ShareThisIf you are here, you probably have already seen the news that The upcoming Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly building has received LEED’s(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification.
Here is a brief of what it takes to get that certification
LEED Green Building Rating System is developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and provides a suite of standards for the environmentally sustainable design, construction and operation of buildings and neighborhoods. Five overarching categories correspond to the specialties available under the LEED Accredited Professional program.
LEED certified buildings are supposed to use resources more efficiently when compared to conventional buildings which are simply built to code. LEED certified buildings often provide healthier work and living environments, which contributes to higher productivity and improved employee health and comfort. The next version of LEED’s rating is expected to address the carbon footprint requirement.
That suite currently consists of:
- Green Building Design & Construction
- Green Interior Design & Construction
- Green Building Operations & Maintenance
- Green Neighborhood Development
- Green Home Design and Construction
LEED 2009 (v3)
In LEED 2009 there are 100 possible base points plus an additional 6 points for Innovation in Design and 4 points for Regional Priority. Buildings can qualify for four levels of certification:
- Certified – 40 – 49 points
- Silver – 50 – 59 points
- Gold – 60 – 79 points
- Platinum – 80 points and above
- Note that the LEED for Homes rating system is different than LEED v3, with different point categories and thresholds that reward efficient residential design.
Prerequisites and Credits
Points are distributed across credits seven credit categories. Prerequisites in each category receive no points and are mandatory for all projects. The LEED 2009 Rating System for New Construction and Major Renovations is shown here.
Sustainable Sites – 26 Possible Points
Weight-age is given to Construction activity pollution prevention, site selection , connectivity, vehicle emission, storm water (quality & quantity), light pollution reduction and heat island effect on the roof and maximizing open space.
Water Efficiency – 10 Possible Points
Weight-age is given to measures in place to reduce water use, innovative waste-water technologies and water efficient landscaping.
Energy and Atmosphere – 35 Possible Points
Weight-age is given to building energy systems, energy performance, renewable energy usage on the site.
Materials and Resources – 14 Possible Points
Weight-age is given to construction waste management and reuse of the material, usage of rapidly renewable materials. Additional weightage is given to reuse or maintaining of existing walls / floors / roof.
Indoor Environmental Quality – 15 Possible Points
Weight-age is given to ETS control, minimum air quality performance, increased ventilation, air exhaust monitoring, air management plans, lighting control systems, indoor pollution control, maximizing daylight usage.
Innovation in Design – 6 Possible Points
Weight-age is given to innovation in design and the presence of LEED accredited professionals on-board.
Regional Priority – 4 Possible Points
Regional Priority Credits is to incentivize the achievement of credits that address geographically specific environmental priorities.
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