Watch this video (Paul Holland, Foundation Capital) to see a nice, simple presentation explaining the basics of LEED in construction.

Green building is beyond popular these days. I have talked to many contractors who have grown very frustrated at all the barriers to entry for a small builder to do the “LEED Certified” thing.

It looks like it’s here to stay. Lets break it down, and get more comfortable with it. Trust me, your customers will ask you all about it. Shouldn’t you know what you’re talking about?

It all boils down to these individual areas:

1. Water

2. Energy

3. Waste

4. Materials

5. Site

These are the areas that need to be “just so” in order to get into the “LEED certified” club.

Here are the certification categories:

1. Certified

2. Silver

3. Gold

4. Platinum

Those are the basics. One of the things I was surprised to learn about was the importance of controlling dust and site debris. It sounds like a nightmare, but one contractor I talked to who has done it before says it’s mostly about getting used to it. When your subcontractors get over the initial shock of it all, and gain experience, the process gets smoother (and less expensive).

The lesson? Learn more about this stuff now. It’s the future. The first one to nail it down and get it done for a lower cost will ultimately win.

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