Live Green, Live Smart's The Sustainable House is a participant in the LEED for Homes Pilot Project. We're often asked what LEED is, and we answer that LEED is an acronym for a national effort called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
The best explanation is available from the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the organization that administers the LEED program nationally:
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
LEED provides a roadmap for measuring and documenting success for every building type and phase of a building lifecycle.
LEED was created to be an independent, third-party verifier of a project's sustainability within the built environment. To gain a LEED rating a project must first be registered with the USGBC and meet prerequisites for LEED Certification. As a house passes benchmarks and earns credits, it is awarded higher levels of certification: Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
The first LEED program, LEED for New Commercial Construction or LEED NC, was launched in 1998. Since then, eight more LEED programs have been established or are in pilot development: Exisiting Buildings, Commercial Interiors, Core and Shell, Neighborhood Development, Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Buildings, Schools, Retail, and Homes. Live Green, Live Smart's The Sustainable House is part of the LEED for Homes Pilot Project.
About LEED for Homes (from the USGBC):
LEED for Homes is a voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high performance "green" homes. A green home uses less energy, water, and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants. Benefits of a LEED home include lower energy and water bills; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and less exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins. The net cost of owning a LEED home is comparable to that of owning a conventional home.
As a part of the LEED for Homes Pilot Project and a candidate for LEED Platinum certification, Live Green, Live Smart is helping the USGBC revise and refine its certification process and requirements. LEED for Homes is expected to officially launch in the fall of this year.
To learn more about the specifics of LEED for Homes, and to learn about the rigorous requirements Live Green, Live Smart must adhere to, you can read the LEED for Homes Rating System (version 1.11a). It is recommended you download this pdf before reading it. You can also read the Project Checklist (Excel file).
Resources:
The US Green Building Council
LEED Main Page
LEED for Homes Rating System
LEED for Homes Project Checklist
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