LEED Certification is a globally recognized standard for green and sustainable buildings. But there isn’t a single definition of “LEED Certified”. There are four main levels, all with an abundance of categories and specifications that measures everything from commercial to residential buildings.
The 4 main levels of LEED Certification are Green, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Each of these levels is achieved after earning a certain amount of points in a LEED Certification analysis.
Every project that signs up to be LEED Certified is looked at for a specific set of criteria, each worth a certain amount of points. Sustainable construction practices, materials used, energy efficiency, new technology, water and waste management systems and many other things are used to determine how many points a project is awarded.
Some specifics include:
The goal isn’t to meet every single point, but to aim to find solutions that work for the building and the environment. Of course, the more you have, the more points you get and the higher the certification you achieve.
The beauty of the LEED Certification is that it is not unique to new builds, commercial buildings or any other category. In fact, there are specific categories within each of the four tiers that a building can apply for.
These building types for LEED Certification categories include:
No matter the project type or how many points you may think you will get, any and every project should register to be LEED Certified. Having an eco-review of a building cannot only help to educate builders on what sustainability can look like but can give some great ideas on easy ways to make a building greener.
These levels also show that perfection is not the goal. Every action matters and LEED is helping to show this. Getting 100/100 on the LEED score is not what projects should be aiming for but instead to do what can be done for specific projects to collectively make the world a healthier place.