Home Discussion Topics Dictionary Almanac

Signup Login

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Overview

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design'

Start a new discussion about 'Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Since its inception in 1998, LEED has grown to encompass more than 14,000 projects in the United States and 30 countries covering 1.062 billion square feet (99 km²) of development area. The hallmark of LEED is that it is an open and transparent process where the technical criteria proposed by the LEED committees are publicly reviewed for approval by the more than 10,000 membership organizations that currently constitute the USGBC.

Individuals recognized for their knowledge of the LEED rating system are permitted to use the LEED Accredited Professional (AP) acronym after their name, indicating they have passed the accreditation exam given by the Green Building Certification Institute

Green Building Certification Institute

The Green Building Certification Institute was established in January 2008 with the support of the U.S. Green Building Council to manage the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Building Certification and the Professional Accreditation Processes.While the U.S...

(a third-party organization that handles accreditation for the USGBC).

History

LEED began in 1994 spearheaded by Natural Resources Defense Council

Natural Resources Defense Council

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a New York City-based, non-profit, non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington, DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing...

(NRDC) senior scientist Robert K. Watson

Robert K. Watson

Robert Watson, born in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the pioneers of the modern Green Building Movement. He founded the LEED Green Building Rating System of the United States Green Building Council in 1994 and was its Founding Chairman through 2005. Mr...

who, as founding chairman of the LEED Steering Committee until 2006, led a broad-based consensus process which included non-profit organizations, government agencies, architect

Architect

An architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...

s, engineer

Engineer

Engineers are concerned with developing economical and safe solutions to practical problems, by applying mathematics and scientific knowledge while considering technical constraints. The term is derived from the Latin root "ingenium," meaning "cleverness"...

s, developer

Developer

Developer can refer to:*Software developer, one who programs computers or designs the system to match the requirements of a systems analyst*"Developers, Developers, Developers", a viral video of Steve Ballmer praising software developers...

s, builder

Builder

Builder can mean any of the following:*General contractor or Subcontractor that specializes in building work*Construction worker who specializes in building work*Builders Energy, an oil and gas services company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada...

s, product manufacturers and other industry leaders. Early LEED committee members also included USGBC co-founder Mike Italiano, architects Bill Reed and Sandy Mendler, builder Gerard Heiber, builder Myron Kibbe and engineer Richard Bourne. As interest in LEED grew, in 1996, engineers Tom Paladino and Lynn Barker co-chaired the newly formed LEED technical committee.

From 1994 to 2006, LEED grew from one standard for new construction to a comprehensive system of six interrelated standards covering all aspects of the development and construction process. LEED also has grown from six volunteers on one committee to more than 200 volunteers on nearly 20 committees and nearly 150 professional staff.

LEED was created to accomplish the following:

Define "green building
Green building
A sustainable building, or green building is an outcome of a design philosophy which focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better siting,...

" by establishing a common standard of measurement
Promote integrated, whole-building design practices
Recognize environmental leadership in the building industry
Stimulate green competition
Raise consumer awareness of green building benefits
Transform the building market

Green Building Council members, representing every sector of the building industry, developed and continue to refine LEED. The rating system addresses six major areas:

Sustainable
Sustainability
Sustainability, in a broad sense, is the capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time...

sites
Water efficiency
Water efficiency
Water efficiency can be defined as:# The accomplishment of a function, task, process, or result with the minimal amount of water feasible;# An indicator of the relationship between the amount of water required for a particular purpose and the amount of water used or delivered...
Energy and atmosphere
Materials and resources
Indoor environmental quality
Innovation and design process

Benefits and disadvantages

LEED certified buildings are supposed to use resources more efficiently when compared to conventional buildings which are simply built to code. LEED certified buildings often provide healthier work and living environments, which contributes to higher productivity and improved employee health and comfort. The USGBC has compiled a long list of benefits of implementing a LEED strategy which ranges from improving air and water quality to reducing solid waste, benefiting owners, occupiers, and society as a whole.

