LEED Certified building : What Is it ?

These buildings reduces the operating costs , increases the occupant's productivity, enhances  the building and organizational marketability.

The latest buzzword in real estate nowadays is  LEED Certified Building.  LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is the internationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green. LEED certified building or  commonly known as the green  designed building , is defined as-

"A green building is one which uses less water, optimizes energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional buildings.” (Source: IGBC website).

LEED CERTIFICATION

LEED certification provides independent, third party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures. The LEED certified buildings receive a 

LEED Plaque which is a nationally accepted and recognized symbol that a building is environmentally  responsible, that it is a healthy place to work and live. Projects earn LEED points for satisfying specific green building criteria within each of the six LEED credit which are:

·sustainable site development

· water savings

·energy efficiency

·materials selection

·indoor environmental quality and

·innovation in design.

·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

Some of the financial benefits of investing in a LEED- Certified building are more obvious than others. Installing energy and water efficient appliances saves on utility bills- a directly observable savings. Other benefits, such as the profits incurred from extra productivity in a workplace with better air quality,  are less observable, but are equally  important. As there is a substantial evidence that these buildings  improve worker productivity, morale, and health of the occupants. People tend to be more productive in buildings with more daylight and fresh air and fewer toxic chemicals. Since person-hours are a lot more expensive than electricity, those savings can dwarf the energy savings.