Understanding the LEED rating systems and certification levels set by USGBC is the first step to understanding LEED terminology.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most commonly used green building rating system in the world. Millions of people benefit from LEED-certified buildings because they provide safe, healthy, and sustainable spaces to live, work, and learn. Construction projects pursuing LEED certification must follow specific guidelines based on the rating system the project falls under. To begin, it is important to understand the different rating types and certification levels, as well as the LEED program as a whole.
The History of LEED
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) was formed in the early 1990s. The first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, LEED 1.0, launched in 2000. LEED has become one of the world’s most widely adopted green building rating systems.
Fast forward 20 years, and LEED is now the gold standard for third-party-verified green building rating systems. Over 140 countries use LEED, with 75,000+ certified buildings. In the US, LEED is required for all federally funded projects, two-thirds of state-funded projects, and thousands of municipalities and higher education institutions. Additionally, 90% of Fortune 100 companies seek LEED certification for their building portfolios.
LEED certification levels
When the first version of the LEED rating system rolled out, it offered four certification levels: Certified (then Bronze), Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Certification was, and still is, based on meeting a set number of prerequisites (must-dos) and the total points earned. Simply put, more points equal a higher certification level.
LEED rating systems
Originally one rating system for new construction geared towards offices, there are now 9 rating systems and multiple iterations covering everything from homes to neighborhoods to, indeed, entire cities. LEED v1 morphed into LEED v2, v2.1, v2.2, LEED 2009 (or v3), v4, v4.1 and finally where it stands today with LEED v5.
LEED Rating Systems and Subtypes with Project Examples
Green Badgerโs LEED documentation software has helped hundreds of project teams, including Messer Constructionโs IU Health Riley project and Clancy & Theys’ Gwendolyn at Glen Lennox Office Building project, achieve BD+C and ID+C certification. With LEED for Homes’ growing popularity, we’re working to give our project teams the ability to use Green Badger to manage this LEED rating system, along with other green building rating systems like WELL certification.
Here’s a list of the LEED rating systems to get us started:
- BD+C โ Building Design and Construction
- ID+C โ Interior Design and Construction
- O+M โ Building Operations and Maintenance
- ND โ Neighborhood Development
- LEED for Homes
- Cities and Communities
- LEED Recertification
- LEED Zero
LEED Rating System for BD+C โ Building Design and Construction
Bradbury Stamm โ Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority North / South Buildings โ Albuquerque, NM (LEED v4 BD+C Gold)
The LEED rating system for new construction or major renovations covers design and construction for new buildings and major renovations. It offers a framework for designing and constructing a holistically green building. This system focuses on building materials, indoor air quality, resource efficiency, and occupant health. The LEED rating system also covers Core & Shell projects. This applies when the developer controls the design and construction of the entire protection system. BD+C also includes applications for Schools, Retail, Hospitality, Data Centers, Warehouses & Distribution Centers and Healthcare buildings. According to USGBC, โThe percentage of LEED-certified new construction projects that are improving energy performance by at least 10.5%, according to an analysis of 7,100 projects.โ
In the example above, a project team at Bradbury Stamm used Green Badger on their Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority North/South Buildings project in Albuquerque, NM, which achieved LEED v4 BD+C Gold.
This certification requires tracking the LEED-compliant products used in the buildingโs construction. Tracking these products and finding the right documentation has been a hassle for project teams. Green Badger solves this problem by providing a product database with thousands of green building products and a project dashboard that logs all project materials, costs, and supporting documentation like EPDs and HPDs.
“Before Green Badger, I tracked materials and pricing using a spreadsheet from project specifications,” said Taylor H., Project Engineer at Bradbury Stamm Construction. “I hadn’t managed a LEED project alone before. We usually hired a company for all LEED projects. This project was a learning curve. Without this program and evolving material database, it could have taken much longer to complete.” Read the full case study.
