LEED the Way - Reasons to Go Green

In this article, you'll learn:

The LEED rating system and its focus areas.
Examples of LEED-certified buildings, like Wild by Nature and Tanger Outlet Mall.
How LEED certification can enhance building efficiency and reduce costs.
The benefits of going green, including tax incentives and environmental impact.

LEED buildings seem to be springing up all over Long Island and their presence is bringing greater awareness to environmentally friendly techniques and energy conservation for major establishments. LEED stands for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design; it’s a company designed to provide their clients with sustainable techniques and tools to make their building run more efficiently and ecologically.

The LEED rating system (gold, silver, platinum, certified) measures the sustainability within these green buildings, focusing on five key areas to determine the building’s certification: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

While there are many LEED buildings around the island, let’s focus in on just a couple and see how they’re making their workspace more cost-effective.

Wild by Nature, located in Oceanside, was award the highest level of certification (a gold rating) making them the first supermarket in New York State to do so. Their rating was earned due to their building’s superior effort in energy consumption, lighting, water and material use. Some of the many new features Wild by Nature is equipped with include a reflective, white roof that reduces heat, waterless urinals, high efficiency heating and cooling systems and recycled materials used in the structure’s construction.

Another well-known establishment that also scores a Silver LEED rating is the Tanger Outlet Mall in Deer Park. Tanger was awarded this rating based on their excellent use of materials and resources as well as water efficiency and energy consumption.

Many buildings are jumping on this renovation bandwagon, and who can blame them? Not only are you making your building more efficient and environmentally sound, you’re saving money and getting a tax incentive for your reduced industrial footprint.

To learn more about LEED and how you can qualify for certification, check out their website at the US Green Building Council.

All information gathered from USGBC.