What is LEED

The LEED Rating System represents the USGBC’s effort to provide a national standard for what constitutes a green building. Through its use as a design, construction, operations and maintenance guideline and third-party certification tool, LEED aims to improve occupant well-being, environmental performance, and economic returns of buildings using established and innovative practices, standards and technologies.

The LEED Rating System

WHAT IS LEED-EB: O&M?

The first LEED Rating System (LEED-NC) was launched in 2000 and was specifically designed for the construction of new buildings. LEED-EB was piloted in January, 2002, with official launch in November, 2004. The USGBC launched LEED-EB to address the ongoing operations, maintenance and upgrades of existing buildings. LEED-EB was expanded to include Operation and Maintenance Standards in January, 2008, and the rating system was modified to be more intuitive and user-friendly at that time. The most significant change in LEED-EB: O&M was the removal of prerequisites related to erosion on construction sites, which are addressed in LEED-NC. The overall number of prerequisites was reduced, and documentation requirements were streamlined. LEED-EB: O&M measures the environmental responsibility of a building’s maintenance and operations, with the philosophy that greater measurement promotes better management. It addresses exterior building site maintenance programs, efficient/optimized

use of water and energy, purchasing of environmentally preferred products, waste stream management and ongoing indoor environmental quality (IEQ). LEED-EB: O&M provides sustainable guidelines for whole-building cleaning / maintenance, recycling programs and systems upgrades to improve building energy, water; IEQ, and materials use.

WHY IS LEED CERTIFICATION VALUABLE FOR A BUILDING OWNER OR MANAGER?

LEED certification offers building owners and managers a number of distinct benefits. For many, green buildings have simply become good business due to the cost savings over the life of the building from more efficient operations including reduced energy and water costs.

In the commercial office buildings segment, green buildings can create a healthier, more productive indoor environment, which translates into greater productivity for occupants. In the education segment, green buildings can improve test scores for students. While in the healthcare segment, green buildings can improve health outcomes for patients in our hospitals and healthcare facilities. Green buildings give building owners and managers a competitive marketing advantage when leasing space. It can also translate into enhanced value of the building as an asset in the mortgage and bond market. For those building owners and managers whose mission is to serve as stewards of public assets and protect our natural environment, green buildings serve to demonstrate the commitment to stewardship and sustainability, and our ability to provide for current needs without harming the opportunity for future generations to enjoy those same resources.

HOW IS LEED-EB: O&M CERTIFICATION ACHIEVED?

LEED-EB: O&M

Certification is based on submitting the necessary documentation to the USGBC demonstrating that a building meets all of the prerequisites which every building must attain, plus achieving a number of more flexible credits or points, which a building can achieve based on what makes sense for that specific building. For example, a building in a rural area might easily achieve certain landscaping credits, while a similar building in an urban setting may find this same credit unattainable or too expensive, and choose not to apply for that same credit.

The LEED-EB: O&M ratings are awarded according to the following scale, of which the higher the number of points correlates to the higher the recognition.

    Platinum 68-92 points

    Gold 51-67 points

    Silver 43-50 points

    Certified 34-42 points

Who is the US Green Building Council

In 1993, a small group got together and discussed how the construction of buildings consumed enormous quantities of materials such as concrete, steel and other metals, glass, wood, wall materials, paints, floor coverings, lighting, and mechanical systems. Building construction further impacts the natural environment by consuming large quantities of energy and water, and producing massive quantities of waste during their years in operations, upgrades and renovations. In addition, a building contributes a high volume of construction debris to landfills when demolished at the end of its life. Many people believed that current construction, operations and demolition practices were wasteful and contributed harmful burdens not only to our environment, but also to the people who occupied those buildings. Thus, the USGBC was launched with a primary goal of transforming the building industry in a way that would create more healthy and productive buildings, while at the same time, reducing their impacts on the environment. Today, the USGBC is the most prominent “green building” organization in America. Its once small group of visionaries and environmental advocates has grown into a robust organization with over 15,000 organizational members representing all aspects of the building industry, including building owners, developers, third-party management firms, architects, product manufacturers, and service providers. Federal government, state governments, local municipalities, private building owners, and investors, have flocked to the USGBC for a variety of reasons, among the most important is that green buildings have become good business. For more information on the U.S. Green Building Council, visit www.usgbc.org