LEED Rating System Lurches Ahead

The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) rating system for buildings, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), is not yet officially released but is already making waves. LEED was developed through a consensus process among the diverse USGBC membership, which includes product manufacturers, architects, environmental and government organizations. The program uses a point system to assign buildings a rating of Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum, based on environmental measures incorporated. At present the system is geared primarily for large commercial, institutional, and high-rise residential buildings.

Funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is being used to prepare a Compliance Manual that provides details on the various measures and how they must be documented. The DOE grant also provided for market research to assist in the commercialization of LEED.