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The LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) green building rating system was originally
developed by the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC) to provide a recognized standard for
the construction industry to assess the environmental
sustainability of building designs.
LEED™ is a point-based rating system; points
are earned for building attributes considered
environmentally beneficial. LEED™ differs from
other rating systems in that it has quantified
most of the "green credits". For example, 5%
of the building materials must be from salvaged
materials to earn a point for the salvaged materials
credit.
LEED™ 69 points covering
six topic areas. Each topic area has a statement
of associated goals.
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Site Development: minimize
storm water run-off, encourage car
pooling and bicycling, increase
urban density and green space |
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Water Efficiency: eliminate
site irrigation, reduce water consumption,
minimize or treat wastewater |
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Energy Efficiency: reduce
building energy consumption, use
renewable energy, eliminate ozone-depleting
chemicals, commission building systems |
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Material Selection: minimize
construction waste, re-use existing
building façade, use recycled and
salvaged materials, use renewable
construction materials and design
and build more durable buildings |
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Indoor Environmental Quality:
incorporate daylighting, use low
off-emitting materials, provide
operable windows and occupant control
of work space, improve delivery
of ventilation air |
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Innovation in Design:
use a LEED Accredited Professional,
greatly exceed the requirements
of a credit, incorporate innovative
environmental features not covered
in other areas. |
Designers can pick and choose the credits
most appropriate to their project to achieve
a rating. LEED™ has four performance ratings:
| 26 to 32 points:
Certified |
Certified 33 to
38 points: Silver |
| 39 to 51 points:
Gold |
Gold 52 or more:
Platinum |
The LEED™ system can be used in three ways to
improve the “green-ness” of a building design:
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1. |
LEED™ can serve as a design
guide for the design team. The LEED™
credit system is a systematic way
of ensuring that the most important
environmental issues are considered
during the design of a building. |
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2. |
LEED™ reports are a valuable
means of showing the client and
other interested parties that the
design has effectively addressed
environmental issues. |
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3. |
A building design can be certified
by the USGBC. |
Certification provides increased market exposure
and places the building in elite company among
the most green buildings in North America. LEED™
registration and certification fees are 4 cents
per square foot. In addition,
LEED™ requires calculations and documentation
to validate each LEED™ credit claimed.
LEED™ is the most recognized green building
rating system in North America. There are over
200 buildings that have been certified with
the USGBC as LEED™ buildings. Many developers,
particularly those working on federal/state government
and leading-edge private sector buildings, are
requiring that building designs meet LEED™ Silver
performance. Given that conventional new buildings
would likely score only a few LEED™ points,
achievement of any LEED™ level represents a
significant reduction in building environmental
impact and improvement of indoor environment.
The larger benefit of LEED™ buildings is an
improved indoor environment (lower absenteeism,
greater productivity, better thermal comfort),
lower maintenance costs (commissioned building,
more durable materials, smaller or eliminated
building systems), higher corporate profile
(increased product sales, marketing advantage,
improved employee morale), and reduced risk
of remedial measures (to deal with sick building
syndrome or environmental contaminants). The
table below summarizes typical costs and payback
periods for LEED™ buildings. The payback includes
only annual utility energy savings.
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LEED™ Rating |
Certified |
Silver |
Gold |
Platinum |
| LEED™
Points |
26 to 32 |
33 to 38 |
39 to 51 |
52 to 69 |
| Energy
Savings |
25 to 35% |
35 to 50% |
50 to 60% |
>60% |
| Annual
Utility Savings |
$0.40/ft2 |
$0.60/ft2 |
$0.80/ft2 |
$1.00/ft2 |
| Typical
Payback |
Under 3 yrs |
3-5 yrs |
5-10 yrs |
10+ years |
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Incremental Construction Cost |
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Small Buildings |
3% |
7% |
10% |
15% |
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Large Buildings |
1% |
3% |
5% |
8% |
Enermodal Services
Enermodal is one of North America's premier sustainability
consultants. We have performed energy
analyses for dozens of LEED projects,
including the Bozeman Public Library, ISP-ISDH
Toxicology Laboratory, Denver Museum of
Contemporary Art and the Washtenaw
Recreation Center. Enermodal is the LEED
consultant to the Old Faithful Visitors
Education Center.
Enermodal can lead the design teams through
the LEED™ process and provide insight on how
other green projects meet the requirements of
each credit. As LEED™ Accredited Professionals,
Enermodal staff can evaluate which credits the
design has met and issue a LEED™ Assessment
Report outlining the level achieved. Finally,
Enermodal can develop the application package
for submission to the USGBC and provide the
necessary expertise to ensure the project receives
the designation it is entitled.
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