What is Green Building?
Green building has been defined as the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use and harvest energy, water, and materials, and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better site selection, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal – the complete building life cycle.
What is LEED™?
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED™) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED™ gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED™ promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Can a Building be Green without Being LEED™ Certified?
Yes! But LEED™ certification offers some compelling benefits. You can apply green building techniques without it, but getting certified provides your tenants, the government, and the public with documented proof that you’ve achieved your environmental objectives and that you have achieved a specific level of building performance. Also, certification is required to qualify for many of the federal, state, and local incentives available.
Regardless of the level of certification being sought, thorough planning is critical, beginning with the design and construction contracts. These documents must reflect the various services, materials, and other requirements for constructing a LEED™ compliant building. It’s also important to work with architects, contractors, construction managers and others who are familiar with green building design and construction techniques and requirements.
| Perceived Advantages of Building Green* |
| • | 8–9% decrease in operating costs |
| • | 7.5% increase in building values |
| • | 6.6% improvement in ROI |
| • | 3.5% increase in occupancy |
| • | 3% rent increase |
| | *According to the USGBC |
Contact Us Today!
If you are interested in learning more about green building or how D-A-S can assist you with your next green building project, please contact us at sales@dascon.com or call Lori Alba, Director of Marketing at 216+662.5577 ext. 115.
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