Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a voluntary nationwide green building rating system developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is a nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of green buildings. There are four levels of LEED certification for new buildings-Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Certification is based on a point system, with points awarded for performance in categories of water, energy, materials, indoor environment, innovation in materials and sustainable sites. www.usgbc.org/leed