LEED

Photo © Ana Ka’ahanui

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.


    Loading...
  • Measuring Energy Use in Buildings: Do Our Metrics Really Add Up?

    Feature Article

    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.

  • Your Guide to the New Draft of LEED

    Feature Article

    USGBC is accepting comments on what will become LEED in 2012-EBN walks you through key changes as they appear in the current draft.

  • Retrocommissioning: Big Savings for Big Buildings

    Feature Article

    Retrocommissioning or RCx can be a valuable tool for commercial building owners. RCx addresses the same scope as new building commissioning but is performed on existing buildings. RCx can improve building performance, save energy and money-especially for large buildings.

  • Thinking Beyond Buildings: LEED for Neighborhood Development

    Feature 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.

Quick Takes

Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.


    Loading...
  • The Cost of LEED Certification

    Explainer

    How much does LEED certification cost in commercial construction? Earning LEED certification involves several types of costs, and you have to consider each separately to get an accurate picture.

  • Upgrade to LEED 2009?

    Explainer

    Projects currently registered under LEED-NC 2.2 can transfer to LEED 2009 before certifying. Should your project switch?

Product Guidance

Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.


  • Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
  • Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
  • You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.

In The News

We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.


Perspective

Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.


Learning Resources

Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.


  • Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
  • Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
  • You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.

Just For Fun

Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...


  • Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
  • Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
  • You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.