LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

• LEED is a green building certification. 
• Innovative ways to construct or  renovate buildings 
• Reduce the carbon footprint left behind 
• Provides guidelines and standards throughout the design, construction, operations and maintenance  phases.

Why LEED?

• Reduced carbon footprint
• Lower operating costs
• Conserve energy and water
• Improves the overall performance and quality of a building

How it Works?

LEED operates on a points rating system for a building split up into 5 main categories.

Sustainable Sites

• Site selection and development. 
• Points are awarded for: 
• Preserving the land and its surrounding ecosystems 
• Reducing local heat effects to erosion

Water Efficiency

• Encourages a reduction in the use of water. 
• Outside:- Irrigation and rain harvesting systems. 

• Inside:- High efficiency appliances and fittings.

Energy & Atmosphere

• Most important section, and is weighted appropriately. 
• It is most important because it focuses on reducing energy consumption. 
• This can be achieved in a great number of ways, all aimed at reducing the overall energy consumption of the building, thus reducing its carbon footprint.

Materials & Resources

• Reducing waste. 
• This applies primarily to the construction and operation 
• Dependent on the materials used for everything from framing to flooring.
• Economically preferable products 
• Recycled 
• Low emissions 
• Extracted, processed and manufactured within 500 miles.

Indoor Environmental Quality

• Improve living conditions within the house
• Smaller impact on the outside world around it
• This includes better air quality indoors through the use of 
• Moisture control 
• Ventilation 
• Air Filtering

Bonus Points are also available from:

Innovation in Design

Locations and Linkages

Awareness & Education