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LEED certification
In this post I will comment on some of the highlights of the American model of LEED certification, which is currently configured as one of the most important at the international level, whose objective is assess the sustainability of a building taking into account its environmental impact throughout its useful life cycle.
The characteristics of the LEED certification for sustainable buildings ranges from their design to their demolition, considering the process of its execution as well as any other possible intervention in it, reform or maintenance.
It can be said that, like other models of international certification of green buildings such as the BREEAM certification, aims to guarantee that certain policies of sustainability in building construction through stamps or certificates. So the leed certifications are important!
What is LEED certification?
It is a kind of international certification developed by the US Green Building Council so that the buildings meet some sustainability standards.
The first LEED certified building It was created in the United States in 1998 and, since then, having been used in several countries, expanding borders for its interest.
The objective of LEED certification is to reduce the environmental impact of buildings
It is based on implement aspects in projects to improve energy efficiency and respect for the environment, as well as the use of renewable energies, improving the quality of the interior environment, efficiency in water consumption, sustainable development respecting the nature of free spaces as well as the use and selection of materials and natural resources.
It is voluntary and is intended to improve the implementation of strategies or actions to reduce the environmental impact of buildings of any type.
Types of LEED certification
There are four different types of energy certification that are awarded based on the credits assigned or score obtained for each building, which are the following:
- LEED Platinum (Platinum): for buildings that score 80 or more points.
- LEED Gold (gold): for buildings that score between 60 and 79 points.
- LEED Silver (silver): for buildings that achieve in the range of 50 to 59 points.
- LEED Certified: for buildings that obtain between 40 and 49 points.
Within the leed standards, It also covers all the urban scales competent for planning, with specific certifications for different types of buildings:
| Certification code | Types of buildings |
| LEED NC | New buildings |
| LEED CS | Open-plan buildings for flexible uses |
| LEED EB BD | Existing buildings (refurbishment) |
| LEED CI | Commercial Interiors |
| LEED H | Houses |
| LEED NB Neighborhoods | Global vision of urban settlements |
Some benefits of LEED and parameters considered
The LEED certified buildings allows to guarantee that projects meet environmental and economic performance requirements oriented towards the building's occupants.
As the main advantage, it turns out that they require less energy, have a lower water consumption and also significantly reduce operation and maintenance costs.
Are healthier and more environmentally friendly buildings. Some of these aspects considered in the LEED certification are the following:
1.- Sustainable Sites.
It measures the impact that the choice of a specific place can have on the local environment to reduce the impact on the ecosystems and resources of the area.
This impact can be reduced in various ways, such as choosing land with good accessibility, close to services and high-density areas, so that the reduction in travel time reduces CO2 emissions and the impact on natural environments generated by the motor vehicles.
Another strategy may be to reduce the use of impervious pavements and increase green areas or spaces to reduce the high temperatures of normal pavements and allow the natural characteristics of these areas to be maintained.
2.- Water Efficiency.
It integrates those strategies and technologies that allow reducing the amount of water consumed by the building in order to promote a more intelligent and rational use of this resource.
Many of these water conservation strategies have zero cost and quick returns. Said efficiency measures in the management and use of water, such as the use of low-consumption equipment coupled with sensors and automatic controllers, can achieve a significant reduction in consumption.
3.-Energy and Atmosphere.
This parameter assesses the energy behavior of the building by quantifying the amount of energy it needs for its operation and, in turn, the use of renewable energy to improve its efficiency.
In this way, it is established that the better the energy performance, the lower the operating costs will be. (See also article on how to save energy at home)
4.-Materials and Resources.
At this point, the use of recycled materials is valued promoting the conservation of resources, the reduction of waste generated during the entire process or life cycle of the building and ultimately the primary objective is focused on minimizing the impact on the environment that causes the manufacture and transportation of new materials.
5.-Indoor Environmental Quality.
Those parameters that improve the quality of the interior environment are considered, such as the use of natural light, thermal and acoustic comfort, ventilation, etc.
These objectives make it possible to increase the market value for some buildings and at the same time the quality of life of the occupants as well as their productivity if we speak of buildings for tertiary or industrial use. (Of interest the article of air conditioning system for buildings)
Likewise, the use of high amounts of clean and filtered outdoor air, increased ventilation, control of pollutants and humidity, etc. will allow said indoor air to have a higher quality.
6.- Innovation and Design.
Design is valued as well as innovation in all those measures that allow performance above LEED standards or requirements, or any other innovation not contemplated within the previous categories.
Leed certification process and its validation
The system to grant LEED certification is based on carrying out the analysis and assessment of the aforementioned aspects by an agent or independent certifier accredited by the USGBC (US Green Building Council).
The specialist is in charge of collecting all the necessary information in each project, to carry out the analysis of the same and thus be able to grant the corresponding qualification, it can be said that said valuation work is divided into the following stages:
- Project registration with the USGBC
- Definition of the type of certification to be applied
- Pre-evaluation: from the data obtained, intentions and goals of the project
- Certification application
- Review and certification
Note: The PDF Information to obtain the LEED Certification is very interesting.
There are different systems that allow evaluation based on the type of building as well as its complexity. In principle, it is focused on new construction buildings, but a posteriori others have been developed that allow evaluating other types of works such as interior fittings (LEED for commercial Interiors) or for buildings in operation (LEED Operations and Mintenance).
These are standards that have been varying and modifying over time, always without losing sight of the main purpose aimed at improving sustainability both in the industrial sector and in other types of buildings for any use.
Other points of interest to better understand the LEED architecture and resources:
- Official website of the US Green Building Council… HERE.
- Official website in Spain Green Building Council … HERE (Access documents of interest).
- Guide manual in PDF of Basic Concepts of Green Buildings and LEED… HERE.
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