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Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, also known as LEED, is an internationally known green building certification system. It provides third party verification that a community, building or home was designed and constructed to be environmentally friendly. These buildings save energy, are water efficient, have improved indoor environmental quality and reduce CO2 emissions. The University of Texas at Dallas’ Student Services Building is a great example of a structure that received Texas LEED Platinum status. That means that the building received over 80 points on a 100-point scale. It was rated on design, construction and operation of the building. Categories like sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality were also inspected. The process of obtaining LEED certification is quite time consuming. An application must be submitted that documents compliance with the requirements. A registration and certification fee is also required. The Green Building Certification Institute, GBCI, is the third party who grants certification. Texas LEED experts report that LEED certified buildings are commanding higher rental rates and greater occupancy than non-green buildings. They also say that the supply is not keeping up with the demand for green buildings. People want to preserve the environment and they feel that they can contribute to that by utilizing LEED certified buildings. Interest in green technology is growing, opening up new business opportunities that will stimulate job-market growth. Ultimately, achieving LEED certification is the best way for any community, building or home to demonstrate a truly “green” way of living.
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