Often when a LEED rating is pursued, this will increase the cost of initial design and construction. One reason for the higher cost is that sustainable construction principles may not be well understood by the design professionals undertaking the project. This could require time to be spent on research. Some of the finer points of LEED (especially those which demand a higher-than-orthodox standard of service from the construction team) could possibly lead to misunderstandings between the design team, construction team, and client, which could result in delays. Also, there may be a lack of abundant availability of manufactured building components which meet LEED standards. Pursuing LEED certification for a project is an added cost in itself as well. This added cost comes in the form of USGBC correspondence, LEED design-aide consultants, and the hiring of the required Commissioning Authority

Building Commissioning

Building commissioning is the process of ensuring, in new construction, that all the subsystems for HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Fire/Life safety, and Building Security are operating as intended by the building owner and as designed by the building architects and engineers. Building commissioning...

(CxA) - all of which would not necessarily be included in an environmentally responsible project unless it were also seeking a LEED rating.

However, these higher initial costs can be effectively mitigated by the savings incurred over time due to the lower-than-industry-standard operational costs which are typical of a LEED certified building. Additional economic payback may come in the form of employee productivity gains incurred as a result of working in a healthier environment. Studies have suggested that an initial up-front investment of 2% extra will yield over ten times the initial investment over the life cycle of the building.

Although the deployment of the LEED standard has raised awareness of green building practices, its scoring system is skewed toward the ongoing use of fossil fuels. More than half of the available points in the standard support efficient use of fossil fuels, while only a handful are awarded for the use of sustainable energy sources. Further, the USGBC has stated support for the Architecture 2030, an effort that has set a goal of using no fossil-fuel, greenhouse gas-emitting energy to operate by 2030.

In addition to focusing on efficient use of fossil fuels, LEED focuses on the end product. For example, because leather does not emit VOCs

Volatile organic compound

Volatile organic compounds areorganic chemical compounds that have highenough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantlyvaporize and enter the atmosphere.Volatile organic compounds are numerous and varied...

they are deemed healthy for environments, disregarding the use of extremely harmful chemicals in the process of tanning leather. Other products that do not use harmful chemicals and focus on more sustainable production do not earn any additional points for their attention to environmental concerns.

LEED is a measurement tool and not a design tool. It is also not yet climate-specific, although the newest version hopes to address this weakness partially. Because of this, designers may make materials or design choices that garner a LEED point, even though they may not be the most site or climate-appropriate choice available.

Incentive Programs

Some areas have implemented or are considering incentives for LEED-certified buildings.

The city of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. The municipality is located north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border. The population within city limits was estimated to be 333,336 in 2008, making it the state's third largest city...

adopted a measure providing an automatic 100% real property tax exemption of the assessed property value for newly-constructed or rehabilitated commercial or residential properties that earn a minimum of LEED Certified.

In the state of Nevada construction materials for a qualifying LEED building are exempt from local taxes. Pieces of construction that are deemed "inseparable" parts, such as concrete

Concrete

Concrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water, and chemical admixtures...

or Sheetrock, qualify.

The state of Michigan is considering tax-based incentives for LEED buildings.

Many local governments have adopted LEED incentive programs. Program incentives include tax credits, tax breaks, density bonuses, reduced fees, priority or expedited permitting, free or reduced-cost technical assistance, grants and low-interest loans.

Certification

Different LEED versions have varied scoring systems based on a set of required "prerequisites" and a variety of "credits" in the six major categories listed above.

USGBC LEED 2009 (v3)

In LEED 2009 there are 100 possible base points plus an additional 6 points for Innovation in Design and 4 points for Regional Priority. Buildings can qualify for four levels of certification:

Certified - 40-49 points
Silver - 50-59 points
Gold - 60-79 points
Platinum - 80 points and above

Point rating

Points have been distributed as follows for the New Construction Rating System. Required "prerequisites" in each category receive no points.

