USGBC Central Texas - Balcones Chapter

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LEED V3:

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a third party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings in both commercial and residential fields. Since the LEED for New Construction rating system entered pilot testing in April 1998, LEED has evolved to become the nation’s benchmark for high-performance green buildings, providing third-party verification and continually raising the bar on the way we design, build and operate buildings.Today, we have LEED rating systems that address all building types and uses through every stage of a building’s life cycle. LEED’s ability to grow and evolve has been among its greatest strengths as new building science and technologies have emerged, as our understanding of the role the built environment plays in our health and the health of our planet has deepened, and as the building industry has undergone substantial transformation in its embrace of green building practices.

LEED V3 is composed of three major components:
LEED 2009 harmonizes, aligns and reweights the LEED credits across all the LEED rating systems for commercial and institutional buildings – LEED for New Construction, LEED for Core & Shell, LEED for Commercial Interiors, LEED for Schools, andLEED for Existing Buildings.LEED 2009 was developed through USGBC’s consensus-based process, including the LEED Steering Committee, public comment, and balloting among USGBC’s member organizations.

LEED Online, the tool LEED project teams use to manage the LEED registration and certification processes, is being improved for greater speed, more reliability and a better user experience. The process of building certification is now administered by the Green Building Certification Institute, established in January 2008 to provide third-party project certification and professional credentials recognizing excellence in green building performance and practice.

How to Learn about LEED V3

Featured LEED Projects: As of October of 2009, there are more than 1000 LEED Accredited Professionals; over 30 LEED certified buildings, and 200 registered LEED projects in the Central Texas region. Click here to view a list of LEED Certified Projects in our area.
Office Depot Prototype Project Demonstrates Retail Stores Going Green - Office Depot’s marketing slogan “Taking Care of Business” inspired a new direction for the retailer: Taking Care of the Planet. Full Article
	LCRA Redbud Center in Austin Achieves LEED Gold - from LCRA press release LCRA has received LEED® Gold certification for Redbud Center, the new energy- and water-efficient building that serves as headquarters for managing the lower Colorado River. Full Article
Tonala’calli is Austin’s First Certified LEED® Home - As a distinguished professor and Director of a highly regarded UT Petrophysics program, Carlos, with Laurel, a Biologist by education and translator by day, this gracious and modest couple have always been environmentally conscious. Winning awards for her landscaping and his Bonsai hobby at their previous home, creating this home is a dream coming true. Full Article
	GOLD rated Zachry Construction headquarters leads the way in San Antonio as the city's first building to be certified under LEED. (click on image for article)
"Dell Childrens Center takes the Health Care Lead in LEED." (click on image for article)
	Sustainable design practices honor and re-invigorates an underutilized area of San Antonio. The SoFlo Office Studios by OCO Architects in San Antonio, Texas, earns LEED Certification. Full Article

Green Mountain Energy's Austin Coporate Offices are certified Silver under LEED Commercial Interiors ... click here

For GME LEED Scorecard, click here.

Want to Share Your LEED Certified Project?

To have your Central Texas LEED Certified Project on this page please contact us at info@usgbc-centraltexas.org.

To check out local press coverage of LEED projects click here.



The Vision and Mission of the Central Texas - Balcones Chapter Vision: Buildings and communities will regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life. Mission: Accelerate the transformation toward sustainable building and land development practices in Central Texas through innovation, advocacy and partnerships.
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