LEED Building BasicsSep. 10, 2008 Source: Lauren Gropper & Green Living Magazine, www.greenlivingonline.com LEED BUILDING BASICS From billboards to sales offices to scaffolding, LEED® is everywhere. But what exactly does it mean? LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Developed in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit coalition of building-industry It’s important because the buildings that we live and work in have a huge impact on our
Prior to LEED, a “green” building could be whatever you wanted it to be. You could, for example, place a tree in the lobby and call your high-rise “green.” Since there were no standards, any claim was as plausible as the next. LEED changed that, with a rigorous rating system and a checklist for going green. Elements of a building’s design, construction and materials earn credits towards a possible total of 69. There are four levels of LEED certification, based on the credits a building earns. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water-use efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations is an adaptation of the USGBC’s LEED rating system, tailored specifically for Canadian climates, construction practices and regulations. Lauren Gropper is a green-building consultant and a LEED-accredited professional, working in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles LEED RATING SYSTEM
DID YOU KNOW? According to the U.S. Green Building Council, buildings worldwide account for |