LEED Services
1.
Speed Up Your LEED Certification
Our consultants have ample experience with all the building performance areas evaluated under the LEED rating system.
2.
Increase the Value of LEED Buildings
Not all LEED credits are mandatory for building certification. Optimize your selection and maximize the ROI of your project.
3.
Improve Your Building Design Beyond LEED
EOS Labs can enhance all aspects of building performance, not only the specific areas covered by the LEED Certification.
Why
EOS Labs
Every consultant on our team has at least 10 years of experience in design, construction, maintenance, sustainability, or facilities management.
Buildings Served
energy savings
Risk-Free Service!
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Credentials
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Professional Engineers - PE
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Certified Energy Manager – CEM
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LEED ACP(BD+)
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PhD
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ISO 9001 Auditor
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RFMP and more
LEED has become the most widely used certification system for green buildings around the world. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and the first version was published in 1998 by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
The LEED rating system has been improved over time, based on project results and feedback from the building sector. There are now more than 110,000 LEED projects around the world, covering an area of 24 billion square feet.
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If your building achieves the LEED Certification, you are awarded an official plaque and your project is listed in the USGBC database.
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This serves as proof that your building has been designed according to stringent energy and environmental standards.
LEED certifications offer a major competitive advantage for real estate developers, since their buildings achieve lower utility costs and carbon footprints. These features can attract potential tenants, increasing occupancy rates and ROI. Electricity and gas prices increased by over 14% in 2022, and energy efficiency makes commercial spaces more valuable.
EOS Labs can meet the design requirements for LEED Certification across your building portfolio. We are also an ENERGY STAR Service Partner, and can help you achieve ENERGY STAR Certification.
LEED Rating System for Green Buildings: A Quick Overview
LEED uses a scoring system with a combination of mandatory and elective requirements, and building owners must choose a combination that yields a score of 40 or higher. The maximum possible score is 110, and higher certification levels are available for building owners who achieve high scores: LEED Silver (50+), LEED Gold (60+) and LEED Platinum (80+).
The credits used in LEED scoring system are classified as follows:
35% are related to
climate change
20% are related to
human health
15% are related to water resources
10% are related to
biodiversity
10% are related to the Green Economy
5% are related to community impacts
5% deal with Natural
Resources.
Buildings that are designed according to LEED requirements achieve above-average performance in these priority areas. The building sector accounts for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency yields both financial and environmental benefits.
What Are the Benefits of LEED Certification?
According to industry data gathered by the USGBC, LEED Certified buildings have the following advantages over non-certified projects:
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LEED buildings have 11.1% higher rents, on average.
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The typical market value of LEED buildings is 21.4% higher.
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Lower utility costs - 25% energy savings and 11% water savings
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Reduced environmental footprint - 34% avoided emissions.
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Since 2020, the occupancy rate of LEED buildings increased from 90% to 92%, while the occupancy rate of other buildings dropped to 88%.
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Depending on where your building is located, an LEED Certification may qualify for financial incentives such as rebates and tax credits.
The LEED certification also offers health and wellness benefits for building occupants. Companies who use LEED buildings report higher retention rates and productivity among their employees. Certified buildings also have improved air quality, which reduces sick leave due to respiratory conditions. The USGBC has also found that indoor air quality helps prevent anxiety and depression.
An energy efficient design can help your building qualify for LEED and ENERGY STAR Certifications simultaneously. Under the current version of the LEED rating system (v4.1), you can earn up to 35 points with energy efficiency measures and renewable generation. LEED buildings also have an average ENERGY STAR Score of 89/100, which is above the minimum score required for certification (75/100).
Types of LEED Certification
The USGBC has developed many versions of LEED, each designed for specific project types. The following table summarizes the certification options available:
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Type of LEED Certification
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Applications
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LEED Building Design + Construction (BD+C) |
LEED Interior Design + Construction (ID+C) |
LEED Operations + Maintenance (O+M) |
LEED Residential |
LEED Cities and Communities |
Suitable for new constructions and major renovations, including core and shell projects. |
Suitable for interior renovations and fitout projects. |
Designed for existing buildings that have been operating for at least one year. |
Single-family homes and multifamily buildings |
Municipalities, districts and counties |
All versions of LEED have common goals, but their performance metrics and requirements vary. Each type of LEED Certification is designed according to the needs of its market segment.
LEED BD+C: The Rating System for New Constructions
To achieve LEED certification, your building must meet a series of mandatory and elective requirements. LEED BD+C evaluates new constructions in eight performance areas.
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Location and transportation = Up to 9 points
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Sustainable sites = Up to 9 points
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Water efficiency = Up to 11 points
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Energy and atmosphere = Up to 35 points
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Materials and resources = Up to 19 points
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Indoor environmental quality = Up to 16 points
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Innovation = Up to 6 points
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Regional priorities = Up to 4 points
The maximum score under LEED BD+C is 110. There are 109 possible points across the eight performance areas, and an additional point can be claimed by following an integrative process as described in the LEED guide book.
LEED requirements across these eight performance areas are classified into prerequisites and credits. Prerequisites are mandatory, which means your building must meet all of them to become LEED certified. Credits are optional, but you must choose a combination that yields at least 40 points. To claim the higher certification levels (LEED Silver, Gold or Platinum), you must choose a larger number or elective credits.
LEED Prerequisites: Mandatory Requirements for Certification
LEED Prerequisites are critical, regardless of the type of certification that applies for your project. These are mandatory requirements, which means your project cannot be certified if you miss them. Even if your project reaches a high enough score for LEED Platinum (80+), it will not qualify if one or more prerequisites are missed.
EOS Labs has a team of experts who have worked with all versions of LEED, and we can design building projects that meet all prerequisites. We can also help you choose a combination of credits that maximizes your ROI, based on the certification level you’re seeking – Basic, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
The following table summarizes the prerequisites for the LEED BD+C Certification, which applies for new constructions and major renovations:
LEED Performance Area | Mandatory Prerequisites |
Location and Transportation | None |
Sustainable Sites | 1)Construction activity pollution prevention |
Water Efficiency | 1)Outdoor water use reduction 2)Indoor water use reduction 3)Building-level water metering |
Energy and Atmosphere | 1)Fundamental commissioning and verification 2)Minimum energy performance 3)Building-level energy metering 4)Fundamental refrigerant management |
Materials and resources | 1)Storage and collection of recyclables |
Indoor Environmental Quality | 1)Minimum indoor air quality performance 2)Environmental tobacco smoke control |
Innovation | None |
Regional Priorities | None |
The exact requirements for each prerequisite are described in the LEED BD+C guide book. Many of the prerequisites and optional credits have complex technical requirements, but you can rely on the experts at EOS Labs.