LEED Certification 101: Why Should My Business Become LEED Certified?

Artwork Credit: U.S. Green Building Council

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green building rating program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.  LEED is considered the green building standard these days, and many businesses are becoming LEED certified. Why? Because there are many advantages to your business for becoming LEED certified.

This standard in green building uses a performance-based rating system divided into seven categories for commercial building interiors:  Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR), Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), Innovation in Design (ID) and Regional Priority (RP). The buildings are rated and classified on a 100-point scale as:  Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points) and Platinum (80 and above points).

Certification for LEED lends your business “street cred” in the world of green building and can increase your chances of bringing in more jobs. One might assume that becoming LEED certified is just about using energy windows, efficient light bulbs and good insulation–but LEED requires much more from builders and architects. Many buildings require large amounts of natural resources–not only for the build but also maintenance–and LEED certification takes into consideration more than just the initial build.

In 2007, just seven years after its inception, LEED-certified buildings had higher rental rates and lower vacancy rates than comparable conventionally built buildings. The green buildings generated 3.5 percent higher occupancy rates, 3 percent higher rental rates and had almost a 7 percent improved ROI. The initial investments in these buildings was returned in an average of 2.6 years and the buildings had annual net savings of more than $170,000. (NuWireInvestor.com, 2007.)

With numbers like these, it’s no surprise that builders, architects and manufacturers of building supplies are eager to become LEED certified. Thermolite is LEED certified and its Thermolite Window System and energy windows provide businesses and organizations with industry leading ROI on energy costs.  If your business is interested in more information on becoming LEED certified, visit the U.S. Green Building Council’s website at:  http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19.

Contact Thermolite today for more information on how its supplemental window system can help save energy costs with its patented window system.