USGBC ALabama Chapter
Quick Facts About LEED
About Green Buildings &
LEED™ Green Building Rating System
Why build green?
- Impacts of U.S. buildings on resources:
• 40% primary energy use
• 72% electricity consumption
• 39% CO2 emissions
• 13% potable water consumption
• 65% waste output
Designed/Built/Operated: The focus of building green is to improve building efficiency, conserve resources, and sustain occupant health. Green buildings should efficiently use energy, water, and materials, while having the least impact on the land and the most benefit to the occupants.
What is LEED and why should we use it?
- LEED: Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design is a green building rating system that addresses the complete lifecycle of a building.
- People pass the LEED AP exam to become Accredited. Buildings get registered and then become Certified.
- LEED addresses Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy & Atmosphere (EA), Materials & Resources (MR), and Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ).
- LEED has rigorous standards for all these criteria and requires third-party verification that these standards have been met.
- The main categories of LEED are:
• Building Design + Construction (BD+C)
• Interior Design + Construction (ID+C)
• Operations + Maintenance (O+M)
• LEED for Homes
• LEED Neighborhood Development (ND)
About US Green Building
Council Alabama Chapter
Our Mission: To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling a socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life in Alabama.
• USGBC-Alabama Chapter is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, volunteer organization formed in 2004.
• We have four Branches: North, Birmingham, Central, and Gulf Coast.
• We are an all-volunteer leadership: Board, branch leaders and committees.
• Licensed by USGBC National to use the USGBC Chapter brand. We are one of 72 chapters that make up USGBC National.
• There are more than 400 individual members of the Alabama Chapter*.
• Chapter membership is open to anyone. Annual dues are $65 for regular members, $45.50 for employees of national companies, and $26 for full-time students. www.usgbcofal.org links to the chapter member sign-up.
• Chapter’s educational mission depends on membership and sponsorship.
• Core Committees are Programs, Membership and Communications. Plus special committees: Homes, Schools, Commercial and Advocacy (public policy).
• Chapter programs, lectures, building tours, and other events are open to the public and available in all 4 branch areas.
• Get involved!
