LEED Green Certification Final Week – More Green – Less Cost
The LEED green building rating system will be updated to a more stringent standard for any projects not registered by 31 October 2016. Register any potential LEED projects under the old system before 31 October to save money and time.
Development Management Group Co., Ltd. (DMG) is a member of the US Green Building Council and has LEED certified professionals on staff. DMG can register projects for LEED certification, advise for sustainable building design and guide projects through the process for final certification. Please contact DMG at john@dmg-thailand.com or call (66) 076-617-763 to discuss LEED certification. Visit the DMG website at www.dmg-thailand.com.
What is LEED?
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a building rating system which began in the US but is now the most widely used system in the world. The system is useable for virtually all building project types, from new construction to interior fit-outs and operation & maintenance. LEED provides a framework that project teams can apply to create healthy, sustainable, and cost-saving green buildings. LEED is the most widely used third-party verification for green buildings, with around 172,000 square meters being certified daily.
Why Choose LEED
Buildings are responsible for 40% of global energy use, resource consumption and one third of greenhouse gas emissions. Green construction is becoming increasingly profitable and desirable within the international construction market. According to a Dodge Data & Analytics, World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report, the global green building sector continues to double every three years, with survey respondents from 70 countries reporting 60 percent of their projects will be green by 2018.
Green buildings are cost efficient. According to the US Green building Council the cost benefits of green buildings include:
- Upfront investment in green building makes properties more valuable, with an average expected increase in value of 4 percent. By virtue of lowered maintenance and energy costs the return on investment from green building is rapid: green retrofit projects are generally expected to pay for itself in just seven years.
- Green buildings reduce day-to-day costs year-over-year. LEED buildings report almost 20 percent lower maintenance costs than typical commercial buildings, and green building retrofit projects typically decrease operation costs by almost 10 percent in just one year.
- Between 2015 and 2018, LEED-certified buildings in the United States are estimated to have $1.2 billion in energy savings, $149.5 million in water savings, $715.2 million in maintenance savings and $54.2 million in waste savings.
What the change to the new version means:
LEED is constantly evolving and raising its standard with each new version. The new version is LEED V4. The standards are higher for all areas in the LEED system, but particularly in the areas of energy use and building materials. Some of these standards will be more difficult to achieve in Thailand and SE Asia. They demand better energy measures and a higher standard of material specification than is the norm in Thailand. Registering a project in LEED V3 before the 31 October deadline will be easier to achieve certification and less expensive.