New LEED for greener buildings

Greener buildings are an essential element for a greener future. In the United States, buildings are responsible for nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions annually. People spend the majority of their time inside buildings, as well. And the materials and goods that are used for the construction of buildings make up a sizable percentage of the production and transportation that goes on.

The U.S. Green Building Council has been a leader in promoting green building and in raising awareness of the importance of green buildings for a better environment. Through the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program, buildings are recognized for meeting green criteria. LEED offers a system to evaluate the benefits of green building design and encourages practices to increase energy efficiency and decrease the waste of material resources.

At the Greenbuild conference and expo going on this week, the USGBC has announced that the latest version of LEED, called LEED 2009, has been approved by the membership of the USGBC, and will take effect next year. The new version of LEED addresses some of the earlier criticisms aimed at the program, such as the imbalance between points awarded in the rating system and the importance of the various elements and the difficulty in implementing them.