LEED Green Associate key terms

A collaborative approach that brings owner, designers, and contractors together early to study how building systems interact, so energy, water, site, and material decisions are made as a whole rather than in isolated silos.

A focused, facilitated workshop held early in design where the project team and stakeholders set goals, uncover synergies between credits, and resolve major issues together in a compressed timeframe.

A mandatory requirement that every project must satisfy to earn any level of certification; failing a prerequisite blocks certification no matter how many points other credits earn.

An optional requirement in a rating system that, when achieved, contributes points toward a project's total score and therefore toward the certification level it can reach.

The baseline conditions a project must meet to be eligible to pursue certification, covering items such as minimum floor area, permanent location, and compliance with applicable environmental laws.

The four point thresholds a project can reach, named Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with the point totals required for each set by the rating system version in use.

An approved route for satisfying a credit or prerequisite that differs from the referenced standard, used when a project's conditions or local codes make the default approach impractical.

A method that quantifies environmental impacts of materials or whole buildings across extraction, manufacturing, transport, use, and end of life, informing comparisons among design options.

The tendency of paved, dark, or bare surfaces to absorb solar energy and raise local air temperatures above those of surrounding vegetated land, increasing cooling loads and outdoor discomfort.

A calculated value describing how well a surface reflects solar energy and sheds heat; higher numbers indicate a cooler surface and are used to qualify roofs and hardscape products.

A roof assembly with growing medium and vegetation installed over a waterproof membrane, which can cut heat gain, slow rainwater runoff, and extend the life of the roof membrane.

A prerequisite requiring an erosion and sedimentation control plan that keeps soil and other pollutants on the site and out of storm sewers, streams, and neighboring properties during construction.

A documented study of a site's natural and built conditions, including soils, hydrology, vegetation, climate, and infrastructure, completed before design to guide siting and landscape decisions.

Outdoor area on the project site that is vegetated or otherwise pervious and available to building users, supporting recreation, habitat, and infiltration of rainwater.

Design measures that limit upward light and off-site light trespass from the building and site, preserving dark night skies and reducing disturbance to ecosystems and neighbors.

Previously developed land complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination, whose cleanup and reuse is encouraged because it steers growth away from undeveloped land.

Renovating an existing building for a new purpose while keeping its structure and much of its envelope, avoiding the environmental impacts of demolition and new construction.

A site within a walkable distance of existing or planned bus, rail, or ferry service, which reduces the share of trips taken by private automobile.

A connected system of on-street lanes, paths, and trails near the project that supports cycling as a practical alternative to driving for daily trips.

A metric expressing indoor water consumption per occupant or per unit of floor area over a year, used to compare a design's projected demand against a calculated baseline.

A plumbing fixture rated to use less water than conventional models while meeting performance standards, typically expressed in liters or gallons per flush or per minute.

Landscape design that relies on drought-tolerant and native plants, efficient irrigation, and soil improvement so outdoor water demand stays low without losing function or beauty.

Collecting and storing precipitation from roofs or other surfaces for irrigation, toilet flushing, or cooling tower makeup, reducing potable water demand and site runoff.

A quality-focused process in which an independent agent verifies that building systems are installed, calibrated, and perform according to the owner's requirements and the design intent.

A credit-level extension of basic commissioning that adds earlier involvement, design review, and post-occupancy activities such as seasonal testing and follow-up review of operator training.

Annual energy consumption of a building divided by its floor area, expressed in kBtu per square foot or kilowatt-hours per square meter, allowing comparison across designs and buildings.

A tradable certificate representing one megawatt-hour of electricity generated from renewable sources, which a project may purchase to offset conventional grid energy use.

A program in which a building temporarily reduces or shifts electricity use when the grid is stressed, earning incentives while supporting reliability during peak demand periods.

A prerequisite that prohibits chlorofluorocarbon-based refrigerants in new building systems and requires that any CFC-containing equipment being retained be phased out before occupancy.

Carbon-based chemicals that evaporate readily at room temperature from paints, adhesives, sealants, and furnishings, contributing to indoor air pollution and occupant health complaints.

Products such as paints, coatings, adhesives, flooring, and furniture that have been tested and shown to release very low levels of volatile organic compounds and other indoor pollutants.

The condition in which occupants are satisfied with the temperature, humidity, and air movement around them, supported by design to recognized comfort standards plus individual controls.

A prerequisite requiring smoking to be prohibited indoors and near entries, operable windows, and air intakes, keeping secondhand smoke out of occupied spaces and ventilation systems.

Planning and tracking of debris generated during construction or renovation so materials are diverted to recycling or reuse instead of being sent to landfill or incineration.

A third-party verified report summarizing a product's environmental impacts across its life cycle, used by teams to compare and select materials with lower overall impacts.

The portion of a material made from post-consumer or pre-consumer waste, used to reward products that keep previously used material in circulation rather than in disposal.

Wood products sourced from forests managed to Forest Stewardship Council standards, which address ecological health, worker welfare, and benefits to local communities.

A cleaning program using products, equipment, and procedures that minimize chemical hazards, airborne contaminants, and exposure for building occupants and custodial staff.