LEED Certification

LEED Certification: Point Categories

In the LEED certification process, projects are awarded points according to achievements within certain sustainability categories. Depending on points achieved, projects are rated one of four levels of LEED Certification:

• Certified (26-32 points)
• Silver (33-38 points)
• Gold (39-51 points)
• Platinum (52-69 points)

These categories, and examples of points available within them, follow:

1. Sustainable Sites (14 possible points)

• Construction activity pollution prevention (required)
• Development density and community connectivity
• Brownfield redevelopment
• Public transportation access
• Bicycle storage and changing rooms
• Protect or restore habitat
• Stormwater design

2. Water Efficiency (5 possible points)

• Reduce landscaping water use by 50%
• Innovative wastewater technologies
• 20% or 30% water use reduction

3. Energy and Atmosphere (17 possible points)

• Minimum energy performance (required)
• Optimize energy performance (1-10 points available)
• On-site renewable energy
• Enhanced refrigerant management
• Green power

4. Materials & Resources (13 possible points)

• Storage and collection of recyclables (required)
• Building reuse (maintain 75% or 95% of existing walls, floors, & roof)
• Construction waste management (divert 50% or 75% from disposal)
• Materials reuse (5% or 10%)
• Regional materials (10% or 20% extracted, processed and manufactured regionally)
• Certified wood

5. Indoor Environmental Quality (15 possible points)

• Minimum Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) performance (required)
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) control (required)
• Increased ventilation
• Low-emitting materials (e.g. adhesives & sealants; paints & coatings; carpet systems)
• Indoor chemical and pollutant source control
• Controllability of systems (lighting and thermal comfort)

6. Innovation & Design Process (5 possible points)

• Four points available for innovation in design
• LEED Accredited Professional

To learn how KACIN can help you achieve LEED certification, tell us about your specific requirements.