Today, environmental concerns are encouraging companies and everyday citizens to embrace green building techniques. If you need to find a green building contractor, Affordable Structures has earns this certification from the United States Green Building Council or USGBC. The organization’s certification program is known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED, and we have completed multiple projects that were awarded LEED certification.
LEED Certification
The USGBC awards LEED certification to buildings instead of particular products or specific companies. Because of this, LEED certified builders are contractors who have built structures that qualify for the designation. The LEED certification program specifies the guidelines that qualify a building or a project as an environmentally friendly one. Four certification levels are available. They are:
- Certified
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
To determine a certification level, the USGBC awards points to a project. For a building to be deemed certified, it must receive 40 to 49 points. Silver status requires 50 to 59 points while a building receives gold certification for 60 to 79 points. To earn a platinum rating, a building must have 80 or more points.
Earning Points
A building earns points based on its performance in five main environmental areas, which include sustainability, water savings, energy, materials and indoor ecofriendly elements. In the sustainability category, fourteen points are available. When building contractors focus on water conservation for a structure, they can earn five points while the area of energy features 17 possible points. In the materials category, the USGBC rewards as many as 13 points, and in the area of indoor ecofriendly elements, a structure can receive 13 total points. For buildings that surpass the minimum criteria in the USGBC’s five main environmental categories, additional points are awarded in the area of innovation and design.
The Benefits of LEED Certification
Currently, LEED certification is offered for three different segments. It is available for new construction, existing structures and commercial interiors. LEED certification provides a common grading scale. This lets people compare the green features of different structures side by side. LEED prevents false sustainability claims. It is also an internationally recognized certification program. The program’s rating system is comprehensive since it reviews every element of a building’s impact on the environment instead of just assessing its water conservation features or energy efficient elements. As new technology comes on the market, the organization updates the program. Engineers, architects and general contractors can take advantage of LEED to create design plans that lessen a building’s negative effect on the planet.
What it Means to Be a LEED Certified Builder
As green building contractor, Affordable Structures uses sustainable materials and environmentally friendly development techniques to construct buildings. LEED certified builders also design projects to be able to maintain their green elements over time. By choosing a LEED certified contractor for your project like Affordable Structures, you’ll not only be helping the environment, but you will also benefit financially from energy savings. Combining green building practices with modular construction will enable you to save even more one you project cost. Contact us today to learn more!