Sustainable Sites 26 Possible Points

Prerequisite 1: Construction Activity Pollution Prevention
Credit 1: Site Selection
Credit 2: Development Density and Community Connectivity
Credit 3: Brownfield Redevelopment
Credit 4.1: Alternative Transportation—Public Transportation Access
Credit 4.2: Alternative Transportation—Bicycle Storage and Changing Rooms
Credit 4.3: Alternative Transportation—Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
Credit 4.4: Alternative Transportation—Parking Capacity
Credit 5.1: Site Development—Protect or Restore Habitat
Credit 5.2: Site Development—Maximize Open Space
Credit 6.1: Stormwater Design—Quantity Control
Credit 6.2: Stormwater Design—Quality Control
Credit 7.1: Heat Island Effect—Nonroof
Credit 7.2: Heat Island Effect—Roof
Credit 8: Light Pollution Reduction

Water Efficiency 10 Possible Points

Prerequisite 1: Water Use Reduction
Credit 1: Water Efficient Landscaping
Credit 2: Innovative Wastewater Technologies
Credit 3: Water Use Reduction

Energy and Atmosphere 35 Possible Points

Prerequisite 1: Fundamental Commissioning of Building Energy Systems
Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance
Prerequisite 3: Fundamental Refrigerant Management
Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance
Credit 2: On-site Renewable Energy
Credit 3: Enhanced Commissioning
Credit 4: Enhanced Refrigerant Management
Credit 5: Measurement and Verification
Credit 6: Green Power

Materials and Resources 14 Possible Points

Prerequisite 1: Storage and Collection of Recyclables
Credit 1.1: Building Reuse—Maintain Existing Walls, Floors and Roof
Credit 1.2: Building Reuse—Maintain Existing Interior Nonstructural Elements
Credit 2: Construction Waste Management
Credit 3: Materials Reuse
Credit 4: Recycled Content
Credit 5: Regional Materials
Credit 6: Rapidly Renewable Materials
Credit 7: Certified Wood

Indoor Environmental Quality 15 Possible Points

Prerequisite 1: Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance
Prerequisite 2: Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
Credit 1: Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring
Credit 2: Increased Ventilation
Credit 3.1: Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan—During Construction
Credit 3.2: Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan—Before Occupancy
Credit 4.1: Low-Emitting Materials—Adhesives and Sealants
Credit 4.2: Low-Emitting Materials—Paints and Coatings
Credit 4.3: Low-Emitting Materials—Flooring Systems
Credit 4.4: Low-Emitting Materials—Composite Wood and Agrifiber Products
Credit 5: Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control
Credit 6.1: Controllability of Systems—Lighting
Credit 6.2: Controllability of Systems—Thermal Comfort
Credit 7.1: Thermal Comfort—Design
Credit 7.2: Thermal Comfort—Verification
Credit 8.1: Daylight and Views—Daylight
Credit 8.2: Daylight and Views—Views

Innovation in Design 6 Possible Points (ID Credit 1 has 5 points, and ID Credit 2 has 1 point)

Credit 1: Innovation in Design
Credit 2: LEED Accredited Professional

Regional Priority 4 Possible Points

Credit 1: Regional Priority

USGBC LEED v2.2

In LEED v2.2 for new construction and major renovations for commercial buildings there are 69 possible points and buildings can qualify for four levels of certification:

Certified - 26-32 points
Silver - 33-38 points
Gold - 39-51 points
Platinum - 52-69 points

Point rating

Points have been distributed as follows. Required "prerequisites" in each category receive no points.

Sustainable sites (14 points total)

Construction Activity Pollution Prevention Plan (required)
Site selection (1 pt)
Development density and community connectivity (1 pt)
Brownfield redevelopment (1 pt)
Alternative transportation availability:
- Public transportation access (1 pt)
- Bicycle storage and changing rooms (1 pt)
- Low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles (1 pt)
- Parking capacity and carpooling (1 pt)
Reduced site disturbance:
- Protect or restore open space (1 pt)
- Development footprint (1 pt)
Stormwater management:
- Rate and quantity (1 pt)
- Treatment (1 pt)
Reduce heat islands:
- Roof (1 pt)
- Non-roof (1 pt)
Light pollution reduction (1 pt)

Water efficiency (5 points total)

Water efficient landscaping:
- Reduce by 50% (1 pt)
- No potable use or no irrigation (1 pt)
Innovative wastewater technologies (1 pt)
Water use reduction:
- (20%) (1 pt)
- (30%) (1 pt)

Energy and atmosphere (17 points total)

Fundamental commissioning
Building Commissioning
Building commissioning is the process of ensuring, in new construction, that all the subsystems for HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Fire/Life safety, and Building Security are operating as intended by the building owner and as designed by the building architects and engineers. Building commissioning...

