Currently, global standards for evaluating whether buildings are “green” primarily include the United States Green Building Council’s “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Building Rating System” (LEED), the United Kingdom’s Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), and Japan’s Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE). Of these, LEED is considered the most comprehensive and influential among various international standards for building environmental assessment, green building evaluation, and sustainability assessment.
LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Building Rating System, is a voluntary green building assessment framework. It aims to promote the development of high-performance, sustainable buildings by addressing key areas such as water conservation, energy efficiency, use of renewable energy, material selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Over time, LEED has expanded into eight distinct evaluation categories: new constructions (LEED-NC), existing buildings (LEED-EB), commercial interiors (LEED-CI), core and shell (LEED-CS), residential buildings (LEED Homes), schools (LEED Schools), retail (LEED Retail), and neighborhood development (LEED-ND). Within the LEED system, the roof and other building elements are evaluated according to specific technical requirements, with points awarded for each criterion met. The total score determines the building’s certification level, which can be certified, silver, gold, or platinum, in ascending order.
As of mid-July 2007, LEED had certified 889 commercial projects, with an additional 7,000 commercial buildings in the process of certification. In the residential sector, 200 buildings had been certified, and another 6,000 were under evaluation. Currently, LEED standards focus mainly on new construction, major renovation projects, management of existing buildings, and commercial interior projects. New LEED standards are under development to better serve existing buildings, including offices, retail and service buildings, public buildings (such as schools, museums, and classrooms), hotels, and multi-family residential buildings with more than four stories.
LEED is a third-party certification program that is widely recognized and serves as a valuable guide in the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. It provides building owners and facility managers with practical tools to measure various aspects of building performance in real time. LEED certification promotes sustainable development in five key areas: site sustainability, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.
The certification process begins with project registration during the early design phase. The design team then prepares documentation and calculations based on LEED prerequisites and rating requirements. Both registration and certification involve fees, which are determined by the size of the building.
Why pursue LEED certification for buildings? First, this third-party evaluation determines whether a building meets the strict standards of the LEED green building system. Additionally, more states and regions are connecting incentives and preferential policies to LEED certification. For example, Maryland, New York, and Oregon provide credit loans for LEED-certified buildings. Since fiscal year 2003, the central administration of the US federal government has required all of its buildings to obtain LEED certification.
Source: HVAC Online
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up