Being an energy-efficient building or business is important in a world of finite resources and can have a significant impact on heating and cooling bills. The commercial arm of Energy Diagnostics Inc. focuses on energy inspections for businesses and commercial energy code compliance.
Energy diagnoses can be completed for a variety of services and help to create compliance for coding and certifications within any industry. Your business operation can benefit greatly by receiving LEED certification at any level and Energy Diagnostics Inc. is a high-quality partner that can work with you on a project meeting the standards of efficiency that work best for you and your business operations. What does LEED mean? Read on to learn more.
What Is LEED Certification?
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is available at several levels, each indicating a different amount of energy efficiency or renewable product usage. The certification is designated by the U.S. Green Building Council and is the most commonly used green building rating system in the world. Certification is available for any building project type, including brand new construction, interior updates or outfits, and maintenance or operations. The framework helps businesses develop highly efficient, cost-saving, and environmentally healthy buildings. The certification is universally recognized as a high standard of achievement as it relates to sustainability.
What Are the Four Levels of LEED Certification?
Projects that pursue LEED certification earn points for utilizing different green building strategies throughout their conception and in several categories. Based on the number of points, a project can receive one of the following level credentials: Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.
Certified is the most basic efforts of sustainability and efficiency, while Platinum certification exhibits above and beyond efforts that exceed expectations of the U.S. Green Building Council and field of sustainable development. Points are achieved in different categories such as Building Design and Construction, Interior Design and Construction, Building Operations and Maintenance, Neighborhood Development, Homes, Cities and Communities, LEED Recertification, and LEED Zero.
To receive the Certified level, your project must have between 40 and 49 points earned. The next level, Silver, requires 50 to 59 points. Gold certification is 60 to 79 points, and anything above 80 points is considered Platinum.
Regardless of which LEED level your business obtains, any level of LEED certification shows exemplary leadership in sustainable building practices. Plus, LEED certification offers benefits from the U.S. Green Building Council as members; your business may be eligible for different tax credits, too.
The rating system was created to encourage and reward sustainable business design using many metrics, including energy savings, water efficiency, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, indoor air quality, and sustainable site location choices.
How Can Energy Diagnostics Inc. Help a Business Achieve LEED Certification?
By working with Energy Diagnostics Inc., you can improve your company’s profitability and overall employee well-being with LEED certification. We offer you several services, including multifamily unit analyses, commercial energy code compliance, and multifamily green and energy certifications. Our staff is certified by nearly every relevant energy rating organization, so you can trust that you’re in good hands regardless of the type or scale of your project. Our staff is certified by the International Code Council (ICC), the Building Performance Institute (BPI), the National Green Building Standard (NGBS), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and Home Energy Rating System (HERS).
We have a staff of RESNET and HERS raters, along with LEED for homes verifiers as well as ICC plan examiners and in-house engineering. The diagnostics team has BPI auditors, NAHB Green raters, and energy code professionals, and the company has received an Energy Star Partner of the Year Award and RESNET Market Transformation Award.
What Type of Work Has Energy Diagnostics Inc. Completed?
We have been a leader in the energy industry since the early 1990s when the focus of energy use and efficiency was just beginning, helping to shape the markets in the energy rating industry, energy code compliance work, and energy inspection services. Since we began our work, we’ve successfully served and inspected more than 60,000 homes, worked with residential and commercial clients, and maintained dozens of commercial properties. Our unmatched expertise has a strong portfolio and much of our residential work has focused on the regions in the Midwest, including Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana, while our commercial arm has a national reach.
We love partnering with eco-friendly and sustainably-minded business owners and organizations with similar goals of creating an efficient and sustainable world. The Energy Diagnostics Inc. team has experience working with businesses looking to develop tax savings as well as homeowners looking for tax and energy savings. We have the resources of a large inspector but can approach commercial projects with the customer service and individualized approach of a smaller scale, making it easy to individualize and cater to each unique business or company.
What Are the LEED Certification Benefits?
Residential and commercial energy inspection services evaluate much of the same territory and processes, and LEED certification is similar at both levels in terms of what applies and innovations in the field. Whether you’re about to construct a new building for the first time or are a large construction firm with many projects ahead, we can assist you to receive tax credits and implement life-cycle savings with energy-efficient designs and processes. Many of the benefits of becoming LEED certified are not limited only to the achievement and respect from the industry, but being a LEED-certified building provides quantifiable long-term economic benefits.
Consider getting an initial quote and consultation from Energy Diagnostics Inc. before starting your project or next phase of work so you can have the employee well-being and long-term economic and health benefits. We can help you look at the pros and cons of various levels of certification and the types of tax breaks that may come from meeting standards of Certified up to Platinum LEED certification. Each level will provide some type of positive impact on your company, employees, and overall reputation. Have more questions? Set up your initial quote request and consultation to meet with one of our skilled project managers.