LEED® Standards:  What are they?

"Green" Home Page

The LEED® ratings system is a widely used set of standards for evaluating sustainable, environmentally responsible facility design and construction.

LEED®, which is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, was developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for the design of high-performance, sustainable buildings and interiors.

The LEED® Building Rating System is organized into several categories:

• Sustainable Sites
• Water Efficiency
• Energy and Atmosphere
• Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Innovation in Design

There are four different types or classifications of LEED® standards:

• LEED - NC : for new construction and major renovation projects
• LEED - EB : for existing building operations and maintenance
• LEED - CI : for commercial interior projects
• LEED - CS : for *core and shell projects

*"core and shell" refers to basic building parts, such as the structure and foundations, the mechanical or HVAC systems, or the building exterior

The Rating System is based on a Project Checklist containing 69 items, each worth one point. There are four certification categories:

• Certified:  at least 26 points plus documentation
• Silver: at least 33 points plus documentation
• Gold:  at least 39 points plus documentation
• Platinum: at least 52 points plus documentation

The ratings are based on checklists of specific activities, some required for certification and others optional.  Many items contain a minimum threshold for qualification, such as 30% reduction in water use or 75% re-use of the existing building shell.  The Innovation in Design category awards points for exceptional performance that exceeds the checklists and/or for innovative performance in green building categories not specifically addressed by LEED®