What is LEED?

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Developed by the USGBC, the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for designing, constructing and operating high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED was created to:

• Define 'green building' 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

How Does LEED work?

LEED recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through a comprehensive, point-based system. Using the system, building owners can measure their success in environmental stewardship.

USGBC has designed LEED programs for the following construction:

• New Construction (NC)
• Existing Buildings (EB)
• Commercial Interiors (CI)
• Healthcare (HC)
• Schools
  

USGBC has designed five main categories to achieve LEED points:

• Sustainable Sites
• Water Efficiency
• Energy & Atmosphere
• Materials & Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality

Buildings can earn four levels of certification:
Note - Points vary depending on construction type.

• Certified
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum

Water Efficiency:

• Innovative Wastewater Technologies
• Water Reduction 20%-40%

Materials & Resources:

• Recycled Content, specify 10% - 20%
• Local/Regional Materials, 10% - 20% manufactured locally

Note - No building products are LEED certified; only buildings are certified. Building products can only contribute to earning points in various categories.