LEED
LEED is a voluntary program meant to objectively measure how sustainable a building is.
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.
LEED
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Measuring Energy Use in Buildings: Do Our Metrics Really Add Up?
Feature
How much energy our buildings use matters a great deal, but figuring out how to measure that use and compare it from building to building is tricky. Here's a guide to key metrics and how to use them.
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Energy-Efficient Multifamily Housing
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Now you can get LEED, Energy Star, and other labels for designing or retrofitting high-performance multifamily buildings.
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New Concepts in LEED v4
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Past versions of LEED have helped make FSC and other concepts practically household terms. Where is LEED v4 taking the green building conversation next?
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Your Guide to the New Draft of LEED
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USGBC is accepting comments on what will become LEED in 2012-EBN walks you through key changes as they appear in the current draft.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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How RECs Work—and Why You Might Not Own Your Clean Energy
Explainer
Even if you buy into a solar farm or host an array, someone else can claim the benefits. Here’s how to get what you expect.
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Building Decarbonization: How LCA and EPDs Fit in
Explainer
Life-cycle assessment and environmental product declarations reveal embodied carbon and other impacts, but it’s important to know their limits.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Boston Requires Large Buildings to Go Green
News Analysis
Boston recently revised its building code to require all public and private buildings larger than 50,000 square feet to meet LEED-Certified standards.
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Cradle to Cradle Recognized in LEED
News Analysis
The U.S. Green Building Council will allow projects using products earning Cradle to Cradle certification to qualify for an innovation credit in the LEED Rating System.
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Neighborhood Developments Line Up for LEED-ND Pilot
News Analysis
LEED for Neighborhood Developments, the new LEED rating system, may have to turn away projects for its pilot phase.
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Restructuring of LEED Moves Ahead
News Analysis
The U.S. Green Building Council is moving ahead with plans to align and harmonize its LEED rating systems to make certification simpler and allow for refined weighting of environmental and regional concerns.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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LEED Must Lead on Climate
Op-Ed
The world urgently needs the building industry to tackle climate change, and LEED has to be part of that.
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USGBC Response: Help Create the Next LEED version
Op-Ed
The U.S. Green Building Council responds to an earlier op-ed, “LEED Must Lead on Climate.”
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LEED Certified or Certifiable? Making the Case for Earning the Plaque
Blog Post
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An Embarrassment of Riches: Products and Materials at Greenbuild 2017
Blog Post
A new focus on embodied carbon and LEED v4 are driving designers to dive deep into what we choose for our buildings
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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