GuillotMatrix2_LEED



**[About LEED]** LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a subdivision of [|USGBC] [United States Green Building Council] which is a non-profit organization, and a green building certification system that is recognized in many countries across the world. The idea is to provide 3rd party verification that a building was designed and built with certain concepts in mind. The main categories of LEED’s performance criteria are sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, locations and linkages, awareness and education, innovation in design, and regional priority. The certification now happens through GBCI [Green Building Certification Institute]. Projects are divided into categories that are LEED for New Construction, Existing Buildings, Commercial Interiors, Retail, Schools, Core and Shell, Homes, Neighborhood Development.
 * [LEED] Leadership in Energy and Environmental Deterrence**

As of January 2007, LEED buildings could be found in 50 states and 24 different countries [2] with over 140,000 LEED Professional Credential holders [1] and over 3,000 buildings. In 2007 it represented about 8% of new U.S. construction. [2] USGBC is expected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. GDP between 2009 and 2013. [1]

LEED v3 was launched in April 2009 and was intended to prioritize efficiency and CO2 emissions reductions. There are four levels of certification to LEED, certified which is 26-32 points [out of 100], silver which is 33-38 points, gold which is 35-51 points, and platinum which is 52-69 points. [1]

The incentive to getting certified is to provide proof to others that you are more positively impacting the environment, to be able to take advantage of state and local government incentives, and boost press coverage in that and future projects. **[Building Certification Process]** The process of getting a building certified within LEED is difficult, costly, and time-intensive. In order to register a building to begin certification, there is a fee of $450 [members] $600 [non-members]. For the documentation, a LEED accredited professional is generally hired because someone with expertise lowers the cost and time. It will also gain a point in the certification if a LEED accredited professional is involved. Documentation on average costs between .5% and 1% of construction costs which can vary from $6,000 to $75,000 [2] according to one source while another source said that cost can be from 4-11% of construction costs. More than half of the costs are directed towards “green” investments in materials, systems, practices, etc. while the other half is directed towards design, documentation and verification. [5] Certification Fees are as follows: [2] LEED certification has become so popular that the USGBC cannot keep up with the documentation for the certification process and of the 14,000 registered projects; only 1,700 have been certified/processed. [As of 2008]. [4] Some governments have implemented regulations that all publicly funded projects must apply to be LEED certified which raises the cost of the project and the money tax payers are putting into it just for a stamp of approval. As of 2003, New York, Washington, Oregon, and Maryland had adopted the LEED system as a minimum standard. Even more were considering it. [5]  **[LEED Design Faults]** In addition to being a very expensive certification process, by LEED’s system, the numbers drive the certification, not aesthetic or human performance principles. The certification system also does not take into account changes that humans make in an adaptable system that responds to changes in people and occupants. Some of the LEED points that can be awarded can give a false sense of security and benevolence towards the environment. For example, a point is awarded for constructing within ½ mile or ¼ mile of public transportation, another point for bicycle storage[5% of occupants] and changing rooms [.5% of occupants] for commercial construction, and another point for providing priority parking for those with low-emission or fuel-efficient vehicles or providing vehicles for 3% of occupants or refueling stations. Just by adding bicycle racks alone gains the building an additional point. This leads to a focus on the point system and numerical values rather than environmental issues. [1]
 * || Less than 50,000 Square Feet   ||  50,000 - 500,000 Square Feet   ||  More than 500,000 Square Feet   ||
 * LEED-NC & LEED-CI || Fixed Rate   ||  Based on Sq. Ft.   ||  Fixed Rate   ||
 * Design Review ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Members || <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$1,250.00   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$0.025/Square Ft.   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$12,500.00   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Non-Members || <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$1,500.00   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$0.03/Square Ft.   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$15,000.00   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana-Bold","serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Construction Review ||  ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Members || <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$500.00   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$0.01/Square Ft.   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$5,000.00   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Non-Members || <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$750.00   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$0.015/Square Ft.   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$7,500.00   ||
 * <span style="color: white; font-family: "Verdana-Bold","serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">LEED-NC & LEED-CI || <span style="color: white; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Fixed Rate   ||  <span style="color: white; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Based on Sq. Ft.   ||  <span style="color: white; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Fixed Rate   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana-Bold","serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Combined Design & Construction Review ||  ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Members || <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$1,750.00   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$0.035/Square Ft.   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$17,500.00   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Non-Members || <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$2,250.00   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$0.045/Square Ft.   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$22,500.00   ||
 * <span style="color: white; font-family: "Verdana-Bold","serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">LEED-EB || <span style="color: white; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Fixed Rate   ||  <span style="color: white; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Based on Sq. Ft.   ||  <span style="color: white; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Fixed Rate   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana-Bold","serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Combined Design & Construction Review ||  ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Members || <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$1,250.00   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$0.025/Square Ft.   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$12,500.00   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Non-Members || <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$1,500.00   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$0.030/Square Ft.   ||  <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">$15,000.00   ||
 * <span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">† ||

