What is LEED?
LEED stands for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). It is rating system that provides an exact outline to building owners and operators how to design, construct and operate green buildings using methods that are practical and measurable.
Based on points and prerequisites the system recognizes the environmental performance of buildings at four levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum.
Why become certified?
It is true that building green does cost a little more upfront but the benefits and incentives far outweigh the added average 2% cost to your bottom line.
Health and Environmental Benefits:
Requirements make builders use their resources more efficiently
Healthier work and living environments
Improvement of air and water quality
Reduction of waste
Better health for employees
Healthier, cleaner community and environment
Bottom Line Benefits:
Tax credits and breaks
Expedited permitting
Free or reduced cost technical assistance
Grants and low interest loans
SE Blueprint’s role in LEED:
Our green policies and programs can help your business become LEED certified. There are nine key areas that LEED takes into account when adjudicating a company’s performance. We can help you earn your prerequisites and points in two of those categories.
Energy & Atmosphere
The Energy & Atmosphere category encourages a wide variety of energy strategies, one of which is the use of renewable and clean sources of energy. We are proud to say that all of our contracted delivery vehicles are hybrid models, saving energy and emissions into the environment and that our switch to energy-efficient lighting and the installation of skylights has dramatically cut our energy consumption. Plus our network of nationwide RSA (Reprographic Services Association) printers enables plans and documents to be printed at any one of our 120 network locations, reducing long distance delivery transportation emissions.
Materials & Resources
This category promotes the reduction of waste as well as reuse and recycling of materials and resources. Over the last few years we have reduced our landfill waste by 80% by switching to recycled bond paper and seeking out companies that were willing to take more of our waste to recycle. We even offer to pick up recyclable materials from our customers if they cannot recycle it, a commitment to the environment and our customers that we are proud of.
In contrast, many of our competitors have decided to use “going green” simply as a marketing tool. Touting their use of recycled bond for just ONE day, a competitor recently boasted that they were able to save a few hundred trees. Since our permanent switch to bond paper SE Blueprint has saved thousands of trees in the last two years and will always continue to look for new ways to provide our services more efficiently and effectively with as little impact to the environment as possible.
At SE Blueprint we understand that the response to environmental concern needs to begin somewhere. We take care in knowing that we are serving our clients with the quality products they expect and with the future well-being of our communities in mind.
Congratulations to these building owners who achieved Platinum Certification!
Optima Engineering P.A., Charlotte, North Carolina
Chipotle, Gurnee, Illinois
Proximity Hotel, Greensville, North Carolina
For a quick overview on LEEDS read the Wikipedia article.
Visit the USGBC page for details on LEEDS Certification:
