ABSTRACT
Investment in high-performance, sustainable building solutions and technologies is limited by first-cost decision-making. The genius of Leadership in Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States (US) Green Building Council is that it defines sustainability in 69 distinct goals, giving the client the opportunity to qualify a greater investment of expertise and capital in their buildings. There are growing number of LEED Silver, Gold and Platinum projects that have demonstrated measurable energy benefits as well as reduced absenteeism, quicker attraction rates and better perceived health. While promoting either broad or detailed sustainability goals, many sustainable building designers will simultaneously argue that 'green' design should not cost more. A number of US studies have demonstrated that modest cost increases can achieve silver-level and gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, achieving higher levels of sustainability with short-term payback. The Building Investment Decision System life-cycle decision-support tool, continues to build on the return-on-investment calculations for these guidelines, based on actual cases.
