LEED Certification Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program focused on the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods, which aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership. To achieve LEED certification, a project earns points by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. Projects go through a verification and review process and are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification:
Platinum (80+ points)
Gold (60-79 points)
Silver (50-59 points)
Certified (40-49 points)
ENERGY STAR® Energy Star is a program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that promotes energy efficiency and provides simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations partner with the EPA to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions that protect the climate while improving air quality and protecting public health. The Energy Star score compares a building’s energy performance to similar buildings nationwide and accounts for differences in operating conditions, regional weather data, and other important considerations. Certification is given on an annual basis, so a building must maintain its high performance to be certified year to year. To be eligible for Energy Star certification, a building must earn a score of 75 or higher on EPA’s 1 – 100 scale, indicating that it performs better than at least 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide. This 1 – 100 Energy Star score is based on the actual, measured energy use of a building and is calculated within EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool.
