Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a certification system contrived by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to evaluate the environmental performance of a building and encourage market transformation towards sustainable design.
Beginning with its launch in 2000, LEED has grown from one rating system for new construction to a comprehensive system of nine interrelated rating systems covering all aspects of the development and construction process, which are:
1- Integrative process
2- Location & transportation
3- Sustainable sites
4- Water efficiency
5- Energy & atmosphere
6- Materials & resources
7- Indoor air quality
8- Innovation
9- Regional priority
LEED goals:
• Define "green building" by establishing …show more content…
To give clear guidance to customers
2. To protect the integrity of the LEED program
3. To reduce complications that occur during the LEED Certification process.
Rating system structure
• Location and transportation
The Location and Transportation (LT) category rewards thoughtful decisions about building location, with credits that encourage compact development, alternative transportation, and connection with amenities, such as restaurants and parks. The LT category is an outgrowth of the Sustainable Sites category, which formerly covered location-related topics. Well-located buildings take advantage of existing infrastructure—public transit, street networks, pedestrian paths, bicycle networks, services and amenities, and existing utilities, such as electricity, water, gas, and sewage.
• Sustainable sites
The Sustainable Sites (SS) category rewards decisions about the environment surrounding the building, with credits that emphasize the vital relationships among buildings, ecosystems, and ecosystem services. It focuses on restoring project site elements, integrating the site with local and regional ecosystems, and preserving the biodiversity that natural systems rely on.
• Water …show more content…
Energy efficiency in a green building starts with a focus on design that reduces overall energy needs, such as building orientation and glazing selection, and the choice of climate-appropriate building materials. Strategies such as passive heating and cooling, natural ventilation, and high-efficiency HVAC systems partnered with smart controls further reduce a building’s energy use.
• Materials and resources
The Materials and Resources (MR) credit category focuses on minimizing the embodied energy and other impacts associated with the extraction, processing, transport, maintenance, and disposal of building materials. The requirements are designed to support a life-cycle approach that improves performance and promotes resource efficiency. Each requirement identifies a specific action that fits into the larger context of a life-cycle approach to embodied impact reduction.
• Indoor air quality
The Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) category rewards decisions made by project teams about indoor air quality and thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort. Green buildings with good indoor environmental quality protect the health and comfort of building occupants. High-quality indoor environments also enhance productivity, decrease absenteeism, improve the building’s value, and reduce liability for building