Norsteel

Are you thinking about a new building and wondering how to make it green? Or have you worked really hard on ensuring your new green building is both cost and energy efficient and now you are done? Congratulations either way!

Do you know you can ensure that you have a sustainable green building and receive the well-deserved recognition of having one by applying for your LEED certification?

What is LEED and why would you want certification you ask? According to the Canadian Green Building Council, LEED has been specifically adapted for Canadian climates and is a third-party certification program. It is an internationally accepted benchmark for sustainable green buildings and development practices that promotes sustainability by scoring and recognizing five different human and environmental health performance areas, specifically:

• Sustainable site development
• Water efficiency
• Energy efficiency
• Materials selection
• Indoor environmental quality

The reasons you would go for one of the four levels of LEED certification include gaining recognition for green building efforts, validating achievement through third party review, qualifying for a growing array of government incentives, and contribution to a growing green building knowledge base.
My favorite reason, though, would be the knowledge that I have done everything I can to ensure I have a resource efficient, environmentally friendly building.