These days, most Americans spend as much as 90% of time indoors. Spending most of the time inside a house or a building produces a negative impact not only in the building itself but also on our environment. Here’s a fact, people staying indoors use:

• 40% of energy
• 88% of drinkable water
• 12% of fresh water
• 40% of solid waste
• 40% in carbon dioxide emission

And that is a lot of waste for people staying indoors all through the day.

At this modern age, when manual work and man power had been replaced by computers and industrialization, remaining outdoors are rare. As a solution, why not make indoors a healthy, environment friendly but cost efficient ?

To add to that, make a plan to keep a building that way until its end of life. Why not register a project in USGBC, LEED for Existing Buildings: Operation and Maintenance?

What is the Difference of USGBC and LEED?

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is a tax exempt, non-profit organization that was founded in 1993. The organization favors design, construction, operation, and lifestyle to be environmentally responsible, self-sustaining, and a healthy place to live, work, and play.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a program of USGBC that provides third-party certification to buildings that use strategies that improves energy savings, water efficiency, reduced carbon dioxide emission, improved indoor environment quality, and conservancy of resources.

LEED measures buildings, homes, and neighborhood by using a rating and certification system. Each rating system are classified depending on its purpose. Specialties are divided according to building type and purpose (retail, homes, neighborhood, construction, design, maintenance) and further divided to focus more on a specific type(ex. schools, homes).

LEED grants points succeeded on the credit categories of a rating system. Once the required categories of a rating system are finished, the points are calculated and the sum of all the points determine a building’s level of certification.

LEED for Existing Buildings

LEED for Existing Buildings: Operation and Maintenance is not only a rating system but a guide to manage existing commercial and institutional buildings. It helps building owners and operators measure the building’s operation, growth, and maintenance at a persistent scale.

What is the goal of LEED-EB?

The goal of LEED-EB is to address the whole-building cleaning and maintenance issue, recycling programs, and systems upgrade. The key goal is to systematize the process of reporting, inspection, and review in the whole lifespan of the building.

What is its difference with other LEED certification?

LEED for Retail: New Construction and Major renovation for example, centers attention on the construction/major renewal phase of the building. Once the project is finished, the rating system also finishes for the only motive is as declared on the rating system.

But with LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance, the rating system happens when the building is operational and it will continue to emerge an advantage to the building for years

LEED-EB Requirements

• Must have at least 75% habituation rate based on building occupancy standards
• 90% of the building should be added in LEED certification.
• Must comply with all the requirements of hazardous material management and waste water discharge.
• A minimum of 3-month performance rating period is required for all credits pursued.

When can we use LEED-EB?

1. Re-certify a building that was previously LEED NC certified.
2. Certify existing whole-buildings except on individual tenant space or some parts of a building.
3. Quantify the buildings Sustainability
4. LEED for Schools certified buildings that yearn for additional certification.
5. LEED for Core & Shell certified buildings seeking ongoing certification
6. non-LEED building seeking for initial certification and ongoing certification.
7. When you already have known recycling solutions in place such as Recyclage Montréal that suggest websites to solutions with a millitary-style treacability.

How do are buildings rated?

A project aiming for certification under LEED-EB must achieve all prerequisites and earn a minimum of 34 points. Points accumulated are awarded according to the following:

Certified 34-42

Silver 43-50

Gold 51-67

Platinum 68-92

What are the benefits of a LEED-EB certified building?

LEED improves building performance and make it less maintainable thus:

1. Lessen the cost in operation and maintenance
2. Creates a healthier and more productive employee workspace
3. Be identified for leadership in sustainability
4. Decrease environmental impact

Ref. AQrt213023