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Other countries see LEED as a way that the United States is taking leadership in green building and are adopting our methodology. The LEED system is spreading to other countries; there is currently a LEED in Italy, Canada, India, and Cuba, but the LEED system is not region specific. It does not offer points based on environmental issues specific to certain climates or regions. The points system does not have flexibility for site specific issues. [1]  **[Stakeholders]** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">The stakeholders in the LEED Certification organization are the USGBC, LEED, and GBCI for the attention they receive and benefits and the owners for additional government [both local and state] incentives for creating LEED certified buildings, as well as for positive press coverage they receive as a company or corporation regardless of what the company is actually producing or doing within the building. Stakeholders can also include the inhabitants of the building as their comfort level is accounted for to some level and the LEED accredited professionals whose work is highly valued as many do not know the requirements of each project to be LEED certified or the documentation required for each. LEED AP certified examiners have a monopoly upon the LEED certification industry.
 * “A high-end example is the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis, Maryland. This 32,000 square foot commercial office building houses the headquarters of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and is considered one of the “greenest” buildings ever constructed. Premiums spent for green measures in the building represented a 30 percent increase in the construction costs, or $46 per square foot of the final $199 per square foot construction cost.” [5]**

**[SOLUTIONS]** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">There are many alternatives to LEED as a green building standard. One is [|Green Globes], a green building guidance program that offers online consultants, and software assessments, a rating certification system, and a focus on: consuming fewer fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse emission, conserving water, reducing other forms of pollution, minimizing the impact on the land surrounding the building, and offering a better working environment for occupants. Green Globes does not require as much documentation or a certified individual working with the project and can be done through simple online questionnaires. It also only costs typically $3000-$5000 to use the online tool and have a third party verify the building making it much more reasonable for low-budget buildings and smaller buildings. A few other points Green Globes addresses that are not fully addressed in LEED are: addressing microclimatic design considerations, space optimization and the use of energy efficient technologies. [6]

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|BREEAM] [BRE Environmental Assessment Method] is another green building assessment program that is much more directed toward adaptability to local regulations and conditions across the world. It addresses environmental issues in certain regions, details of construction methods, products, and materials, and references to local codes and standards. For BREEAM there is no set fee, it is dependent upon type of service required, size and complexity of the development, etc. BREEAM is geared towards community sustainability. [7]

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">The GBC tool, [|Minnesota Design Guidelines], and [|National Association of Home Builders] are a few of the many programs that are alternatives to LEED certification. The other alternative is to design sustainably for the sake of the environment, but to be given a label that shows to others your/the building’s worth. Our culture still does not have a focus on long-term maintenance of buildings, we still want to tear them down and build new ones if they don’t serve our purpose. This mentality must first of all change if we are to begin to look into green building techniques. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[ADDITIONAL INFORMATION] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|Analyzing the Cost of Obtaining LEED Certification] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|USGBC] [U.S. Green Building Council] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|GBCI] [Green Building Certification Institute] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|Green Globes] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|BREEAM] [BRE Environmental Assessment Method] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|Minnesota Design Guidelines] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|National Association of Home Builders] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Ask me [I can’t give out the documents I have by copyright law but I can provide more information]

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[REFERENCES INCLUDING PEER-REVIEWED] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[1] U.S. Green Building Council. 2010. [] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[2] Freed, Eric Corey. “Ask the Green Architect: LEED fees, solar panels, and early green buildings”. January 29 2007. organicARCHITECT. [] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[3] “LEED Certification Information”. NRDC [Natural Resources Defense Council]. [] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[4] “Problems with LEED Standards in City and State Building Codes”. 2008. [] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[5] Northbridge Environmental Management Consultants. “Analyzing the Cost of Obtaining LEED Certification”. April 16 2003. [] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[6] Green Building Initiative: Green Globes. [] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[7] BREEAM. 2009 [].

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