LEED Statements and Credits

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a widely recognized and respected green building certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Through this program, the council can issue LEED certifications and credits.

A LEED statement refers to specific sustainable features and practices adopted during the design, construction, and operation of a building. LEED statements can be found in documents used to demonstrate compliance with various regulations, including sustainability standards. These sustainability standards are divided into several categories, known as LEED credits. Each credit focuses on a particular aspect of sustainability, including energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, material selection, site sustainability, and more.

LEED Certification

A building project must earn a specific number of LEED credits to achieve LEED certification. These credits are accumulated based on the project's sustainable design features and construction practices. The more credits a project earns, the higher the LEED certification level it achieves, ranging from "Certified" to "Platinum."

By using stainless steel, especially laser-welded structural stainless steel profiles, projects can earn credits in two main categories for LEED certification. These categories include:

• Sustainable Materials: Over 90% of building materials are sourced locally and contain recycled content to minimize environmental impact.
• Energy Efficiency: Buildings are equipped with energy-efficient windows or larger windows to allow more natural light and reduce energy consumption.

Commitment of Stainless Steel Structures to Sustainability

Stainless steel structural companies are committed to reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainability. We not only source raw materials from sustainable suppliers but also implement measures in our production processes to reduce waste and conserve energy and resources. Waste recycling is an example of our commitment. In the past year alone, we have recycled over 500,000 pounds of stainless steel and carbon steel.

Ninety percent of the raw materials used to produce our profiles come from recycled materials, with 80% sourced from post-consumer recycled content. Stainless steel is also 100% recyclable. All these factors play a significant role in sustainability and help our clients achieve LEED certification.