LEED certification is something you hear a lot about in regards to Green Building. The Samuels Group’s new headquarters at 311 Financial Way is Wausau, Wisconsin’s first privately-owned LEED certified building. But what exactly does that mean and how does LEED certification make a building different from a standard building?
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, it is a set of standards for sustainable design construction. Developed by the United States Green Building Council, it is a system of points awarded to a building based on the sustainable features of a facility and the methods of building implemented during its construction. The number of points awarded to the building will earn the structure one of four levels of LEED certification:
Certified
Silver
Gold
Platinum
LEED has several different rating systems for different types of construction projects. The most commonly applied for certification occurs in the LEED for New Construction category, this category includes new projects and major renovations. Other rating systems available to builders utilizing sustainable design in their projects are:
Existing Buildings (LEED EB)
Commercial Interiors
Core & Shell
Schools
Retail
Healthcare
Homes
Neighborhood Development
More information on each rating system can be found on the USGBC website here:
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222
Individuals can exhibit their expertise in green building by becoming a LEED Accredited Professional. Green Building Professionals who pass the LEED Accredited Professional Exam earn the honor of having the title LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) in their title.
Details on professional accreditation including a tool to search for LEED APs in your area is available here:
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1815
Links to more information on LEED and the USGBC are available at the links below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_in_Energy_and_Environmental_Design
A detailed overview of the LEED certification system.
The USGBC website
Posted By:Samuel Green
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