(required)
Minimum (code) energy performance (required)
Fundamental Refrigerant Management (required)
Optimize energy performance by 14% (new) or 7% (existing) buildings (2 pts, required as of June 26, 2007)
Energy optimization (8 pts in addition to the 2 required above)
On-site renewable energy/Green Power (4 pts)
Enhanced Commissioning (1 pt)
Enhanced Refrigeration Management (1 pt)
Measurement and verification (1 pt)

Materials and resources (13 points total)

Storage and collection of recyclables (required)
Building reuse:
- 75% reuse of building structure and shell excluding windows (1 pt)
- 100% reuse of building structure and 50% of walls, floors, ceilings (1 pt)
Construction waste reuse or recycling:
- 50% diversion (1 pt)
- 75% diversion (1 pt)
Reuse of existing materials:
- 5% salvaged or refurbished materials (1 pt)
- 10% salvaged or refurbished materials (1 pt)
Recycled content:
- 10% recycled content (1 pt)
- Additional 10% (1 pt)
Use of local materials:
- Manufacture within and Extraction within of building site, 10% (1 pt)
- Additional 10% (1 pt)
Rapidly renewable materials (1 pt)
Certified Wood (1 pt)

Indoor environmental quality (15 points total)

Minimum indoor air quality (required)
Environmental tobacco smoke control (required)
Outdoor air delivery monitoring (1 pt)
Increased ventilation (1 pt)
Construction indoor air quality management (2 pt)
Indoor chemical and pollutant source control (1 pt)
Controllability of systems (2 pt)
Thermal comfort (2 pt)
Daylight and views (2 pt)

Innovation and design process (5 points total)

One point for having a LEED AP as a principal participant on the project.
Additional points for this category are awarded above and beyond the core 64 points, and are described as rewarding strategies that go above and beyond the criteria for those points. Examples for up to four design points using steel construction include structure as finish, structure as plumbing, lightweight materials, recyclability, and potential for disassembly. (up to 4 pts)

Process

LEED certification is obtained after submitting an application documenting compliance with the requirements of the rating system as well as paying registration and certification fees. Certification is granted solely by the Green Building Certification Institute responsible for the third party verification of project compliance with LEED requirements.

Recently the application process for new construction certification has been streamlined electronically, via a set of active PDFs that automates the process of filing the documentation.

Directory of LEED-certified projects

The Green Building Council provides an online directory of LEED-certified projects.

LEED versions

Different versions of the rating system are available for specific project types:

LEED for New Construction: New construction and major renovations (the most commonly applied-for LEED certification)
LEED for Existing Buildings: Existing buildings seeking LEED certification
LEED for Commercial Interiors: Commercial interior fitouts by tenants
LEED for Core and Shell: Core-and-shell projects (total building minus tenant fitouts)
LEED for Homes: Homes
LEED for Neighborhood Development: Neighborhood development
LEED for Schools: Recognizes the unique nature of the design and construction of K-12 schools
LEED for Retail: Consists of two rating systems. One is based on New Construction and Major Renovations version 2.2. The other track is based on LEED for Commercial Interiors version 2.0.

LEED has evolved since its original inception in 1998 to more accurately represent and incorporate emerging green building technologies. LEED-NC 1.0 was a pilot version. These projects helped inform the USGBC of the requirements for such a rating system, and this knowledge was incorporated into LEED-NC 2.0. The present version of LEED for new construction is LEED-NC v2.2. LEED also forms the basis for other sustainability rating systems such as the Environmental Protection Agency

United States Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged to regulate chemicals and protect human health by safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land...

's Labs21.

LEED is a measurement tool for green building

Green building

A sustainable building, or green building is an outcome of a design philosophy which focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better siting,...

in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

and it is developed and continuously modified by workers in the green building industry, especially in the ten largest metro areas in the U.S.; however, LEED certified buildings have been slower to penetrate small and mid-major markets. Also, some criticism suggests that the LEED rating system is not sensitive and does not vary enough with regard to local environmental conditions. For instance, a building in Maine

Maine

The State of Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is the northernmost portion of...

would receive the same credit as a building in Arizona

Arizona

The State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...

for water conservation, though the principle is more important in the latter case. Another complaint is that its certification costs require money that could be used to make the building in question even more sustainable.Many critics have noted that compliance and certification costs have grown faster than staff support from the USGBC.

