Will Your New Building be LEED Certified?

One of our favorite types of projects here at AirMD, a highly respected science-backed environmental testing agency, is conducting the various indoor air quality tests required for a building to gain LEED certification, including things like formaldehyde testing and testing for volatile organic compounds.

What Is LEED Certification?

LEED is an acronym that stands for:

• Leadership in
• Energy and
• Environmental
• Design

And, as the U.S. Green Building Council explains, “LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building types, LEED provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership.”

To earn LEED certification, a new building must be able to demonstrate that the way it is constructed will help the environment, enhance energy efficiency and improve indoor environmental quality. Each building is rated is six different categories.

Why Would You Want LEED Certification?

There are definite advantages to having LEED certification, including:

• Economic benefits and the competitive edge gained by a variety of things such as an enhanced ability to attract tenants
• Meet ESG goals and maximize efficiency while decreasing operational costs and increasing the value of your property
• Health benefits from the improved indoor environmental quality and reduction in pollution and toxins in the air.

LEED certification tells the world that you believe that buildings can create a healthier, more sustainable future. It tells people that you believe that green building practices are things that are worth investing in. And, whether you are talking about new residential or commercial construction or upgrades or add-ons to existing structures, LEED certification means that the conditions in that building will be healthier and more sustainable.

“Green buildings are the foundation of something bigger: helping people, and the communities and cities they reside in—safely, healthily, and sustainably thrive,” the folks at the U.S. Green Building Council say.

If you would like more information about LEED Certification or about the indoor air quality testing required to earn certification, please call us at 1-888-GO-AIRMD (1-888-462-4763).