ICDC is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council in our promotion to provide a healthier environment to work and live as well as construct projects that have less impact on the environment.

What is LEED?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System encourages global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.

LEED is a third party certification program and accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. By being "LEED certified", a project’s green features are validated and verifies that the building if operating the way it was designed.

LEED promotes a whole building approach by recognizing five (5) key areas of human and environmental health:
  1. Sustainable site development
  2. Water savings
  3. Energy efficiency
  4. Materials selection
  5. Indoor environmental quality
Who uses LEED?
  • Architects
  • Real Estate Professionals
  • Engineers
  • Facility Managers
  • Construction Managers
  • Landscape Architects
  • Financial Lenders
  • Government Officials
LEED Rating and Certification Program
The U.S. Green Building Council has established a rating program for new buildings, existing buildings and commercial interiors. The LEED System quantifies various aspects of a building and awards points for improvements. A sample worksheet and project checklist can be accessed through www.usgbc.org

The program awards points in the following categories:
  • Sustainable Site (14 possible points)
  • Water Efficiency (5 possible points)
  • Energy and Atmosphere (17 possible points)
  • Materials and Resources (13 possible points)
  • Indoor Environmental Quality (15 possible points)
These points are certified for the following award levels:
  • Certified (26-32 points)
  • Silver (33-38 points)
  • Gold (39-51 points)
  • Platinum (52-69 points)
A LEED Gold Building has 50% less impact on the environment.
A LEED Platinum Building has 70% less impact on the environment.

Do Green Buildings Cost More?
LEED certified projects to date demonstrate that you can achieve LEED certification and enjoy its many benefits with a common sense approach to design without additional dollars. Depending upon your strategy and the level of certification your project is targeting, there may be mid and long term ROI associated with green features that merits an investment in initial costs.

To access additional information and resources you can utilize these websites:

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