LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN:

THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

INTRODUCTION
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building
certification system that provides third-party verification that buildings are
designed, constructed and operated for better environmental and human health
performance. The purpose of LEED is to encourage owners and the building
industry to continue the trend toward green buildings. LEED was developed and is
administered by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), which is a non-
profit organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built,
and operated. There are seven LEED rating systems for the many different types of
buildings. Within each rating system, LEED uses seven metrics to measure building
performance and ultimately assign a building one of four LEED certification levels.

CHOOSING A LEED RATING SYSTEM

The first step in attaining LEED certification is choosing the LEED rating system that
will be used to analyze the building’s performance. LEED has seven rating systems
for different classes of buildings. These classes are homes, neighborhood
development, commercial interiors, core and shell, new construction, schools
healthcare and retail, and existing buildings operations and maintenance. Each
rating system is tailored specifically to the issues most pertinent to that specific
class of building.
UNDERSTANDING LEED PERFORMANCE
METRICS
LEED promotes a “whole-building approach to
sustainability” by acknowledging performance
in key areas. Sustainability (meeting present
needs without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their needs) is at the
core of what the green building movement aims
to accomplish. LEED points are awarded for five
main categories: sustainable sites, water
efficiency, energy and atmospherse, materials
and resources, and indoor environmental
quality. Bonus points are awarded for two other
categories: innovation in design and regional
priority. These categories are weighted so that
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the more important categories are worth more ge.aspx?CMSPageID=1991
points. Points are assigned for the following

reasons for each performance metric:

Sustainable Sites awards points for choosing previously developed land, access to public
transportation, erosion reduction, and minimizing a building’s impact on the ecosystem.

Water Efficiency rewards smarter use of water through more efficient appliances and fixtures.

Energy & Atmosphere is the most important credit category as seen by category weighting.
According to the US Department of Energy, buildings use 39% of all energy and 74% of the
electricity produced every year by the United States. Points are awarded for energy use
monitoring, efficient design and construction, efficient appliances and lights, and the use of
renewable and clean energy sources.

Materials & Resources encourages recycling as well as the use of sustainably grown products.

Indoor Environmental Quality refers to the overall comfort of a building’s interior and the
comfort and health of its occupants. Points are awarded for strategies that improve indoor air
quality, promote biophilia (the love of nature and all living things), and offer natural daylight.
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Innovation in Design awards bonus points for using new and innovative technologies to
improve building performance beyond what is required by the other LEED credits.

Regional Priority identifies the most important environmental concerns for a region and
awards bonus points for addressing them.

DEFINING LEED CERTIFICATION LEVELS

The
points

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earned for each performance metric are totaled to determine the LEED certfication
level the project will receive. A project that earns 40-49 points will earn the title
LEED Certified, a project that earns 50-59 points will earn the title LEED Silver, a
project that earns 60-79 points will earn the title LEED Gold, and a project that earns
80+ points will earn the title LEED Platinum.

THE BENEFITS OF LEED CERTIFICATION

The most obvious benefit of green buildings is a healthier, more sustainable earth.
However, there are many benefits that aren’t as widely known. According to the
USGBC, on average, green buildings have an annual energy savings of 30%, carbon
savings of 35%, water use savings of 30-50%, and waste cost savings of 50-90%.
Even if an owner isn’t terribly concerned about the environment, the cost savings
alone should merit LEED implementation serious consideration. LEED buildings
cost less to operate and have higher lease rates than comparable conventional
buildings. They have a healthier and safer environment for occupants, which leads
to increased worker efficiency – the most significant cost savings that most owners
see from LEED.

CONCLUSION
The first step in LEED certification is to select the LEED rating system that is right
for the particular project. After that, LEED performance metrics must be taken into
account during the design, construction, and operation phases of the project to earn
points. These points are then totaled to determine the level of LEED certification the
project will receive. To end with a final example that shows the importance of the
LEED rating system and the weight that it carries in this country: every new
construction project at Penn State must achieve at least a LEED Silver rating, and by
2014, every new construction project in the entire District of Columbia must achieve
at least a LEED Certified rating.