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Green Building Certification with the LEED method
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized environmental certification / assessment for buildings and settlements. It was created by the USGBC-US Green Building Council (Green Building Council of the U.S.) and started as a pilot program in 1998.
Mission
LEED encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable and green building and neighborhood development practices through the creation and implementation of a universally understood and accepted benchmark encompassing existing and new standards, tools, and performance criteria. Leed is:
• Voluntary
• Market – driven
• Consensus based
Rating Systems
LEED for New Construction
LEED for New Construction addresses design and construction activities for:
• new buildings
• major renovations of existing buildings, which includes::
- major HVAC improvements
- significant envelope modifications
- major interior renovation
LEED for Existing Buildings
The rating system encourages owners and operators of existing buildings to implement sustainable practices and reduce the environmental impact of their buildings, while addressing the major aspects of ongoing building operations:
• exterior building site maintenance programs
• water and energy use
• environmentally friendly products and practices for cleaning and alterations
• sustainable purchasing policies
• waste stream management
• ongoing indoor environmental quality
LEED for Core & Shell
LEED for Core & Shell can be used for projects where the developer controls the design and construction of the entire core and shell base building (e.g., mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems) but has no control over the design and construction of the tenant fit-out.
LEED for Commercial Interiors
LEED for Commercial Interiors is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green tenant spaces. The targets are:
• Healthy and productive places to work
• Low operational and maintenance costs
• Reduced environmental footprint
LEED for Retail
LEED for Retail is designed to guide and distinguish high-performance retail projects, including banks, restaurants, apparel, electronics, big box and everything in between.
LEED for Retail recognizes the unique nature of the retail environment and addresses the different types of spaces retailers need for their product lines. LEED for Retail provides two options for projects seeking certification:
• New Construction & Major Renovations
• Commercial Interiors
LEED for Homes
Leed for Homes is the recognized system for residential buildings. Leed method enhances the commercial value of the residential building ensuring a healthy and sustainable environment stay and reducing the required energy use by 20-30%.
LEED for Neighborhood Development
LEED for Neighborhood Development is the recognized system for whole neighborhoods, portions of neighborhoods, multiple neighborhoods—there is no minimum or maximum size. LEED for Neighborhood Development integrates the principles of:
• smart growth
• urbanism
• green building
• sustainable development
LEED for Schools
LEED for Schools is the recognized third-party standard for high performance schools that are healthy for students, comfortable for teachers, and cost-effective.
LEED for Healthcare
The goal of the LEED for Healthcare rating system is to help you design, build and operate, high-performance healing environments.
Certification Levels
The scale consists of 4 assessment levels
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| Certified Building |
Certified: 40-49 points |
| Silver |
Silver: 50-59 points |
| Gold |
Gold: 60-79 points |
| Platinum |
Platinum: 80-100 points |
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Main credit categories
1. Sustainable sites credits:
Encourage strategies that minimize the impact on ecosystems and water resources.
2. Water efficiency credits:
Promote smarter use of water, inside and out, to reduce potable water consumption.
3. Energy & atmosphere credits:
Promote better building energy performance through innovative strategies.
4. Materials & resources credits:
Encourage using sustainable building materials and reducing waste.
5. Indoor environmental quality credits:
Promote better indoor air quality and access to daylight and views.
Predominance of L.E.E.D compared with other methods of evaluation
• Internationally recognized system
• Wide range of parameters assessing the sustainability of a building
• The building must meet certain minimum requirements to join the evaluation system
• Promotes sustainable development on an urban and regional level
L.E.E.D. & L.E.E.D., Greek Legislation and New Buildings
New Building Regulations (N.4067/2012) :
• Identifies the LEED Method as an internationally recognized methodology for environmental
assessment
• Outstanding environmental performance of buildings is demonstrated with the LEED Gold certification.
Such buildings are included in the privileged status of buildings with minimum energy consumption that
benefit from a 10% increase of their building factor.
Certification Process
Phase I: Launch
• Determination of needs / requirements of project and project owner
• Coordination of Partners
• Sign up project on LEED Online
• Organization and training of the project team
• Start procedures
Phase II: Design
• Completion of design
• Collection of required documents
• Verification of design by GBCI
Phase III: Construction
• Completion of construction
• Collection of required documents
• Verification of construction by GBCI
Phase IV: Certification
• Secure LEED certification plaque
• Conduct users research
• Inspect / Investigate for LEED for Existing Buildings: Operation & Maintenance
The services we provide in relation to the LEED Certification System are:
• Ensure organized and coordinated process for certification
• Training and guidance the parties involved
• Coordination of all involved teams
• Consultancy for technical, procedural and financial issues throughout the the project duration
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