The LEED rating system explained

Buildings impact the environment as much as the occupants and the society at large. Gene Bernshtam hopes, in this article, to explain about the LEED rating system that most buildings today acquire in order to be certified that they are friendly to the environment.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED is a green building certification program used around the world to rate buildings according to their compliance with the parameters developed by the nonprofit group US Green Building Council. This was later adopted by other countries, as they implement their own green building standards based on their specific context.

LEED 2009

Otherwise known as LEED V.3, LEED 2009 is the rating system used exclusively for the built environment. Under LEED 2009, a building undergoes evaluation and must score up to 100 points (maximum) across six categories. This includes sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environment quality (IEQ) and design innovation. There are four levels of LEED certification that buildings can qualify for. These are: Certified (40–49 points), Silver (50–59 points), Gold (60–79 points), and Platinum (80 points and above).

Why pursue a LEED Certification

Although reasons are varied, the LEED rating system has brought to the attention of the public the environmental impact of buildings. Gene Bernshtam notes the valuable incentive given to owners, clients, designers, and other stakeholders once a building has been certified by LEED or its equivalent organization to the country where it is built. Nevertheless, even without LEED, property owners must actively pursue and promote building practices that are kind enough to the environment.

Gene Bernshtam has been a CEO of a number of companies. He currently leads Avalon Holdings LLC, a commercial real estate investment and development firm, specializing in apartment buildings and mixed-use properties. For more about Gene, you may visit this website.