What are the elements that differentiate LEED (US and Italian) from other certification systems (protocols)?

The major difference is that LEED was created by an organization that is very diverse in its membership. The USGBC membership includes architects and building contractors, corporations and non-profit organizations, government representatives and manufacturers. Collaborations of these very different interests simply did not exist in the area of building development, design and construction prior to the creation of the USGBC. The various interests of these groups were reconciled by their common interest in the advancement of green building knowledge and practice. This consensus resulted in a very good rating system that is very successful, at first in the United States, and now in the global marketplace.

Another important difference is that LEED balances a prescriptive overall approach with flexibility in key interest areas. The prescriptive credit system provides a valid basis for a comparative rating of buildings with very different purposes, local conditions and owner requirements. At the same time, flexibility is offered by a choice of regional priority credits for certain credit areas that are affected by local land use, climate or hydrology. For all LEED credits, the project team has the option to propose alternative compliance approaches. In this way, creativity is encouraged in the process and new ideas in green building are given recognition.

One of the most important characteristics of LEED is that it addresses building owner concerns, project performance and product quality in a single package. The benefits in these areas of project development result in an excellent outcome for all parties involved. In the LEED process owner gets more involved in design decisions and gets a better performing. There is better communication between the architect and building contractor based on the quality requirements of LEED. Finally, in the long term, the performance of the building is reported, leading to continuous improvements. These benefits have helped LEED become a strong global brand, furthering awareness and adoption of green building practices.

What are the differences within LEED US and LEED ITALIA?

While the two standards use an identical credit and rating structure, there are specific considerations for geographic conditions, difference in local building industry practices and, for Italian and European legislation and standards within LEED ITALIA. A few examples follow:

• Under EAp2, Energy Atmosphere Prerequisite 2, Minimum Energy Performance, the simulation option uses a procedure from the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 Standard, yet refers to Annex1 192/2005 of the Italian Legislative Decree for criteria on transmittance of building elements.
• Under MRc5, Materials and Resources Credit 5, Regional Materials, the distance for land transport under Option 1 is reduced to 350 km (220 miles) from 800 km (500 miles) in the United States standard. A second Regional Materials option was added to LEED ITALIA and provides allowance for up to 1.050 km 200 (650 miles) distance when items are transported by rail or sea.
• Under QIp1, Indoor Environment Quality Prerequisite1, Minimum Air Quality, the European Standard UNI EN 15251 is cited as the performance criteria, instead of ASHRAE 62.1.
• Under QIc4.2, Indoor Environment Quality Credit 4.2, Low Emitting Materials: Paints, the governing standard for VOC content is Directive 2004/42/CE of the European Parliament, rather than the US version.

What are some projects in the world that reflect best the application of LEED for New Construction?

It is very difficult to choose the best projects in the world that represent the application of LEED for New Construction, since they keep getting better! I would say that the project teams that have the most experience working together and using LEED are producing the best projects. Starting out, teams are producing very good results, but as knowledge and experience with green building practices and LEED are developed, the results get better. Ultimately, it’s the most advanced professional teams who use LEED as one of many tools to measure and achieve high levels of performance and quality in the projects they produce. These teams also have an important part to play in teaching others in the application of LEED, and guiding further development of the standard.