://leed.usgbc.org/

 

BETTER BUILDINGS ARE OUR LEGACY.

 

WHAT IS LEED?

The LEED plaque on a building is a mark of quality and achievement in green building.

 

 

Leaders across the globe have made LEED the most widely used green building rating system in the world with 1.85 million square feet of construction space certifying every day. LEED certification provides independent verification of a building or neighborhood’s green features, allowing for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy, cost-effective buildings. LEED is the triple bottom line in action, benefiting people, planet and profit.
 

 

WHY LEED?

LEED certification means healthier, more productive places, reduced stress on the environment by encouraging energy and resource-efficient buildings, and savings from increased building value, higher lease rates and decreased utility costs. LEED-certified buildings will directly contribute $29.8 billion to U.S. GDP by 2018.

 

 

Certification Levels

While all LEED certified projects are a cut above the rest, each is assigned one of four levels of certification to acknowledge the degree of achievement. The number of points that your project earns determines the level of LEED Certification that your project will receive.

 

Certification levels for LEED v4 BD+C: Homes and LEED v4 BD+C: Multifamily Midrise:

  • --LEED Certified™: 40-49 points earned

  • --LEED Silver®: 50-59 points earned

  • --LEED Gold®: 60-79 points earned

  • --LEED Platinum®: 80+ points earned

Certification levels for LEED for Homes v2008 and LEED for Homes Midrise Pilot v2010:

  • --LEED Certified™: 45-59 points earned

  • --LEED Silver®: 60-74 points earned

  • --LEED Gold®: 75-89 points earned

  • --LEED Platinum®: 90+ points earned


    More about the certification 

Approximately how long does it take for a home to get certified?  

It takes approximately three weeks for a project pursuing LEED for Homes certification to be certified.

 

What is the cost for a single family home?  

The cost is around $225.

 

What makes you different from other certifications?

We have more rigorous quality assurance, meaning that buyers and builders have more confidence that what they designed and paid for has been implemented by the installation teams.  LEED is the largest, most recognized green building rating system.  Many schools, government buildings, hospitals and office buildings are LEED certified.  As are many Starbucks around the world.

 

 

 

Do you focus primarily on energy efficiency or multiple elements for certification and what are they?   

Energy is certainly the core that LEED builds off of.  In particular, LEED is built around the ENERGY STAR for Homes program.  Many measures that improve a building’s energy performance also improve the comfort, durability, water efficiency and indoor air quality as well. 

That being said, we are a comprehensive rating system that includes all primary elements of sustainable buildings, including materials, water, sites, human health, and energy efficiency.

 

 

 

Approximately how many certifications have been completed?

There are more than 300,000 certified LEED residential units, and nearly a million more that are currently registered.  A unit is either a single family home, or a unit within a multifamily building.

 

 

 

Are renovations/remodels eligible for certification, or is it primarily new construction?

Projects that undergo a gut rehab may go for LEED certification, but they need to follow the same requirements as a new construction project.  For projects that are getting renovated to a lesser scope, we encourage them to use strategies found in REGREEN, a residential remodeling program.  REGREEN addresses the major elements of any green renovation project, including the site of the home, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, material and resources, and indoor environmental quality.  The guidelines blend product selection, building systems integration and proven technologies into a seamless compilation of green strategies.