LEED Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LEED - Assignment Example the nature of LEED certified constructions, is that the renovation and maintenance cost is substantially lower than those which are not LLED certified. The tendency for the useful lives of LEED certified building is presumed to be increased. 4. One of the subjective claims that is raised regarding LEED certified buildings and properties is that the workers who perform their duties, feel a very healthy environment because of reduced toxic emissions which lead to more productivity and efficiency among those workers. This claim is quite hard to verify because other factors also contribute in a great deal towards increasing productivity and efficiency of the workers. 1. The biggest disadvantage of LEED certification is the heavy initial cost in addition to the normal construction cost. LEED certified buildings require commissioning, administrative, documentation, modeling and designing costs to meet the requirements of LEEF certification which increase the overall cost of the buildings from 2% to 7% on average basis. 2. Another disadvantage of LEED certification is the rigid requirements of the standards designed by USGBC. These requirements are hard to meet on consistent basis. When scrutinized and if any non-compliance is found, the rating of a particular building is decreased as a result. LEED certification involves a process based on menu system. The building commissioner has a right to pick different items from an exhaustive list which includes items such as â€Å"installing on-site renewable energy facilities†, â€Å"improving insulation† etc. The building construction and renovation have the implementation of those items which are mentioned in the list of commissioners. Points are then awarded to the buildings on the basis of those items. Every item has one point with maximum 69 points in accumulation. Some technical exceptions to this point system also exist, but in the end the level of points causes various certification degrees. 1. Sustainable sites (14