If you have been wondering; "What are the LEED certification Requirements ?", we are going to discuss that very thing here in this article. The LEED ( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ) requirements are described below.
The harsh standards that are required for construction are varied and cumbersome. The CO2 emissions reduction section is unnecessary since it has been found that humans never were the reason for the short global warming period the world had. Nevertheless, the details on the LEED rating are rated on a one hundred point criteria. You can get ten bonus points if you are rated really high.
The nine areas of rating involve; indoor environment quality, harmony with the neighborhood, water economy, atmosphere and energy, sustainability, usage of materials and resources, awareness and education, innovation and regional priority. The last topic, regional priority changes like the wind. This subject of regional priority and their credits only applies to areas in the United States, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
The environmentally friendly area of LEED certification requirements is all about Mother Earth. This would seem to point to more durable materials. Building houses and storage buildings and all other manner of architectural construction requires a massive amount of material from the planet. Making a building last longer is the top way to alleviate the problem of wasting the resources of the Earth. Durable building that last for years are therefore more desirable than the current "light" construction techniques that have dominated the last thirty or so years in developed countries. If you design a house with brick instead of wood, you will need to cut down less trees. Since ( as you hopefully learned in fifth grade ) trees provide oxygen for animals and humans to breathe, we will want to incorporate this LEED environmental requirement with vigor.
Water economy under the LEED program is related to the last category. Using less water inside a new LEED building is a worthy goal to strive for. As other countries are having water shortages, if your country is wasting water, something needs to change. LEED is a part of this change. Wasting less water by using tankless water heaters is a good first step in this area.
The indoor quality of the air is another consideration with the LEED program. If a lack of housekeeping is keeping the air in a building dirty, this would be a black mark and would cost points under LEED. The maximum parts per million of common contaminants in a building are going to be a consideration. Particulates must not exceed the limits in a building controlled under LEED. As of yet, the radon levels have not been given a level. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and this point needs to be included in any LEED requirement.
The actual place where you put your building is also going to be under the scrutiny of LEED. If you want to build a restaurant, will it be allowed in the area you are considering ?
This will have to be determined by a LEED worker. Perhaps you may think the community will like the idea of a new restaurant near your town mall. You may want to get in touch with a LEED approved contractor before making any definite plans.
The innovation category is based on how well you use new technology to benefit Mother Earth. Your "regional priority" is out of your hands entirely. All in all this LEED program is cumbersome for many. To implement yet another set of criteria on top of the already burdensome rules and regulations is no doubt going to make the cost of housing shoot skyward that much farther. Should you be concerned about your planet? Of course. Should you allow others to enforce their global rulings on you ? That is another topic entirely and not covered by this article. Time will tell if people will embrace or reject this idea that their housing will need to conform to rules made by people from other cultures and countries.