LEED (Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes Rating System
LEED (Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes, launched in February 2008, is a national third-party green building certification system created by the United States Green Building Council(USGBC). The program certifies single family and low rise housing, and is in the pilot phase of developing a rating system for mid-rise residential buildings. LEED has four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has also created the REGREEN guidelines for renovation projects, but there is currently no certification available.
The LEED system measures green building performance according to eight categories:
- Site selection
- Water efficiency
- Materials and resources
- Energy and atmosphere
- Indoor environmental quality
- Location and linkages
- Awareness and education
- Innovation
Process
The LEED for Homes certification process is administered by local providers that verify project compliance with point standards. Unlike the commercial system, residential projects must be evaluated on performance based standards using diagnostic tests such as blower doors and duct blasters to measure the airtightness of a home. There are currently 38 LEED for Homes providers in the United States, located in most of the leading housing markets.
Steps to Certification
- Register project with USGBC through provider
- Design review with provider, green rater, and project team
- Pre-drywall Inspection
- Final inspection and testing
- Provider verification of submittal package
- Submittal review with USGBC and provider
- Final ruling on certification
Teams
- Project Team: Architect, Builder/GC, Trades, Subs/Crew, LEED AP/Green Consultant
- Verification Team: Provider, Green Rater, Energy Rater
EFFORT REQUIRED
LEED Certification is designed to reward leadership in green building, and for that reason, achieving Gold and Platinum levels of certification can be very demanding
for builders that are not experienced in this area.
RISKS
As with any green building program, meeting the criteria does not guarantee operating cost savings and resource efficiency. Tenants must be properly educated for the building to perform as intended.
COSTS (USGBC Fees)
- Single Family Housing: USGBC Member: $150 Registration, $225 Certification
- Single Family Housing: Non-Member: $225 Registration, $300 Certification
- Multi-Family Housing: USGBC Member: $450 Registration, $.035 per sqft Certification
- Multi-Family Housing: Non-Member: $600 Registration, $.045 per sqft Certification
Volume pricing may be available, but it is project specific, and will be decided by the provider. Provider fees, which are based on market rates and are set by each provider independently. Fees are fixed or billed according to the square footage of a unit. For an average single-family house in a metropolitan area costs can range from $3000-$5000 including testing services.
The next version of LEED for Homes is in development, and is slated for public release in 2011.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to measure energy efficiency. It provides a standard for environmentally sustainable construction.The ability or potential of a physical body to do work. The most common forms of energy are heat, light, mechanical (moving parts), and electrical.
