LEED Building Olympics: Platinum, Gold, Silver

Perhaps one of the most well-known concepts in sustainable architecture these days is LEED building certifications. But what does having or receiving a LEED certification mean, and how does a building receive one? Over the next few entries, I'd like to to dive into these questions and take a look at some companies and structures that are currently LEED-oriented.

For starters, LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. According to the USGBC (US Green Building Council), the LEED building system is:

"...a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings."

So how does the LEED building certification system work? Let's take a quick look at the basics, and then I'll go into them in my next post.

Essentially, a LEED certification (Platinum, Gold, Silver, or "basic" certifications exist currently) can be granted to a green building based on the LEED Rating system, according to the number of points it receives in 5 categories:

· Sustainable Sites (14)
· Water Efficiency (5)
· Energy and Atmosphere (17)
· Materials and Resources (13)
· Indoor Environmental Quality (15)
· LEED Innovation Credits (5)
Total: 69 points possible.

Keep your eyes out for Part 2, where we will examine these LEED categories in detail.

Categories: LEED,architecture