LEED Synopsis

LEED is a third party certification system recognized in the United States as the national benchmark for design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and first launched in 1998 as a pilot program, LEED has since evolved to include rating systems for specific building typologies, sectors, and project scopes. The various rating systems include: LEED for Core & Shell, LEED for New Construction, LEED for Schools, LEED for Neighborhood Development, LEED for Retail, LEED for Healthcare, LEED for Homes, LEED for Commercial Interiors, and LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance.

Like all LEED rating systems, LEED 2009 for New Construction is a point based system. Within the seven credit categories, projects must fulfill prerequisites and earn points through completing chosen credits. The five primary categories include Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). Innovation in Design (ID) is a bonus category where points can be earned by achieving innovative design or exemplary performance from certain credits in the five primary categories. Regional Priority (RP) is also a bonus category where points can be earned by achieving any of the six primary credits deemed most significant to the local environment (based on zip code).

The number of points a project is awarded determines the level of LEED Certification the project receives. There are 100 possible points through the five primary categories, 6 possible through Innovation in Design and 4 possible through Regional Priority. The scale is progressive and goes as follows:

Certified	40­49 points
Silver	50-59 points
Gold	60-79 points
Platinum	80 points and above