What is LEED?
LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is a voluntary rating system‚ based on standards for developing high-performance‚ sustainable buildings. It is a design tool to help create better and green design projects.
Created by the US Green Building Council in 2000, the LEED system was later adapted by the Canadian Green Building Council.
LEED project certification
LEED certification can be obtained for projects (not products)‚ by collecting a minimum number of points within each LEED category. Projects are awarded Certified‚ Silver‚ Gold‚ or Platinum certification depending on the number of points collected:
100 possible base points with 6 Innovation and 4 possible Regional Priority Credits
| Certified | 40-49 points |
| Silver | 50-59 points |
| Gold | 60-79 points |
| Platinum | 80 points and above |
Seven categories of credits are covered by LEED-NC (New construction and major renovation projects) standards:
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy & Atmosphere
- Materials & Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Innovation and Design
- Regional Priority
For more information on LEED
- in the US (pdf)
