Environment Support

LEED

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the globally renowned benchmark that certifies a structure to be environmentally sustainable or "green," so to speak. It provides the Green Building Rating System, which promotes environmentally sound techniques in the erection, design and maintenance of buildings--not to mention improve the occupants’ health--without compromising productivity.

Annually, buildings consume vast amounts of energy, to say nothing of emitting nearly half of America’s carbon dioxide. To build structures, nearly half of the planet’s raw materials are exploited; fifteen trillion gallons of water are consumed.

Industry leaders who form the Washington-based USGBC (United States Green Building Council) developed the LEED rating system as a way for building operators to qualify construction practices on such concerns. The Green Building Rating System implements universal tools and creates criteria for these very purposes.

LEED is used by individuals and businesses across all industries, but especially those affiliated with construction such as engineers, construction managers, architects, real estate agents, and interior designers. In the United States, LEED has been adopted by the Departments of State, Defense, Energy and Agriculture among other federal institutions that occupy public buildings. Forty-one nations from India to Canada are presently taking on LEED.

Once LEED-certified, a building "makes the grade" in environmental standards. Certification in itself is a great way to partake in burgeoning incentives from the government.

Since green buildings produce significantly less carbon dioxide emissions than their traditional counterparts, they offset the emissions of thousands of vehicles. If anything, the return on investment in green buildings is faster due to savings in electricity; the investment is returned within a year at most. One can also recoup the investment because of the measureless savings in water conservation and decrease in construction wastes. Likewise, the people themselves stand to benefit--green buildings have shown its occupants to be less likely to come down with colds or flu. Hospitals with green buildings also see their patients discharged earlier than usual. Diseases like asthma and heart disease have even been linked to poor conditions within a building.

There are four certifications to the LEED Green Building Rating System, namely Platinum, Gold, Silver and Certified. The highest level is conferred to buildings that demonstrate excellence in five key criterions: water conservation, sustainable site development, energy efficiency, selection of materials and environmental quality indoors. The rating system applies to all constructions, new or existing.

For any building to be LEED-certified, the owner has to be clear about his or her environmental objectives. In other words, one must choose a specific LEED certification and organize an adequate budget. Expenses often increase with higher LEED certification levels. One must stick to this budget as much as possible.

Operators must also evaluate any green investment to see if they bring profitability in the long run. There are many LEED experts who can assist anyone in attaining the highly esteemed LEED certification.

Environment Resources for LEED