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WCEL
> Issues > Urban Growth and
Development > Smart Bylaws Guide > Part
6 > High Performance Buildings >
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Smart Bylaws Guide – High Performance Buildings –
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
The US Green Building Council (USGBC), representing all
segments of the buildings industry, created the LEED Green Building
Rating System as an international standard for developing
high-performance buildings. The LEED standard continues to
evolve and represents a consensus on what sustainable building
design entails. Developers can voluntarily adopt the LEED
standard to obtain recognition that a project has met the
sustainability standards set out in the LEED system. LEED
provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and
meeting sustainability goals.
In addition to establishing a common standard of measurement for
high performance buildings, the LEED system promotes integrated,
whole-building design practices. LEED also assists the USGBC
to recognize environmental leadership in the building industry,
stimulate green competition, and raise consumer awareness of green
building benefits. LEED is ultimately transforming the
building market by creating a critical mass of high performance
buildings and making the adoption of high standards possible
throughout North America.
Projects are evaluated on how many “credits” they achieve.
Credits are given for innovation in the following areas:
- Sustainable Sites
Prerequisite 1
Erosion & Sedimentation Control
Credit 1 Site
Selection
Credit 2 Urban
Redevelopment
Credit 3 Brownfield
Redevelopment
Credit 4 Alternative
Transportation
Credit 5 Reduced
Site Disturbance
Credit 6 Stormwater
Management
Credit 7 Landscape
& Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands
Credit 8 Light
Pollution Reduction
- Water Efficiency
Credit 1 Water
Efficient Landscaping
Credit 2 Innovative
Wastewater Technologies
Credit 3 Water Use
Reduction
- Energy & Atmosphere
Prerequisite 1
Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning
Prerequisite 2
Minimum Energy Performance
Prerequisite 3 CFC
Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment
Credit 1 Optimize
Energy Performance
Credit 2 Renewable
Energy
Credit 3 Additional
Commissioning
Credit 4 Ozone
Depletion
Credit 5 Measurement
& Verification
Credit 6 Green Power
- Materials & Resources
Prerequisite 1
Storage & Collection of Recyclables
Credit 1 Building Re-use
Credit 2
Construction Waste Management
Credit 3 Resource Re-use
Credit 4 Recycled
Content
Credit 5
Local/Regional Materials
Credit 6 Rapidly
Renewable Materials
Credit 7 Certified
Wood
- Indoor Environmental Quality
Prerequisite 1
Minimum IAQ Performance
Prerequisite 2
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
Credit 1 Carbon
Dioxide (CO2 ) Monitoring
Credit 2 Increase
Ventilation Effectiveness
Credit 3
Construction IAQ Management Plan
Credit 4
Low-Emitting Materials
Credit 5 Indoor
Chemical & Pollutant Source Control
Credit 6
Controllability of Systems
Credit 7 Thermal
Comfort
Credit 8 Daylight
& Views
- Innovation & Design Process
Credit 1 Innovation
in Design
Credit 2 LEEDTM Accredited Professional
Depending on how many credits a project achieves, it can receive
certification or a bronze, silver or gold rating.
Portland, Oregon obtained the first City-specific LEED standard
that reflects its more rigorous standards in the areas of stormwater
management, erosion control and energy efficiency. The Portland LEED
provides a green building incentive structure where developers can
receive innovation credits for mixed-use developments that
reduce automobile use, manage stormwater on site and maximize the
construction and demolition materials that are recycled.
A number of projects in BC have received LEED certification,
including the
Vancouver
Island Technology Park (first LEED gold certification in Canada)
and the
City
of White Rock’s Operations Building. The City of Victoria's
Dockside
Green project is targeted to achieve a LEED Platinum standard. In
2007, the US Green Building Council launched a Pilot Program to test
concepts associated with its new LEED
for Neighbourhood Development Rating System which integrates
smart growth, green building and new urbanism concepts into
neighbourhood design. Twenty-one
Canadian projects are participating in the pilot involving more
than 200 projects. Also in 2007, the Canada Green Building Council
commenced work to develop Canadian LEED - Neighbourhood Development
draft standards, in
partnership with the City of Langford. The City of
Langford's Westhills development is a comprehensive development
zonemixed use development that requires LEED certification for all
commercial and multi-family residential buildings and Built Green
standards to be met by residential buildings that do not fall within
LEED certification. See Appendix P of the City of Langford's Official
Community Plan.
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