In 2003, the Canada Green Building Council

Canada Green Building Council

The Canada Green Building Council was created in 2003 to further the expansion of green building in Canada. Prior to the formation of the Council, Canada had participated in the United States Green Building Council through British Columbia's membership in the USGBC's Cascadia Chapter...

received permission to create its own version of LEED based upon LEED-NC 2.0, now called LEED Canada-NC v1.0.

For existing buildings LEED has developed LEED-EB. Recent research has demonstrated that buildings which can achieve LEED-EB equivalencies can generate a tremendous ROI. In a recent white paper by the Leonardo Academy comparing LEED-EB buildings vs. data from BOMA’s Experience Exchange Report 2007 demonstrated LEED-EB certified buildings achieved superior operating cost savings in 63% of the buildings surveyed ranging from $4.94 to $15.59 per square foot of floor space, with an average valuation of $6.68 and a median valuation of $6.07.

In addition the overall cost of LEED-EB implementation and certification ranged from $0.00 to $6.46 per square
foot of floor space, with an average of $2.43 per square foot demonstrating that implementation is not expensive, especially in comparison to cost savings. These costs should be significantly reduced if automation and technology are integrated into the implementation.

LEED and carbon trading

It is expected that LEED-NC 3.0 will include a requirement for a carbon footprint

Carbon footprint

A giant footprint is "the total set of blue natural gas caused by an organization, event or product" . For simplicity of reporting, it is often expressed in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent of other GHGs, emitted....

(carbon building print) and a significant reduction of GHG (green-house gases) beyond a baseline level. The reduction in carbon dioxide must be measured based on the direct and indirect carbon dioxide and equivalent reductions. These include emissions related to the consumption of grid delivered electricity, on-site combustion of fossil fuels, and fugitive refrigerant emissions.

The efforts to quantify emission and reductions in emissions will be in an effort to monetize the climate change externality in the same way that a Kyoto Clean Development Project (carbon project

Carbon project

A carbon project refers to a business initiative that receives funding because of the cut the emission of greenhouse gases that will result...

) does. ITC Hotel Sonar Bangla Sheraton & Towers in Kolkata

Kolkata

, formerly , is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. When referred to as Calcutta, it usually includes the suburbs, and thus its population exceeds 15 million, making it India's third-largest metropolitan area and...

, India

India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...

is the only green building project in the world to monetize the reductions that acts as the main precedent for this type of project.

Professional accreditation

Green building professionals can become LEED accredited. This accreditation enables an individual to facilitate the rating of buildings with the various LEED systems. Since January 2008, professional accreditation is administered by the Green Building Certification Institute

Green Building Certification Institute

. Between 2001 and June 2009, LEED accreditation required that candidates only pass one exam to earn their LEED Accredited Professional designation. After June 2009, LEED accreditation has three tiers and requires candidates to pass a series of LEED exams. The LEED v3 2009 accreditation process changes were made to mirror the various LEED Building Certification Rating Systems. The first tier exam is called LEED Green Associate. The second tier exam is called LEED Accredited Professional with specialty and has five separate exams to allow for individual specialization. The third tier standards have not yet been determined or released. The Green Building Certification Institute has an education provider program that provide seminars and lectures to prepare candidates to take and pass the LEED Exams.

International initiatives

With many countries either having, or being in the process of developing domestic assessment methods, international exchanges and coordination have being increasingly evident.

In 1997, for example, the International Organization for Standardization

International Organization for Standardization

The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO , is an international-standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on 23 February 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary industrial and commercial...

’s Technical Committee 59 (ISO TC59) - Building Construction resolved to establish an ad hoc group to investigate the need for standardized tools within the field of sustainable building. This subsequently evolved and was formalized as Sub-Committee ISO T59/SC17 – Sustainability in building construction – the scope of which includes the issues that should be taken into account within building environmental assessment methods.

In Europe, under European Committee for Standardization

European Committee for Standardization

The European Committee for Standardization or Comité Européen de Normalisation , is a private non-profit organisation whose mission is to foster the European economy in global trading, the welfare of European citizens and the environment by providing an efficient infrastructure to interested...