LEED Rating System for ID+C โ Interior Design and Construction
Summer Consultants Inc Headquarters โ McLean, Virginia (LEED v3 ID+C Gold)
The LEED rating system for Interior Design and Construction covers complete interior fit-out projects. It includes Commercial Interiors projects and spaces for non-retail or non-hospitality functions. It also covers Retail and Hospitality applications. The Summer Consultants Inc. Headquarters project achieved LEED ID+C Gold. The LEED 2009 rating system is phased out in favor of LEED v4.1.
LEED Rating System for O+M โ Building Operations and Maintenance
Sheraton Waikiki & Royal Hawaiian โ Honolulu, Hawaii (LEED v3 O+M Gold)
The LEED rating system for O+M Building Operations and Maintenance focuses on existing buildings. It applies to buildings undergoing improvement work or with little to no construction. O+M includes Schools, Retail, Hospitality, Data Centers, and Warehouses & Distribution Centers. The Facilities Department at Sheraton Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian executed the project example above, with assistance from Ernst & Young’s Green Building Practice. According to USGBC, “LEED for Operations and Maintenance (O+M) offers existing buildings an opportunity to focus on building operations. It supports whole buildings and interior spaces that have been fully operational and occupied for at least one year.”
LEED Rating System for ND โ Neighborhood Development
9th and Berks Street TOD โ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (LEED v3 ND: Built Project Platinum)
The LEED rating system for Neighborhood Development looks beyond an individual building to take a more comprehensive look at how sustainable and well-connected our communities are as a whole. This applies to new land development projects or redevelopment projects. Projects can be at any stage of the development process, from conceptual planning to construction, including:
- Plan: Certification is available for your neighborhood-scale project at any stage of planning or design, up to 75% constructed.
- Built: For neighborhood-scale projects that are nearly completed or were completed within the last three years.
The Paseo Verde project pictured above achieved LEED 2009 Platinum Certification for Neighborhood Development โ the highest level available for LEED ND certification. According to USGBC, โthe mixed-use site weaves the two neighborhoods together and creates a pedestrian-rich environment that both leverages and enhances the adjoining transit station.โ With this comprehensive approach to neighborhood sustainability planning, project teams will have a diverse set of key players. A BD+C project team may consist of general contractors, subcontractors, architects, owners, and sustainability experts. For a LEED ND project, the team may include urban planners, architects, civil engineers, transportation planners, landscape architects, and biology/botany experts.
LEED Rating System for Homes
SmartHaus Duplex โ Libertyville, Illinois (Certification Level: Gold)
On the opposite side of LEED ND is LEED for Homes, which focuses on a single residential property. The LEED rating system for residential home construction applies to single-family homes, low-rise (one to three stories), or mid-rise (four to six stories) and can be pursued by developers or homeowners building sustainable new construction. Residential buildings taller than six stories use LEED BD+C. According to USGBCโs LEED in Motion: Residential report, the number of LEED-certified single- and multi-family homes has grown 19% since 2017, representing more than 400,000 units.
LEED Rating System for Cities and Communities
Las Vegas, Nevada โ The city has achieved LEED Gold certification.
LEED for Cities and Communities measures and manages entire cities. It also focuses on sub-sections of a cityโs water consumption, energy use, waste, transportation, and human experience.
LEED Rating System for Net Zero Carbon – LEED Zero
Discovery Elementary School โ Alexandria, Virginia (LEED Zero Energy)
The LEED rating system for LEED Zero is for projects with net-zero goals for carbon, energy, waste, or water. This certification is available for all projects certified under the BD+C or O+M rating systems or pursuing LEED O+M certification. According to USGBC, Discovery Elementary School is “the first school to earn LEED Zero Energy certification” and has saved $117,000 annually in utility costs compared to a typical elementary school of the same size in the same school district. For more examples of LEED Zero projects, check out this article highlighting the first 10 projects to achieve the certification.
LEED Rating System for Building Recertification
LEED Recertification helps owners maintain and improve their buildings over time. This LEED rating system applies to all occupied, in-use projects that previously achieved LEED certification. This includes BD+C and ID+C, regardless of their initial rating system or version.
