Versions of LEED

Different versions of the rating system are available for specific project types:

• LEED for New Construction
• LEED for Existing Buildings
• LEED for Commercial Interiors
• LEED for Core and Shell
• LEED for Homes
• LEED for Neighborhood Development
• LEED for Schools
• LEED for Retail

1. LEED for New Construction

The LEED for New Construction Rating System is designed to guide and distinguish high-performance commercial and institutional projects, including office buildings, high-rise residential buildings, government buildings, recreational facilities, manufacturing plants and laboratories. LEED-NC projects span a variety of building types and vertical markets, from commercial office buildings to the education and government markets.

2. LEED for Existing Buildings

The LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.  LEED for Existing Buildings addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues (including chemical use), recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs, and systems upgrades.

3. LEED for Commercial Interiors

• The benchmark for tenant improvements of new or existing office space.
• An integrated design tool that sets the industry standards for green design and construction of tenant improvement projects to enhance indoor environment.
• Gives the power to make sustainable choices to tenants and designers, who do not always have control over whole building operations.
• The recognized standard for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work, are less costly to operate and maintain, and reduce environmental footprint.

Benefits

•    Enhance occupant well being and productivity
•    Improve employee retention and reduce absenteeism
•    Reduce liability associated with poor indoor air quality
•    Increase marketability
•    Decrease churn costs
•    Lower operating and maintenance costs

LEED –CI Certification levels

4. LEED for Core and Shell

LEED for Core and Shell development is a green building system that was designed to provide a set of performance standards for certifying the sustainable design and construction of speculative and core and shell buildings. Broadly defined, core and shell construction covers base building elements, such as the structure, envelope and building-level systems, such as central HVAC, etc. The LEED for Core and Shell product recognizes that the division between owner and tenant responsibility for certain elements of the building varies between markets.

5. LEED for Homes

LEED for Homes is a green home certification system for assuring homes are designed and built to be energy- and resource-efficient and healthy for occupants. LEED can be applied to single- and multifamily homes and is intended for both market-rate and affordable housing.

LEED-certified homes are built with efficiency and health in mind, so they have the potential to save residents money on energy and water bills, reduce their carbon footprints and environmental impact, and protect their health. Based on Home Energy Rating System (HERS) tests performed on homes certified during 2008, the average home certified at the LEED-Certified level is predicted to have potential energy savings of up to 30% over homes built to International Energy Conservation Code, a widely used standard; the average LEED-Platinum home could use as much as 60% less energy than an IECC-built home.

Many LEED homes gain certification in part due to a focus on indoor environmental quality. These homes typically have better ventilation, use paints and products that emit little or no dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and/or implement advanced moisture-control strategies, among other health considerations. LEED for Existing Buildings

6. LEED for Neighborhood Development

The LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism, and green building into the first national standard for neighborhood design. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a development's location and design meet accepted high standards for environmentally responsible, sustainable development.

LEED for Neighborhood Development is a collaboration between the U.S. Green Building Council, the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

7. LEED for Schools

The LEED for Schools Rating System recognizes the unique nature of the design and construction of K-12 schools. Based on LEED for New Construction, it addresses issues such as classroom acoustics, master planning, mold prevention, and environmental site assessment. By addressing the uniqueness of school spaces and children’s health issues, LEED for Schools provides a unique, comprehensive tool for schools that wish to build green, with measurable results. LEED for Schools is the recognized third-party standard for high performance schools that is healthy for students, comfortable for teachers, and cost-effective. The LEED for Schools Rating System is most applicable to new construction and major renovation projects in K-12 educational spaces.

Certification Levels:

8. LEED for Retail

LEED for Retail consists of two separate rating systems, LEED for Retail: New Construction and LEED for Retail: Commercial Interiors. Both were developed specifically to address the unique nature of a retail facility. The rating systems are just two tools within a suite of LEED assessment instruments developed by the USGBC to promote market transformation through sustainable building practices.

LEED is a measurable tool that is used to validate the design, construction and operation of a retail facility. With certification comes a potential increase in ROI, sales, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and brand equity. Green buildings also reduce operating costs through the decrease in energy and water usage. A key goal of LEED for Retail is to ensure that the design and construction of a retail space will ensure healthy and efficient operation.