's TC350 -Sustainability of Construction Works, a consensus-building process that relates to other standards (ISO) and harmonizes existing approaches was launched. These standards shall enable the exchange of sustainability information related to internationally traded products and services.

The Sustainable Building Alliance

Sustainable Building Alliance

SB Alliance is a non-profit, non-partisan international network of universities, research centers and technical assessment organizations that is intended to accelerate the international adoption of Sustainable Building practices through the promotion of shared methods of building performance...

(SB Alliance), a non-profit, non-partisan international network of universities, research centers and technical assessment organizations that is intended to accelerate the international adoption of Sustainable Building (SB) practices through the promotion of shared methods of building performance assessment and rating. The SB Alliance initiative is supported by the UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...

Chair for sustainable buildings and the UNEP

United Nations Environment Programme

The UN Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and encourages sustainable development through sound environmental practices...

sustainable building and construction initiative.

Facts

It is estimated that the value of green building construction is projected to increase to $60 billion by 2010. By 2009, 82% of corporate America is expected to be greening at least 16% of their real estate portfolios; of these corporations, 18% will be greening more than 60% of their real estate portfolios. The green building market is estimated to be worth $30-$40 billion annually by the year 2010. By 2010, approximately 10% of commercial construction starts are projected to be green. According to a 2006 McGraw-Hill Smart Market report, every business day, $464 million worth of construction registers with LEED.

Since 2000, USGBC's membership has more than quadrupled. Currently, there are 19,957 member organizations including corporations, government agencies, non-profits and others from throughout the industry. Over 5 billion square feet of commercial building space is involved with LEED green building certification system. Construction yields an annual output of U.S. $4.6 trillion, contributing to 8-10% of the global GDP encompassing a workforce of 120 million people and billions of transactions each day. Comprises 13.4% of $13.2 trillion US GDP. This includes all commercial, residential and infrastructure construction. Commercial and residential building construction constitutes 6.1% of GDP.

Buildings represent 38.9% of US primary energy use. Building are one of the heaviest consumers of natural resources and account for a significant portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that effect climate change. In the US, buildings account for 38% of all CO2 emissions. Building represent 72% of US consumption. Building use 13.6% of all potable water, or 15 trillion gallons per year. Buildings use 40% of raw materials globaly (3 billion tons annually).

EPA estimates that 136 million tons of building related construction and demolition debris was generated in the US in a single year. Compare that to 254 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in the same year. The three largest segments for non-residential green building contruction - office, education and healthcare will account for more than 80% of total non-residential construction.

External links

LEED at the United States Green Building Council
United States Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council , founded in 1993, is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built and operated...
World Green Building Council
Canada Green Building Council
Sustainable Building Alliance
UNEP-SBCI
LEED at the United States Green Building Council
United States Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council , founded in 1993, is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built and operated...
LEED and indoor quality criteria
LEED and adhesives and sealants
LEED and paints and coatings
LEED and textile floorings
LEED and non-textile floorings
LEED and composite wood and agrifiber products
LEED and furniture and seating
LEED and ceiling and wall systems
European Committee for Standardization
GREENLOGIC Chantier Carbone, Care & Bio (French)

Other national rating systems

South Korea: /Greening Building System Japan: CASBEE Australia: Nabers / Green Star Brazil: AQUA / LEED Brasil Canada: LEED Canada/ Green Globes China: GB Evaluation standard for green building Finland: PromisE France: Care & Bio, Chantier Carbone and HQE Germany: DGNB Hong Kong: HKBEAM India: GRIHA (national green rating)/ LEED India Israel: SI-5281 Italy: Protocollo Itaca Mexico: LEED Mexico Netherlands: BREEAM Netherlands New Zealand: Green Star NZ Portugal: Lider A Singapore: Green Mark and Construction Quality Assessment System (CONQUAS â) South Africa: Green Star SA Spain: VERDE United Arab Emirates: Estidama United States: LEED/Green Globes United Kingdom: BREEAM

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

History

Benefits and disadvantages

Incentive Programs

Certification

USGBC LEED 2009 (v3)

Point rating

USGBC LEED v2.2

Point rating

Process

Directory of LEED-certified projects

LEED versions

LEED and carbon trading

Professional accreditation

International initiatives

Facts

See also

External links

Other national rating systems