LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) develops LEED certification. It created LEED to help create more efficient green buildings. So LEED ensures environmentally friendly buildings. The certification evaluates the design and construction of the building based on a variety of factors.
These include water use, energy efficiency and air quality. LEED also considers the use of building materials, the use of public transportation and responsible land use. The certification is the benchmark for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of green buildings.
The USGBC awards four levels of LEED certification to buildings participating in the program. The number of points buildings receive determines their rank. These levels are:
LEED Certified Buildings (40-49 points)
LEED Silver Grade Building (50-59 points)
LEED Gold Grade Building (60-79 points)
LEED Platinum Building (80 points and above)
According to the United States Green Building Council, LEED certification is a globally recognized mark of sustainability achievement.