Are you looking for a LEED assessment for your next project?
At Certified Energy we take pride helping our clients and their projects in reaching their full potential, ensuring maximum savings and minimum energy use, allowing for cost effective yet sustainable solutions. For more information about LEED please read the detailed description below, or call us at 1300 443 674, our dedicated staff will be happy to help in any way possible.
What is LEED?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED is an international green building certification system recognised as a benchmark for industry excellence in sustainability. It provides external verification (outside of that of the requirements of specific councils), that a building or community project was designed and built with use of strategies that aim to improve performance across topics such as: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emission reduction, improved indoor environment quality, management of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
A certification from LEED should indicate a healthier and much less stressed space promoting and responding to the wellbeing of the occupants, also indicating a sustainable space reducing stress on the environment through the promotion of energy and resource-efficient buildings, also providing savings with increased building value, higher lease rates and decreased utility costs. A LEED certification ensures more cost savings through reduced electricity use, lower carbon emissions and healthier environments for the places in which we regularly live.
When is a LEED Certificate required?
A LEED certification is an optional rating that certain high performing buildings can request in order to demonstrate their efforts to create healthy, liveable and sustainable spaces. LEED is not a requirement for any council however adds a cost benefit to projects with the rating demonstrating the building’s commitment to sustainable and renewable living.
There are many benefits of having a LEED rating such as being much more competitive, with sustainability leading to market differentiation and financial performance. Having happier employees and occupants in the building, and subsequently attracting desirable tenants wanting to live in and with the benefits of a green building, also having a financial benefit with lease-up rates ranging from average to 20% above average for green buildings. Other financial benefits include lower operational costs, saving energy and resources making a more cost effective building during construction and operation with more inviting spaces encouraging activity and promoting productivity.LEED assessment is controlled by the USGBC, through which assessors can be accredited to undertake LEED ratings. LEED is assessed by rating how the building complies with certain sustainability goals that the USGBC has outlined as stated above.
What are the requirements of a LEED certificate?
There are five different certification types through which a building can be categorised and assessed, those being building design and construction, interior design and construction, building operations and maintenance, neighbourhood development, and Homes. Each of these categories defines a certain type of sustainability compliance having various sustainability goals. To be assessed by LEED the project must firstly comply with the requirements of the type that it is categorised in, be in a fixed location so as to accurately assess its surrounding climate’s effect on the thermal comfort of the structure, it must also use reasonable boundaries as outline by LEED, as well as complying with the project size requirements.
How is LEED assessed?
LEED assessment is controlled by the USGBC, through which assessors can be accredited to undertake LEED ratings. LEED is assessed by rating how the building complies with certain sustainability goals that the USGBC has outlined as stated above.
How much does a LEED rating cost?
The cost for a LEED rating depends on the size and complexity of the project as well as the fees for certification, for more information on the base costs of LEED certification as outlined by LEED, please visit their website. If you would like to discuss your options please feel free to call us.
