The LEED standard for energy efficiency is something that has become extremely popular with United States contractors and government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. When a state makes a conscious effort to encourage energy efficient contracting, it lowers its energy producing costs, reduces hazardous waste, lowers the cost of living for residents, and creates a very positive overall impact.
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, the state of Massachusetts finished fifth in the country in 2014 for LEED-compliant projects. Massachusetts continues its rise up the LEED leader board and has put considerable distance between itself and sixth place Hawaii. The list is based on the amount of LEED-compliant living space per resident as measured in square feet and is rapidly becoming a list the countries around the world are keeping a close eye on.
LEED-compliant construction saves money and the environment.
What Is The LEED Standard?
LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is the all-encompassing term used by the U.S. Green Building Council to designate five different types of construction projects. The five LEED designations are:
• Commercial Building Design
• Interior Design
• Commercial Operations and Maintenance
• Neighborhood Development
• Residential Homes
Once a contractor chooses what type of LEED classification their project falls under, they must apply for certification and then follow the guidelines of that particular category. It is a national program that is all run through the U.S. Green Building Council.
The Massachusetts Numbers
The state of Massachusetts ranked fifth in the 2014 rankings and improved its numbers from 2013 dramatically. For 2014, Massachusetts contractors executed 99 certified LEED projects and affected 14,662,950 square feet of new and remodeled space. The state also posted an impressive per-capita square footage for each resident of 2.2 square feet. That is a dramatic increase from 2013 and the state shows no signs of slowing its progress.
The state of Massachusetts worked hard to be more environmentally friendly in 2014.
Greenfield Community College Did Its Part
Greenfield Community College did its part by working directly with the state of Massachusetts to get all of its major remodeling and building projects for 2014 LEED certified. The school had work done on its cafeteria, library, class enrollment area, and multicultural center. The end result was a project that added a significant amount of LEED-complaint square footage to the Massachusetts’ 2014 total and helped to the school to earn a gold level certification for its LEED projects.
Massachusetts worked hard to maintain its LEED status in 2014 as the state also did LEED-compliant work in facilities such as the Harvard Law School Gannett House, Winchester Hospital, and Athol Public Library.
Being part of an LEED-compliant contractor in the state of Massachusetts requires discipline and the proper licensing. If you visit the 247Mass.com website, you will find all of the qualified contractor certification courses you will need to be licensed as a supervisor or a contractor. You can check out the entire array of courses and see what the 247Mass.com has to offer. Each course offers all of the ongoing educational requirements as laid out by the state and you do not pay for your courses until you have completed and passed them.