LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

In 1998, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a green building rating system, to provide a set of industry-wide standards for constructing environmentally sustainable buildings. Though it was not the first sustainable building certification program in the United States, LEED has since become one of the most reputable and thorough, due in part to its transparent third-party operating. The necessity of the LEED program stems from the tremendous impact the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings has on the environment. In a 2002 study, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that 38.1 percent of the nation’s total carbon dioxide emissions were contributed by U.S. buildings, making them a major source of pollutants and a contributor to urban air quality problems.

LEED was created to evolve the building market toward sustainable practices and products by raising both consumer and industry awareness of the benefits of green building. It recognizes environmental leadership in the building industry, stimulates green competition, and defines the often ambiguous term “green building” by establishing a common standard of measurement. The eco-focused building model that LEED requires not only promotes resource conservation, but also reduces operation and maintenance costs on buildings, while creating healthy and comfortable environments.

The LEED rating system analyzes six major areas: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. In each of the categories builders must accomplish certain required tasks and can attempt other goals for a varying amount of points (the point system is used throughout to establish the ultimate LEED rating—certified, silver, gold or platinum). Since its creation LEED has expanded to include certifications for not just residential buildings but commercial buildings (and interiors), existing buildings, schools and even neighborhood developments, and has been implemented in 14,000 projects in all 50 states—as well as 30 countries. The growth has been stimulated by government-offered incentives in certain areas, typically in the form of tax benefits, such as 100% real property tax exemption in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Though the list of benefits for a LEED-certified building is long, the high cost of construction and maintenance when compared to conventional buildings has kept it from vast implementation. Part of the problem lies in the lack of education about green building processes, which often means longer building times caused by a learning curve. As sustainable development is marketed to the industry and more LEED-certified buildings completed, the process of LEED certification is expected to be easier for builders to take part in.

Other critiques have also been made about LEED, including the possibility for less eco-friendly buildings to earn a higher rating by completing only the highest point earning steps, regardless of their practicality (in one residential building this was the installation of electrical vehicle charging stations when no resident owned an electrical vehicle). In addition, the high costs of completing certification (on paper work and inspections alone) can divert funds that could have been used toward potentially pricier, more beneficial green building materials or processes.

Despite its drawbacks, don’t expect the LEED program to disappear any time soon. It’s gaining in popularity as green building becomes more important to the viability of the building industry and no other program has shown to be more effective. If you’d like to pursue LEED certification on a project in your near future, you can find a LEED-accredited professional in your area on the Green Building Certification Institute site (where industry professionals can also find information on becoming LEED accredited).