LEED assessment

Question: What is LEED certification?

Answer: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the internationally recognised green building certification system developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). It assesses buildings across categories including location and transportation, sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation, awarding Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum ratings.

LEED is used worldwide and is frequently required in the UK by international corporate occupiers, investors and developers seeking a globally comparable sustainability credential.

Question: Which LEED rating systems are available?

Answer: LEED offers rating systems for different project types, including:

• LEED Building Design and Construction (BD+C) for new buildings and major renovations
• LEED Interior Design and Construction (ID+C) for commercial interiors and fit-outs
• LEED Operations and Maintenance (O+M) for existing buildings
• LEED for Homes and LEED for Cities and Communities

The current version is LEED v4.1, with LEED v5 being introduced, placing greater emphasis on decarbonisation, resilience and equity.

Question: Why pursue LEED in the UK rather than BREEAM?

Answer: LEED and BREEAM are both respected schemes and are often pursued together on major projects. LEED is typically chosen where the occupier or investor has a global portfolio and reports against LEED, or where a US-based corporation is the tenant. LEED's structure, with prerequisites and credits, and its reliance on ASHRAE standards, differs from BREEAM's UK-specific approach, so UK projects require careful mapping to UK regulations and practice.

Question: What does the LEED process involve?

Answer: The LEED process includes:

• Project registration with GBCI
• Feasibility and target rating assessment
• Integrative design process and credit strategy
• Energy modelling to ASHRAE 90.1 methodology
• Commissioning by a LEED Commissioning Authority
• Documentation of credits through LEED Online
• Review by GBCI and certification

A LEED Accredited Professional (AP) on the team earns an innovation credit and helps navigate the requirements.

Question: What are LEED prerequisites?

Answer: Prerequisites are mandatory requirements that must be met for a project to be certified, regardless of rating. They include fundamental commissioning, minimum energy performance, minimum indoor air quality, water use reduction, construction waste management planning and environmental tobacco smoke control. Identifying prerequisites early is essential, as failure to meet any one of them prevents certification.

Question: How does LEED energy modelling differ from UK methods?

Answer: LEED energy credits are assessed by comparing the proposed building against an ASHRAE 90.1 baseline building using whole-building energy simulation, rather than the SBEM or SAP methods used for UK Building Regulations. Consultants experienced in both UK and US methodologies can produce the required models efficiently and ensure the results are consistent with Part L compliance.

Question: Why choose Syntegra Group for a LEED Assessment?

Answer: Syntegra Group provides LEED consultancy and assessment support for new buildings, fit-outs and existing buildings across the UK, working with LEED Accredited Professionals and our in-house energy modelling, commissioning and M&E design teams. We are experienced in mapping LEED requirements to UK standards and in running LEED alongside BREEAM and WELL where clients require multiple certifications.

Our integrated approach ensures LEED credits are coordinated with the building services design and delivered efficiently through to certification.