LEED

What is LEED?

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

U.S. Green Building Council members created and continue to improve LEED though a transparent consensus-driven process that promotes environmental stewardship, efficiency, occupant health and best practices. Participation is open to all members. As a community comprised of 78 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 170,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely and diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

Learn more about LEED, its different rating systems and how to get started.

LEED V3

LEED v3 is the latest version of LEED.  It is comprised of LEED 2009, LEED Online, and a new certification model.  Combined, these features help LEED to be more regionally sensitive, help users to access their information more quickly and conveniently, and help add value to all buildings that earn LEED Certification.

The LEED green building certification program's greatest strength lies in its consensus-based, transparent, ongoing development cycle. The ability to be flexible allows LEED to evolve, taking advantage of new technologies and advancements in building science while prioritizing energy efficiency and CO2 emissions reductions.

LEED Professional Credentials

Why hire someone with a LEED Professional Credential?  Because a LEED Professional Credential provides employers, policymakers, and other stakeholders with assurances of an individual's level of competence and is the mark of the most qualified, educated, and influential green building professionals in the marketplace.  Search the chapter's directory for a list of professionals with a LEED Professional Credential in Nevada.

Starting with LEED v3, the Green Building Certification Institute is the third-party certification provider that assures that projects meet the highest performance measures.

GBCI has all the details about LEED Professional Credentials and Credential Maintenance, or check out USGBC-NV's quick reference page.

"How to earn your 30 hours in two years,"  a list of CMP Opportunities

LEED Building Certification

Certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building or neighborhood development project meets the highest green building and neighborhood performance measures. LEED certification is the internationally recognized distinction that a building or neighborhood development is environmentally responsible, profitable and a healthy place to live and work.

Visit the Green Building Certification Institute to learn more about LEED Building Certification.

See the list of Nevada's growing number of high-performance, LEED Certified buildings.