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Waterford, NY 12188

How LEED Certification Saves Money

According to the Albany Business Review, the United States saw more than 3,400 properties win LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council over the past year. This surge in energy-efficient construction affects some 1,324 cities throughout the country. At Jersen LEED Certification can be a painless process.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design changes the way we plan, design, construct, operate and manage buildings. Leaders around the world have made LEED the most widely used third-party verification for green buildings. Around 1.85 million square feet are certified daily.

LEED Certified Global Foundries Administration Building
Locally, In the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro area, Malta had the most square footage certified — 1,182,532 square feet — because of GlobalFoundries Fab 8, which was certified silver in January.

The LEED-certification program is among the top indicators used to measure energy-efficient building practices globally. LEED works for all buildings—from a home to corporate headquarters—at all phases of development. Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points across several areas that address sustainability issues. Based on the number of points achieved, a project then receives one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

LEED-certified buildings can save you money. Here’s how:

  • Energy Efficiency: They use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Annual utilities cost per employee in green facilities was $675.26 lower than in non-green facilities. LEED-certified buildings have been proven to use 25% less energy and a 19% reduction in aggregate operational costs in comparison to non-certified buildings.
  • Construction ROI: Owners of green buildings reported that their ROI improved by 19.2% on average for existing building green projects and 9.9% on average for new projects.
  • Cost Savings: According to USGBC, 92.2% of LEED-Certified new construction projects are improving energy performance by at least 10.5%.
  • Attract Tenants: Today’s tenants understand the benefits that LEED-certified spaces have to offer. Lease rates for green buildings are typically 20 percent above average.
  • Healthier Living: People in the U.S. spend about 90% of their time indoors. LEED-certified buildings have healthier, cleaner indoor environmental quality.
  • Tax Incentives: There are a variety of tax benefits and incentives available for green buildings in different states and municipalities across the country, including: tax credits, grants, expedited building permits, and reductions/waivers in fees.

Jersen’s LEED Projects

At Jersen, we specialize in LEED-Certification buildings. Check out our list of LEED-Certified Projects in the Capital District, including Global Foundries, Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Step Tech, Schenectady Bureau of Services and the SUNY Data Center.

If you are considering building these types of projects, contact us to see how LEED Certification can save you money:

–          New Construction / Major Renovations

–          Core and Shell Development

–          Schools / Universities

–          Retail

–          Data Centers

–          Warehouses / Distribution Centers

–          Hospitality

–          Healthcare

–          Residential

For more information about how to LEED Certify your next project, visit: http://www.usgbc.org/leed

Data Sources found: http://leed.usgbc.org/bd-c.html

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