The environment isn’t just a fad, it’s an important business reality and social responsibility. One of many ways to demonstrate you are green and put into practice real green initiatives is with LEED.

A North American standard, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a set of standards that cover a wide range of building design and operations activities and technical solutions.

LEED Existing Building Operations & Maintenance applies to existing buildings and provides managers of existing buildings with another tool to improve environmental stewardship. We've provided links to the info further below. Even if you aren’t located in North America, the LEED programs provide useful information and guidance about managing your buildings with the environment and energy conservation in mind.

The certification standards originate in the USA form the US Green Building Council (USGBC). They are mirrored in Canada by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) with modifications to reflect building code, standards and issues unique to Canada.

Registration requires demonstrating adherence to specific requirements or measured energy / environmental performance.

Whether you seek certification or not, there are many practices in the LEED requirements that you should implement at your facilities to make your operation green and environmentally friendly. Some are difficult, others are relatively easy. If you are certifying you new construction as a LEED NC (New Construction) certified building, some of the requirements will already be covered, otherwise, some of them can be very expensive to achieve with an existing building.

Others are management practices that are easy to implement. In fact, if you have been focusing on green issues, many should already be in place and all you need to do is document them to meet LEED requirements.

To get certification, you achieve points for implementing or meeting the following standards. There is a minimum requirement, including prerequisites, with certification levels of Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum, depending on how many points you achieve.

The complete list of requirements is listed here:

Sustainable Sites

• LEED Certified Design and Construction
• Building Exterior and Hard-scape Management Plan
• Integrated Pest Management, Erosion Control, and Landscape Management Plan
• Alternative Commuting Transportation
• Site Development: Protect or Restore Open Habitat
• Storm water Quantity Control
• Heat Island Reduction: Non-Roof
• Heat Island Reduction: Roof
• Light Pollution Reduction

Water Efficiency

• Water Metering and Minimum Indoor Plumbing Fixture and Fitting Efficiency
• Water Performance Measurement
• Additional Indoor Plumbing Fixture and Fitting Efficiency
• Water Efficient Landscaping
• Cooling Tower Water Management: Chemical Management
• Cooling Tower Water Management: Non-potable Water Source Use

Energy & Atmosphere

• Energy Efficiency Best Management Practices: Planning, Documentation, and Opportunity Assessment
• Minimum Energy Efficiency Performance
• Refrigerant Management: Ozone Protection
• Optimize Energy Efficiency Performance
• Existing Building Commissioning: Investigation and Analysis
• Existing Building Commissioning: Implementation
• Existing Building Commissioning: Ongoing Commissioning
• Performance Measurement: Building Automation System
• Performance Measurement: System-Level Metering
• On-Site and Off-Site Renewable Energy
• Enhanced Refrigerant Management
• Emissions Reduction Reporting

Materials & Resources

• Sustainable Purchasing Policy
• Solid Waste Management Policy
• Sustainable Purchasing: Ongoing Consumables
• Sustainable Purchasing: Durable Goods -
• Sustainable Purchasing: Durable Goods - Furniture
• Sustainable Purchasing: Facility Alterations and Additions
• Sustainable Purchasing: Reduced Mercury in Lamps
• Sustainable Purchasing: Food
• Solid Waste Management: Waste Stream Audit
• Solid Waste Management: Ongoing Consumables
• Solid Waste Management: Durable Goods
• Solid Waste Management: Facility Alterations and Additions

Indoor Environmental Quality

• Minimum IAQ Performance
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control
• Green Cleaning Policy
• IAQ Best Management Practices: IAQ Management Program
• IAQ Best Management Practices: Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring
• IAQ Best Management Practices: Increased Ventilation
• IAQ Best Management Practices: Reduce Particulates in Air Distribution
• IAQ Best Management Practices: IAQ Management for Facility Alterations and Additions
• Occupant Comfort: Occupant Survey
• Controllability of Systems: Lighting
• Occupant Comfort: Thermal Comfort Monitoring
• Daylight and Views
• Green Cleaning: High-Performance Cleaning Program
• Green Cleaning: Custodial Effectiveness Assessment
• Green Cleaning: Purchase of Sustainable Cleaning Products and Materials
• Green Cleaning: Sustainable Cleaning Equipment
• Green Cleaning: Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control
• Green Cleaning: Indoor Integrated Pest Management

For more details about the LEED certification, click on the links:

Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)

Canada LEED EBOM (Existing Building Rating System (PDF Download)

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

U.S. LEED EBOM (Existing Building) Rating System (PDF Download)

You don't have to be in North America to use the principles in the LEED Certification and Rating systems. They are simply good practice for any Facility Manager or Property Manager.

Note that LEED has certification programs for commercial interiors, core & shell, homes and neighbourhood developments.