A construction project that is assessed as a green building needs to comply with many criteria and standards set by reputable construction appraisal associations and councils. Acquiring these certifications means that the building is recognized as an efficient use of resources, minimizing adverse impacts on the environment. In Vietnam, there are many green architectural standards to evaluate buildings such as LEED, LOTUS, EDGE, Green Mark,… In this article, TONA will introduce to you what is the LEED standard? Advantages and disadvantages of the LEED green building rating system.

1. What is LEED Standard?

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized certificate and is issued by the US.Green Building Council (USGBC) – the Public Council Green Program USA – a non-governmental organization specializing in evaluating environmentally friendly buildings and projects.

LEED is a very convincing standard because of its versatility because it is easily applied to all types of buildings – from commercial to residential. It works throughout the construction process – design and build, operation and maintenance, equipping people with significant innovations. And LEED extends its interests beyond specific, backward construction fields into related fields in the development process.

2. LEED Standard Score Scale

To earn a LEED certification, buildings must meet all of the prerequisites and earn credits in each category. The higher the credit score, the more sustainable and environmentally friendly this real estate project is than others. The certification level of the LEED standard generally follows the following thresholds:

• Certified: 40-49 points
• Silver: 50-59 points
• Gold: 60-79 points
• Platinum: 80+ points.

3. Advantages – disadvantages of LEED.

About advantages:

• LEED certification is recognized in many countries, including the United States. The fact that a real estate project meets strict standards can be a factor that makes large enterprises and multinational corporations choose your location as a place of headquarters and offices.
• Environmentally friendly buildings, meeting international standards are an extremely effective way to promote the project to the public, improve the image and position of investors, construction contractors to partners, customers, suppliers and the public.
• The construction of real estate projects meeting LEED standards is also a way for businesses to meet the requirements of the government and state organizations and agencies on environmental protection and sustainable development.

About disadvantages:

• Meeting the requirements and regulations to achieve LEED certification requires businesses to spend a lot of money in the process of designing, constructing and maintaining real estate projects. This makes office rents of LEED standard real estate projects often higher than the average in the market.
• Some regulations related to LEED standards may not be suitable for the specificity of Vietnam. This is the reason that many investors try to make their projects meet both standards: LEED and LOTUS.

Although there are some shortcomings, but with its benefits, the LEED standard is still one of the popular green building evaluation systems in Vietnam. By the end of the second quarter of 2022, there were 129 LEED-certified projects in Vietnam and a total of 233 projects recognized as green buildings based on other standards (EDGE, LOTUS) according to statistics of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Accordingly, the Spartronics 2 Vietnam Factory project, in which TONA is the unit responsible for the design and construction of M&E, also achieved the LEED Gold standard in the USGBC’s global assessment system.

Some of the highlights include:

• Eco-friendly construction and fit out construction materials
• The lighting system integrates self-adjusting sensors to save energy and reduce emissions.
• Equipped with exhaust air suction and treatment system to ensure collection and treatment of 100% of waste air during production operation
• Use sound and heat insulation materials on roofs and partitions to reduce energy consumption
• Water treatment system according to class A standards, capable of recovering and reusing water.
• Smart fire alarm system with FM200 standard at key locations
• Equipping electric vehicle charging station system
• Open Space workspace, and a lot of trees in the workplace. Green coverage rate is nearly 40%

Source: US. Green Building Council