How Garnica can help you get credits for the LEED rating system

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED for short, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually every type of construction, the program sets out a framework for healthy, highly efficient and cost-effective eco buildings. The goal, in a nutshell, is to reward teams and projects making buildings better for business, people and the environment.  

The LEED rating system is the brainchild of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit whose mission is to pave a sustainable path for building design, construction, and maintenance. It is the only organization with the power to grant LEED certification. A whole host of benefits – that we’ll go into a little later – can be enjoyed by certification holders, and here at Garnica we want to give you a helping hand in getting certified.

It is worth stressing that the LEED rating system is for buildings, but construction materials – like Garnica plywood  – play a crucial role in making them environmentally friendly. If you choose eco materials, you’ll get LEED credits. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the certification process and how Garnica products can bump up your certification score. 

How does the LEED rating system work?

The current version of the program, v4.1, is available for a wide range of building types, namely:  

1. Building design and construction
2. Interior design and construction
3. Building operations and maintenance
4. Neighborhood development
5. Housing

Whatever type of building you’re planning, LEED certification works in the same way. A project earns credits by meeting prerequisites that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health, and indoor environmental quality. It’s essentially a scoring system: the more credits you get, the higher your rating. The credit categories are currently:

• Integrated processes
• Location and transport
• Sustainable sites
• Water efficiency
• Energy and atmosphere
• Materials and resources
• Interior environmental quality
• Innovation in design process
• Regional priority

Once verified and reviewed by USGBC, a project is given credits that correspond to a level of LEED certification: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points) and Platinum (80+ points). 

The scoring system covers different areas of the project to incentivize a holistic approach to sustainability. Different specializations are encouraged to see the big picture and implement joint-efficiency strategies with their colleagues. The benefits are wide-ranging: sustainable buildings slow climate change, boost human health, protect and restore water resources, care for biodiversity and ecosystems, promote the circular economy, and enhance community quality of life. 

What about pre-certification?

Pre-certification is an optional step available to teams keen to give their project the sustainability stamp from the get-go. At the design stage, a project can submit their documentation for review with the USGBC, which will in turn award an anticipated LEED certification level. Pre-certification not only keeps teams on track to achieve certification, it also proves their commitment to sustainability and enables them to market the green credentials of their design.

The benefits of being LEED certified

LEED has countless benefits. Certified and sustainable projects are better for business, as they prove to be a solid asset for investors, tenants, and communities. LEED-certified buildings have achieved higher rents, have lower vacancies, and achieve top-end pricing. But beyond the bottom line, LEED buildings are better for people. With a focus on physical health and well-being, the rating system rewards the banning of toxic materials to improve indoor air quality, which makes occupants happier.

And it goes without saying that LEED is better for the environment. Sustainable design contributes towards greener cities with lower carbon emissions, more efficient energy, reduced waste, conserved water, fewer toxins, and more sustainable materials. Eco buildings play an essential role in tackling climate change.

Choose Garnica, get more LEED credits

It should come as no surprise that Garnica, a company that takes sustainability seriously, should want to help you get your project LEED certified. When you choose our sustainable plywood ranges, you will be awarded with credits that will boost your LEED score, enabling you to achieve the highest levels of certification. To make things easy for you, we’ve put together a helpful guide so you can see the points you will get if you use Garnica in your project. 

Are you ready to make a sustainable swap and bump up your LEED rating at the same time? Discover where your nearest provider is today.