Good Monday afternoon to all,
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental design established by the USGBC United States Green Building Council.
http://www.usgbc.org/
for more information on certification process
Why did this organization form and why?
In 1998 almost ten years ago the USGBC was formed to encourage and promote green building tips & techniques and line themselves up with specifications that meet green standards for construction. It was their intent that the USGBC would promote the idea of Integrated design among all involved with the construction process such as architects, owners, engineers, contractors, sub contractors, and vendors of material and specifications.
Integrated design would allow all parties to make comments on the design in their particular specialty to meet or exceed specifications documented in the LEED rating point system.
It was the USGBC intent that this idea of Green building would transform how buildings are design and marketed. A Green or LEED certified building may command more attention for potential buyers and be attractive to purchase or occupy because it has the Green label.
Well it worked!
People are referencing the LEED Specifications and point system early on and it is even mentioned during zoning board meetings while the owner and architect are trying to approve a project in a community. The LEED point or rating system is even finding it's way to the manufacturers of product and the manufacturers are highlighting that they meet or exceed the LEED specifications. Some manufacturers are going so far as to document what LEED point their product would achieve if specified.
To sum up USGBC seems to be catching on many levels and we are all the benefiting from that.
Buildings use 12 percent of water, create 30 percent Greenhouse gas emissions, 65 Percent waste output, and a whopping 70 percent of electric consumption. Buildings are the largest contributor to green house gas so it makes sense that the federal government is involved to help the USGBC continue on their integrated design path and spec. by offering tax incentives to help building owners and developers make even better green decisions that can help offset its carbon footprint.
Green does not always mean more money to construct. It sometimes cost less to construct with a green specifications and it almost always cost less to operate unless something has gone wrong.
Tax incentives may make developers choose Geothermal heating concepts, Wind turbines, and solar panels. All three of these items have a tremendous amount of initial cost that tax savings could help offset.
Developers & home owners always crunch the numbers and the numbers have to make sense.
I just heard yesterday that Babson College is the first college in the greater Boston area to generate and utilize Wind Power.
http://www3.babson.edu/Newsroom/Releases/windturbineannounced.cfm
a link to more detail for Babson College
Could you imagine if every campus in American was off the grid.
Come on Harvard, MIT or my college Wentworth in Boston you should be next.
Wentworth did have its own power plant and I believe Havard and MIT has as well but green energy would be better for us all.
I did hear gas consumption for Americans was down 3 percent yesterday for last month but I am afraid it is because many can not afford to drive in lieu of people making conscience effort to use less.
But it is a start.
Its a great start.
Remember to Tread Lightly or Less
Be green
Be Happy
Eric H. Gjerde AIA
Architect
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