More and more buildings are striving to qualify for LEED certification which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is an internationally accepted green building certification system. There are a lot of advantages to getting certified by LEED, including tax exemptions, tax credits, tax breaks, density bonuses, reduced fees and many more; but these incentives are not the only reason why buildings design by LEED specifications. LEED buildings feature sustainable design which means that it is designed to promote water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and, most importantly, energy efficiency.
For most building owners, designing for energy efficiency has become a need, especially with the continuously rising energy cost and constantly tightening energy codes. In sustainable design, promoting energy efficiency usually means having a green lighting system that can deliver a high performance visual environment without consuming too much energy. The demand for energy efficient lighting has made green lighting solutions more available in the market, making it easier to design a lighting system that reduces energy usage while also boosting performance.
In most buildings that feature sustainable design, some of the heavily featured lighting solutions usually include LED lighting and lighting controls. LED lighting is a favourite in sustainable design because of its ability to deliver high quality lighting for a fraction of the energy that traditional lighting solutions would consume. It is also free of any toxic materials in both the final product and in manufacturing, and is easily recyclable. Lighting controls are also often used because of their ability to optimize functionality and energy efficiency. A wide range of lighting controls are available for an equally wide range of settings, but they are most effective when used in conjunction with LED lighting solutions and vice versa.
There are many other factors to getting a LEED certification, but one of the main advantages of the sustainable design needed for LEED is the significant energy that is saved. Not only does it give you a more visually comfortable building interior, it also promotes cost effectiveness and significantly reduces your overall costs.
