LEED Certification Process

A building pursuing LEED Certification must go through the process of improving in the different areas that it will be graded on.  The process starts by looking at each of the levels of certification and determining the desired level.  The different levels of certification are Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Certified.  Each is separated by the number of points achieved during the final evaluation.

A LEED Certified building has made enough environmentally conscience improvements to warrant certification.  Areas of improvement can include energy and water usage.  A Platinum level of Certification has typically made improvements in every category to warrant and justify the highest score achievable.  Each category has to be carefully scrutinized to make the necessary improvements to warrant a higher score.  Very few buildings achieve the prestigious level of Platinum Certification.

Each level comes with tax and zoning benefits that help offset the initial additional cost.  The prestige of creating a certified building also holds merit for many consumers in the marketplace.  Consumers continue to reward environmentally conscience companies with their dollars.  Many companies have found different ways to reduce material and energy required to produce their product, which further drives down the cost of production and increases profit margins in a competitive global economy.

One of the first steps to pursuing certification is by clicking hereto contact a LEED Professional.  This qualified individual will be able to advise on different building techniques that have been successful in improving scores in the past.  The LEED Professional may need to see different stages of the building process to aid in the final evaluation.  Materials used in the construction of the building may help improve the overall score if they have certain qualities.

One simple way to improve scores could be as easy as selecting energy star appliances to help reduce the overall energy usage in the building or using energy efficient light bulbs throughout the building.  These substitutions could make a big impact and will also save money on the electric bill each and every month.  The LEED Professional has many tips that range in their ease of substitution that could be implemented for the desired overall rating.  An important key to remember is to determine what level of certification you are wanting to achieve and making the appropriate considerations to achieve that level.  The financial commitment may increase with the higher levels, but pay dividends in long term savings and perks of that level.  The environment and surrounding community will also be grateful for keeping it green.