OVERVIEW
The LEED Rating Systems make up a voluntary program meant to objectively measure how sustainable a building is in several key areas:
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impact on site and location
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water efficiency
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energy efficiency
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material selection
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indoor environmental quality
The system also encourages innovation.
The LEED standards are maintained by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit, non-governmental, membership-based organization. While participation in LEED is voluntary, the program owes some of its growth to municipal and state ordinances that have mandated it for public buildings and have offered incentives for private buildings.
IN-DEPTH
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California Law Uses Environmental Product Declarations to Drive Low-Carbon Procurement
October 17, 2017News Analysis
Buy Clean California is the first law in the nation to address embodied carbon in construction materials.
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Thinking Beyond Buildings: LEED for Neighborhood Development
February 26, 2009Feature Article
LEED for Neighborhood Development is not yet final, but it's already clear that it's a different type of rating system. Lessons from the pilot projects show that cooperation among team members and with the local government is essential to a successful project.
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How Six Affordable Housing Projects Got to Green
October 6, 2017Feature Short
Stories of designers and developers who overcame the challenges of building affordable housing that is also green, sustainable, and healthy.
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Washington, D.C. First to Achieve LEED at Citywide Scale
October 6, 2017News Analysis
The city is first to earn a Platinum LEED for Cities certification, leveraging information technology to track progress toward a range of sustainability goals.
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California Code Scores LEED Points
August 14, 2017News Brief
Many LEED v4 prerequisites and credits are now automatic for projects meeting the CALGreen code.
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Reality Check for LEED v4 Product Credits
June 16, 2017News Analysis
The three “Disclosure and Optimization” or “BPDO” credits in LEED v4 include both some pretty easy points and points that are not yet achievable.
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Building Product Disclosure & Optimization (BPDO) Cheat Sheet
June 16, 2017Infographic
The three Building Product Disclosure and Optimization (BPDO) credits in LEED v4 are pushing the industry into new territory. USGBC has done a great job defining and spurring manufacturers to support some options, but others are not yet (as of mid-2017) achievable, for a range of reasons. So go after the easy ones, and don’t waste time on others until they’re within reach.
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New Report Helps Leverage the Overlap between WELL and LEED
May 16, 2017News Analysis
IWBI’s new guidance reduces documentation for projects pursuing dual certification.
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Fiberglass, XPS, Cork? Insulation Options for LEED v4 and Living Buildings
April 4, 2017Product Review
Choosing insulation with an eye to points in LEED v4 or Living Building Challenge compliance? Here’s how insulation materials compare.
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Rental And Occupancy Levels Remain Higher For Green Office Buildings
April 4, 2017News Brief
A new report verifies the greater value of environmental certification in the commercial real estate market
