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The LEED® (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating
System is a voluntary, consensus-based national
standard for developing high performance,
sustainable buildings. Members of the U.S. Green
Building Council representing all segments of the
building industry developed LEED and continue to
contribute to its evolution. LEED standards are
currently available for:
- New Construction and Major
Renovation Projects
- Existing Building
Operations
- Commercial Interiors
Projects
- Core and Shell Projects
Projects are rated on a point
system. There are four levels of achievement (in
order of lowest to highest): Certified, Silver,
Gold, and Platinum.
LEED was created to:
- Define “green building” by
establishing a common standard measurement.
- Promote integrated,
whole-building design practices.
- Recognize environmental
leadership in the building industry.
- Stimulate green
competition.
- Raise consumer awareness
of green building benefits.
- Transform the building
market.
Many Federal Agencies are
encouraging or mandating the use of the LEED rating
system as a checklist to guide the design and
construction process. These agencies include the
Department of Defense, the General Services
Administration, NASA, Environmental Protection
Agency, the State Department, and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention among others. Many
States and Municipalities are also mandating that
their buildings are required to be designed to LEED
Certification Standards as a minimum and some are
even requiring LEED Gold and Silver.
LEED Daylighting Systems
can earn or contribute to the following credits:
- Energy & Atmosphere
- Materials & Resource
- Indoor Environmental
Quality
- Innovation & Design
Process
Energy & Atmosphere
- Credit for Daylight.
Minimum Daylight Factor of 2% (meaning light
levels inside the space must be 2% minimum
of the light levels outdoors) in 75% of all
space occupied for critical visual tasks.
(One point)
- Energy Optimization Credit.
This credit is determined by reducing the
design energy cost compared to the energy
cost budget for energy systems regulated by
ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999 (without
amendments), as demonstrated using a whole
building simulation using the Energy Cost
Budget Method described in Section 11 of the
Standard. An analysis may be used comparing
the design to local energy standards if a
defensible equivalency to ASHRAE/IESNA
Standards 90.1-1999 has been established.
(One to Ten points available depending on
the results of the energy simulation)
Materials & Resources
- In LEED version 2.1, there is a credit
available if the project uses a minimum of
20% of the building materials and products
that are manufactured regionally within a
radius of 500 miles. This is especially
important for projects in Southern
California and Arizona. (One point) Under
LEED version 2.2, this credit has been
altered. The credit requires that materials
not only be manufactured within the 500 mile
radius, but that they also be
harvested/extracted within the 500 miles
radius as well. Solatube cannot provide the
required supporting documentation for this
credit under LEED version 2.2 due to the
very nature of material supply from metal
and plastic providers.
Indoor Environmental Quality
- Controllability of Systems
(perimeter and nonperimeter).
Solatube Daylighting Systems can be
beneficial to achieving this credit if the
Daylight Dimmer is used to offer occupants
total control of the daylit environment.
(One to Two points)
Innovation & Design Process
- Innovation in Design.
Points are awarded for exceptional
performance above the requirements set by
the LEED Green Building Rating System and/or
innovative performance in Green Building
categories not specifically addressed by the
LEED Green Building Rating System. (One to
Four points)
There is likely a local U.S.
Green Building Council chapter in your area. This is
a great way to learn more about sustainable design
and gives you the opportunity to network with design
and construction professionals who are interested in
using products that would help contribute to
achieving LEED certification in their projects. For
more information, check the US Green Building
Council ’s website at
www.usgbc.org. |
