LEED is an internationally recognized certification classification recognizing green building.  It provides third party verification that a building or community was designed and built to improve performance across all the metrics that matter most: CO2 emissions reduction, energy savings, water efficiency, and improved indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources including sensitivity to their impact.

 Creating green buildings needs to be the goal of all new projects.  In the United States buildings account for 72% of electricity consumption, 39% of energy use, 38% of all carbon dioxide emissions, 40% of raw materials use, 30% of waste output, (136 million tons annual) and 14% of potable water consumption.  LEED can apply to all building types, both residential and commercial.  It works throughout the building lifecycle from design to construction, operation and maintenance, tenant fill out, and major retrofits.

 Texas is a state to be proud of.  We have higher than national salaries, education, industry, and science.  Texas had a gross state product of $1.224 trillion, the second highest in the U.S.  Texas’ economy is the fourth largest in the world behind England, California, and Tokyo.  Texas has and abundance of natural resources.  Texas also has one of the lowest tax burdens in the nation due to the state’s three-billion-dollar Texas Enterprise fund.  The state has the most Fortune 500 companies headquarters along with California in the country.

  Texas LEED buildings are innovative and leading the way for the nation in being environmentally conscience.  LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environment Design.  It is a voluntary, consensus-based standard to support and certify successful green building designs, constructions, and operations. 

 This certification program was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and incorporates over 7,000 projects in the United States and 30 countries.  Almost 20,000 members are included in the organization.  It was developed in 1998.

 To be Texas LEED certified you need a company that specializes in the certifications.  Services should include: Fundamental commissioning, enhanced commissioning, retro-commissioning, energy auditing, energy modeling, day lighting analysis, facilitation of eco-charrettes, LEED process assistance, LEED project assistance, LEED project administration, LEED documentation, LEED multifamily NC expertise, indoor air quality testing, and green specifications.