Leadership in Energy and Enviornmental Design, or LEED, is a green building rating system. The program has several rating systems depending on the type of building being constructed. There are differing levels of certification (silver, gold, platinum) and criteria for new home construction, existing building modification, commercial construction, hospital construction, school construction, etc.
For example, some of the things a new construction site can do to earn LEED certification credits are:
- Choose a site easily accesible to public transportation
- Have bicycle storage and changing rooms for those who bike to work
- Landscaping water usage reduced by 50% over "normal" usage
- Optimization of energy performance
- Using renewable energy sources on-site
- Using recycled content building materials
- Using certified wood in construction
- Low-emitting materials (like low/no VOC paints)
- Use of daylight for lighting
Each category that is successful implemented receives a certain number of points. The points are added up and a level of certification is assigned. Platinum is the highest level of certification. Greensburg, Kansas is becoming well known for its efforts to rebuild green and to make all city buildings LEED certified after the town was destroyed by a tornado in 2007. Greensburg is the first town to pass an ordinance stating any newly constructed city buildings would be built to LEED standards. Vancouver, BC is also jumping on the LEED bandwagon in many areas, especially in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics. China also used LEED certification standards for many of the 2008 Summer Olympics buidings.
Photo Credit: swanksalot on flickr
How to foster green biodiversity
Add a comment