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What is LEED
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Rating System™ was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. It serves as third-party verification for sustainable site development, materials selection, energy efficiency, water conservation, CO2 emissions reduction, and indoor environmental quality.
LEED® certification is achieved by accumulating credits in six categories that address different areas of a building's environmental performance: Site Selection, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation and Design Process.
LEED® points are awarded on a 100-point scale, and credits are weighted to reflect their potential environmental impacts. Additionally, 10 bonus credits are available, four of which address regionally specific environmental issues. A project must satisfy all prerequisites and earn a minimum number of points (26 credits) to be certified by the USGBC.
For instance, through the LEED® Green Building Rating System for New Construction and Major Renovations (LEED-NC), a building can achieve four different levels of certification based on the number of points obtained. The levels of certification available and corresponding LEED-NC points are:
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LEED® Certified - 40 to 49 Points
LEED® Silver - 50 to 59 Points
LEED® Gold - 60 to 79 Points
LEED® Platinum - 80 Points and Above
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