The Leed Certifications

The LEED certifications depend on a 100-point scoring system. In order to attain the lowest level of certification a hotel must meet a minimum of 40 points. Whether you are building a brand new hotel from the ground up or are currently operating a full service hotel, LEED certifications are available for new construction or existing buildings. The four levels of certification based on the qualifying points of the 100-point scale are:

• Platinum: 80 points or higher
• Gold: 60-79 points
• Silver: 50-59 points
• Certified: 40-49 points

There are seven different categories in which your hotel has the opportunity to earn points. These categories are as follows:

• Sustainable Sites
• Water Efficiency
• Energy & Atmosphere
• Materials & Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Innovation in Operations
• Regional Bonus Points

Challenges of LEED certification

To get LEED certificate hotels has to go through some of the challenges and hurdles because it is not easy to get LEED certification. So below are some of the major challenges every hotel have to face while getting LEED certificate. Theoretically, there are not any challenges but after some few research, their some of the major challenges hotels have to face. The criticism of LEED is that it addresses how a building is designed and how it is intended to be used. So following are the challenges faced by hotels to get LEED certification.

1. LEED is the time-consuming and high amount of investment: First of all, it takes time to understand the LEED requirements, while at the time you familiarizing with it, LEED comes out with different terms and condition. So it's better to hire some consultant that knows every aspect of the LEED and its policy. The other potential drawback with time-consuming is the high amount of fees that they charge for registration and certificate along with commissioning fees. So it is very difficult for an investor and for an architect to go with LEED certificate.

2. Resistance to change: doing a new thing is always a challenge for the hotel industry. “new” means there are lots of risk and uncertainty, telling and getting people to adopt a change is very difficult because we need to educate them about the change that we did in the hotel. for E.G. ITC grand chola in Tamil Nadu is the India biggest platinum LEED certified hotel, when they change to this new thing their employee not used to that change and they all were resigning the job, so they decide to make a committee in every department, and educate the employee about LEED certification and trained them by giving job security to every employee. So change is very hard to adopt, people are used to working in a certain way, using the same technique, material, and product which they’re familiar.

3. LEED Does not Recognize Innovation of Building: LEED has become a status symbol rather than a means to create environmental friendly building. With the point system; architectures are more concerned about earning more points than creating environmental friendly buildings. Along with this fact; LEED provides 4 bonus points for innovative designs. But there is no parameter to gauge the innovativeness of a building. Hence; you are bound to lose even if you have created the most innovative green building. This is a big minus point of LEED.

4. LEED Does not Take Into Consideration Performance of the Building: LEED itself is a very laughable concept because no matter how unsustainable the building is, or unsustainable building can even get LEED certification. LEED is a design tool and not a performance evaluation tool for buildings.

Theoretically, there is no downside to LEED. Building a well-designed, sustainable and efficient building is a good thing, no matter what. The criticism of LEED is that it addresses how a building is designed and how it is intended to be used. However, as building is built and is occupied, is it really being used per the design intent? Often times, LEED buildings do not run nearly as efficiently as they were designed to once they are occupied.

Benefits of LEED certification:

There are different benefits of LEED certification such as, employee benefits, industry benefits etc. we shall discuss in details.

Individual Benefits

• Approval provides a profitable asset to an employer, prospective employer, or client
• Allows for a new career path, even if you've had no prior experience
• Expand your marketing reach - You will be listed on USGBC website directory of LEED Professionals
• You would be able to use your LEED certificates after your name on your resume, business card, LinkedIn profile, email signature, etc.
• Receive recognition for involvement in the LEED certification process
• Qualify for salary increases and promotions

Employer Benefits

• Strengthen your qualifications when responding to Request For Proposal requiring a LEED professional
• Encourage the growth of knowledge and understanding of the LEED certification process and keep up with the hottest industry
• LEED provides incentives for project teams to include products with greater recycled content, rapidly renewable materials, and building products that reduce waste throughout their lifecycle.
• LEED provides a clear pathway for environmental achievement.
• A building that is built, remodeled, or managed according to LEED standards is a clear expression of a company's commitment to the environment.

Industry Benefits

• Encourages and promotes a higher understanding of LEED worldwide
• Supports and facilitates transformation in sustainable construction and design
• LEED is the most comprehensive and difficult certification to attain in the built environment. Most projects, if they achieve LEED Platinum Certification, will well exceed most other building certification standards and codes.
• LEED buildings are better for the environment; are energy- and water-efficient; have higher lease-up rates than conventional buildings in their markets; are healthier and safer for occupants; and are a physical demonstration of the values of the organizations that own and occupy them.

In general, a company trying to be recognized as a leader in the construction industry would want to be LEED certified. Going green is already popular and momentum within the construction industry will only make green construction more prevalent. LEED is a big boost to your company's public image. At the end of the day, LEED is a net benefit for construction companies who offer LEED compliance. LEED not only saves buyers money, increases building efficiency, and builds reliability for construction companies, but it's also an proper system for sustainability, In reducing water waste and building on energy efficiency, LEED strives to make the world a greener place.

Conclusion

Not only will you be in demand because of your specialized skills, you will be able to compete in an economy where LEED is quickly becoming the standard, rather than the exception, for professionals in the building industry. Add to that the recent changes to the LEED system that make it more attractive and applicable to anyone with an interest in sustainability, and you’ve got a perfect time to get recognized. In short there are more of benefits than compared to challenges, though we have struggle for benefits its like saying “you eat mangoes, don’t count the trees”. So be happy with the benefits, because the struggle to get LEED certificate is going to be real struggle but it will make a big impact to hotel industry.