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Since the 1990s, there has been growing concern about the environmental impact of buildings. Responding to this awareness, numerous certifications have been developed to guide the industry towards more virtuous practices.
If you are interested in these topics, you have probably already heard of LEED. With nearly 200,000 certified projects worldwide, it is now a reference in the assessment of sustainable buildings.
Adapted to all types of projects, this standard covers an extensive range of environmental, human and economic themes. It thus positions itself at the crossroads of contemporary issues related to building sanitary and environmental quality.
So what are the LEED certification requirements? And what are the benefits ? Find out all the details in the article below!
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification was developed by the US Green Building Council in 1998. Its mission ? “Accelerates and scales transformation of the built environment to minimize climate impacts and enhance the well-being of people, the environment and communities worldwide”.
An ambitious program that has been widely adopted internationally! In nearly 30 years of existence, LEED has expanded to more than 185 countries, making it the most widely used certification in the world.
A popularity that can be explained by its numerous variations. Indeed, LEED comes in several standards depending on the type of project evaluated (tertiary, residential, urbanism…), but also according to its development phase (design, operation…).
Regarding the cost, it is very variable as many parameters come into play: the standard, the area of the evaluated site, various additional fees… However, it is estimated that it costs about $0.0014-0.0057 per square foot, making it a relatively affordable label compared to other certifications.
I Note: LEED certification costs are available on this page..
Are you a candidate for LEED certification ?
First of all, you will need to select the standard you want to comply with. Next, you must register your project on the LEED Online platform and pay the application fees.
It is then necessary to submit documentation demonstrating compliance with the various criteria of the standard. A thorough technical review will follow, during which additional information or documents may be requested.
At the end of this process, 4 levels of certification can be awarded to the assessed building:
Note, however, that this is the general approach and specifics may apply for each standard.
I Note: LEED is one of the few certification processes that does not include an audit phase. The certification is therefore awarded based on the submitted documentation, without an on-site visit.
The standard is based on a system of points awarded for compliance with various criteria. LEED certification requirements are divided into 8 main categories :
⮕ Location and transportation: to what extent does the building make it possible to limit car use? Options include access to public transportation, use of active mobility or remote working.
⮕ Site: focuses on site management to minimize environmental impacts, such as stormwater management or heat island reduction.
⮕ Water efficiency: aims to reduce water consumption
⮕ Energy : focuses on energy performance, the use of renewable energies, and overall, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
⮕ Materials and resources: limit the environmental impact of the company’s material goods. This theme covers both everyday products (paper, ink cartridges, etc.) and permanent items (furnishings, audiovisual equipment, etc.).
⮕ Indoor environmental quality: concerns the indoor environment quality, including air quality, lighting or thermal comfort.
⮕ Innovation: rewards innovative practices that go beyond the standard criteria. For example, growing food on site, or implementing solutions to protect local wildlife.
⮕ Regional priority: credits can be awarded to projects that address specific issues in their location.
Each category has prerequisites that must be met, as well as optional credits that allow accumulating points. For example, it is mandatory to meet minimum air renewal thresholds or monitor certain energy consumption data. On the other hand, rainwater harvesting and light pollution reduction are optional credits.
I Note: Of all LEED certification requirements, 35% are related to climate change, 20% to impact on human health, 15% to water resources, 10% to impact on biodiversity, 10% to the green economy and 5% to impact on communities and natural resources.
Like all environmental certifications, LEED comes with many benefits: improved occupant comfort, health protection, regulatory compliance, increased property value… Certified buildings can often benefit from a reduction in operating costs of as much as 19%!
On its website, the US Green Building Council provides some data : LEED buildings were found to use an average of 25% less energy and 11% less water.
According to a study by Cushman & Wakefield, these buildings charge an average 11% higher rent than their non-certified counterparts. When they are sold, they command a 21.4% higher price per square foot, a rate that climbs as high as 77.5% for some offices!
Finally, during the construction phase, following LEED standards can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50%.
Want to demonstrate your commitment and reap the benefits of environmental certification? Most green building labels can be easily obtained with our solutions!
The BD+C standard applies to buildings under construction or undergoing major renovation. Achieving this certification is facilitated by INDALO®, our indoor air quality modeling solution.
Thanks to its indoor air chemistry calculation engine, our software allows you to explore different design scenarios. As a result, you can assess the impact of your decisions on the health quality of your future building and be in compliance with LEED IAQ requirements.
I Note: we can perform your final IAQ measurements. However, our design simulations ensure that IAQ thresholds are met when the building is delivered.
O+M is the standard for buildings during their operational phase. Here, the most important criteria relates to the energy management of the building and the quality of its indoor environment. In fact, these two topics respectively account for 35 and 22 points out of the 100 that can be validated.
INDALO® Supervision significantly improves the energy performance of your building and the quality of its indoor environment. Thanks to its predictive capabilities, our solution implements the best possible control of your HVAC equipment over the next 24 hours.
Therefore, it guarantees the validation of most indoor environmental quality and energy performance criteria.
Save up to 50% on your energy consumption while maintaining healthy indoor air and optimal thermal comfort for your occupants. In doing so, you will have secured almost half of your LEED credits.
Our team of experts is ready to assist you with your environmental certification projects and, more generally, with your energy performance improvement projects. Contact us !
