Benchmarks
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED ) TM
The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is a national organization comprised of about 3,600 corporations, government entities, professionals, builders and environmental organizations with interests in the green building industry. Recognizing the need for a definitive standard by which the energy and environmental
performance of buildings could be assessed, the USGBC developed the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design LEEDTM Green Building Rating System, which has become the definitive consensus performance standard for commercial and high-rise residential building projects in the US and throughout the world. LEEDTM is structured around five performance categories, with specific prerequisites and credits in each. Prerequisites are a baseline requirement and do not earn credits; the number of credits earned in
the five categories determines the LEEDTM certification level: Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. The project applicant submits documentation of the features that are included in a specific project and the number of credits being sought. The USGBC performs an objective evaluation of the project and determines the performance level that the project has achieved.
The categories, prerequisites (P1, P2, etc.), credits (C1, C2, etc.), and credit intents of LEEDTM – NC, Version 2.1 are:
Sustainable Sites SS P1: SS C1: SS C2: SS C3: SS C4: SS C5: SS C6: SS C7: SS C8:
Erosion & Sedimentation Control – reduce negative impacts on water and air quality Site Selection – avoid development of inappropriate sites and reduce the environmental impact from the location of a building on a site Development Density – channel development to urban areas with existing infrastructure, protect green fields, and preserve habitat and natural resources Brownfield Development – rehabilitate damaged sites where development is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination, reducing pressure on undeveloped land Alternative Transportation – reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use Reduced Site Disturbance – conserve existing natural areas and restore damaged areas to provide habitat and promote biodiversity Stormwater Management – Limit disruption and pollution of natural water flows by managing stormwater runoff Heat Island Effect – reduce heat islands (thermal differences between developed and undeveloped areas) to minimize impact on microclimate and human and wildlife habitat Light Pollution Reduction – eliminate light trespass from the building and site, improve night sky access and reduce development impact on nocturnal environments.
Water Efficiency WE C1: Water Efficient Landscaping – limit or eliminate the use of potable water for landscape irrigation WE C2: Innovative Wastewater Technologies – reduce generation of wastewater and potable water demand, while increasing the local aquifer recharge WE C3: Water Use Reduction – maximize water efficiency within buildings to reduce the burden on municipal water supply and wastewater systems Energy & Atmosphere EA P1: EA P2: EA P3: EA C1: EA C2: EA C3: EA C4: EA C5: EA C6:
9.4
Benchmarks for Success
Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning – verify and ensure that fundamental building elements and systems are designed, installed, and calibrated to operate as intended. Minimum Building Performance – establish the minimum level of energy efficiency for the base building and systems Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment – reduce ozone depletion Optimize Energy Performance – achieve increasing levels of energy performance above the prerequisite standard to reduce environmental impacts associated with excessive energy use Renewable Energy – encourage and recognize increasing levels of on-site renewable energy self-supply in order to reduce environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel energy use Additional Commissioning – verify and ensure that the entire building is designed, constructed and calibrated to operate as intended Ozone Protection – reduce ozone depletion and support early compliance with the Montreal Protocol Measurement & Verification – provide for the ongoing accountability and optimization of building energy and water consumption performance over time Green Power – encourage the development and use of grid-source, renewable energy technologies on a net zero pollution basis