Getting a LEED certification with natural ventilation
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a point-based rating system devised by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to evaluate the environmental performance of buildings and encourage the use of sustainable design and technology.
LEED certification and natural ventilation
Automated natural ventilation can help you obtain valuable points towards the LEED certification.
Why do I need a LEED certification?
To obtain a LEED certification is a way to demonstrate to your stakeholders that certain environmental goals have been achieved during the design and construction of your building.
LEED is a voluntary program. Nevertheless, obtaining a LEED certification projects a positive environmental image to the community. Furthermore, most green building practices also result in energy- and cost savings as well as better indoor air quality.
Research has shown that workers and students in these environments have increased productivity, job retention, heightened concentration and lower rates of absenteeism. These benefits contribute directly to a company’s profit.
How do I get a LEED certification?
To be certified, your building project needs to obtain certain points and meet green building standards that will subsequently be validated during the certification process.
See how you can achieve LEED points with WindowMaster’s solutions
Download the white paper ‘How to obtain LEED credits with natural ventilation
What are the LEED certification requirements?
The system is credit-based, allowing building projects to earn points for environmentally friendly actions undertaken during the construction phase and subsequent building usage.
The latest LEED rating system consists of five different areas addressing multiple topics - each broken into smaller components where points are given. The rating system can be implemented in both new constructions and existing buildings.
To earn LEED credits, the project must meet certain criteria and goals within the following categories:
- Location and transportation - Consider the location and accessibility of your project.
- Materials and Resources - Use sustainable products and reduce waste.
- Water efficiency – Design your building in such way that potable water usage is reduced or resources can be reused, minimizing the need for water inside the building.
- Energy and atmosphere - The building must enhance energy performance and promote good indoor air and environmental quality.
- Sustainable sites - Design the project so the natural resources and ecosystems nearby can be a natural part of the design, minimizing environmental pollution.
- Indoor environmental quality - Increase daylight and promote natural ventilation.
- Innovation - Any idea that is not cover under the five LEED main areas.
- Regional priority credits - Address any particular concern related to the regional or geographical location.
LEED Certification Levels
| Certified | 40-49 Points |
| Silver | 50-59 Points |
| Gold | 60-79 Points |
| Platinum | 80-110 Points |
Who uses LEED?
Across the U.S., numerous cities and states either provide tax credits or grants for green buildings, or require green building certification for public buildings.
Several states including California, New York, Oregon, and Washington have adopted LEED for public buildings.
Outside North America, the interest in LEED is also gaining pace. Thirteen countries, including China and India, where they have high levels of new building constructions, have expressed an interest in LEED, and the support for green buildings as well as the list of countries interested in the LEED certification system increases rapidly each year.
How can WindowMaster help achieve a LEED certification?
Using automated natural ventilation or hybrid ventilation (also known as mixed mode ventilation) can help increase the number of points awarded to a building in the LEED system.
WindowMaster’s indoor climate solutions have been tested and evaluated in relation to the LEED rating system. The results show that a well-designed natural ventilation system has an influence on up to 22 LEED points out of a total of 110.
One of the important factors to achieve these points is to have an intelligent, demand-controlled system, with the possibility for features like positioning control and feedback of the actuator operation.
See how you can achieve LEED points with natural ventilation