LEED Certification for Existing Buildings

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has developed a program called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) to aid in the design and construction of high performance buildings.  LEED is a rating system that provides standards for selecting products based on environmental attributes.

After LEED was introduced, it became apparent that there are other facility development activities besides major construction or renovation that can benefit from a high performance design regimen such as that provided by LEED.  Rating systems for new construction, core and shell, commercial interiors, existing buildings, and residential buildings are currently under development by USGBC.

A pilot program of LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) has been in progress since January 2002.  LEED-EB is a set of performance standards for upgrades to systems, processes or operations that do not significantly change the interiors or exteriors of an existing building.  So LEED-EB examines areas such as cleaning and maintenance, on-going indoor air quality, energy efficiency, water efficiency, recycling programs, exterior maintenance, lighting efficiency, and systems upgrades to improve these areas.

The same credit areas addressed by LEED are also addressed by LEED-EB.  The main difference between the two systems is where LEED-EB adapts to an operations and upgrade perspective rather than a construction perspective.  Eventually, buildings that were previously certified under LEED 2.0 and are seeking re-certification will do so under LEED-EB criteria.

Once the pilot is completed, the USGBC will make any necessary modifications and finalize the implementation of LEED-EB.  While it is too late for buildings to be included in the pilot project, building owners can begin preparing and submitting filings for the LEED-EB certification process.  

The Duro-Last Cool Zone roofing system can help in obtaining credits toward LEED-EB certification in the same way that it helps with LEED certification.  From reducing heat islands and optimizing energy performance, to resource reuse and thermal comfort, the Duro-Last Cool Zone roofing system can be a part of a comprehensive package for improving building performance.

For more information about LEED and the LEED-EB rating systems, go to the USGBC web site at www.usgbc.org.