Building Green

LEED--Leadership in Energy Conservation and Design

LEED certification is obtained after submitting an application documenting compliance with the requirements of the rating system. Certification is granted solely by the Green Building Council responsible for issuing the LEED system used on the project.

Some of the criteria that LEED certifications are judged are as follows:

Heating, Ventilation and Cooling System Efficiency — Buildings designed to harness the energy of the sun so to use the least amount of energy to create heat, as well as a sufficient ventilation system to reduce the need for energy powered cooling systems.

Alternative Energy Production and Building Design — Solar panels, or photovoltaic panels are the most popular source of alternative energy. With energy collected from the sun, often mounted on rooftops that are tilted toward or designed to follow the sun, buildings can generate sustainable energy to support hot water systems and any other household or business use. Often with the proper use, excess energy can be produced to power other structures.

Building placement — Contrary to popular belief, buildings located within heavily wooded areas are actually detrimental to the environment. An ideal green building would be within zoning guidelines of a previously established urban area.

Sustainable Building Materials — Approved materials include recycled denim or blown-in fiber glass insulation, sustainably harvested wood, bamboo, which is one of the strongest and fastest growing woody plants, and non-toxic low-VOC glues and paints.

Waste management — Sustainable architecture focuses on the reduction of on-site waste, by utilizing things such as grey water systems for use on garden beds, and composting toilets to reduce sewage. These methods, when combined with on-site food waste composting and off-site recycling, can reduce a house's waste to a small amount of packaging waste.

Re-Using Materials — Often sustainable architects attempt to retro-fit old structures to serve new needs in order to avoid unnecessary development; the reduction in use of new materials creates a corresponding reduction in energy used in the production of materials.

Different LEED versions have varied scoring systems based on a set of required "Prerequisites" and a variety of "Credits" in the six major categories listed above. Buildings can qualify for four levels of certification: