What is LEED?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a consensus-based rating system for buildings administered by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
What is the USGBC?
The USGBC is the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Their more than 7,500 member organizations and network of 75 regional chapters are united to advance their mission of transforming the building industry to sustainability. (Taken from the USGBC website.)
What is the relationship between the USGBC and The Green Roundtable?
The Green Roundtable, Inc. (GRT) is one of six Affiliates of the USGBC. While USGBC Chapters are direct extensions of the national organization and conform to all its protocols and regulations, Affiliates are independent 501c3 nonprofits that support and promote USGBC and also run independent programs. Affiliates and Chapters are two forms of local representation of the national USGBC that facilitate community involvement and volunteer opportunities. GRT and USGBC both work to mainstream green building and sustainable design.
How does LEED work?
In most LEED rating systems, buildings receive points for satisfying green building requirements in six categories: Sustainable Sites, Energy and Atmosphere, Water Conservation, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation and Design. (Categories may vary depending on the LEED rating system. See next heading.) The number of points earned determines the level of LEED rating. Buildings may be LEED Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.
There are different LEED rating systems for different types of building projects:
• New Commercial Construction and Major Renovation projects (LEED-NC)
• Existing Building Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EB)
• Commercial Interiors projects (LEED-CI)
• Core and Shell development projects (LEED-CS)
• Homes (LEED for Homes)
• Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND)
• Market Sector Applications (schools, retail, healthcare, labs & campuses