LEED certification and electric vehicle charging stations: what you need to know

What is LIED?

To understand what LEED is, it is enough to know what this abbreviation means. Leadership in energy and environmental planning.

LEED is a certification program aimed at promoting sustainable energy and sustainable design. It was created by the non-profit organization US Green Buildings Council (USGBC) and is recognized worldwide.

It awards points to projects for sustainable design and building performance. The type of accreditation a project receives depends on the number of points it has earned. (More on this below.)

LEED and electric vehicle charging stations

Integrating EV charging infrastructure into a project (or adding it to an existing project) earns LEED certification points.

There are two options for using electric vehicles to earn LEED points. In both cases, there are several requirements that must be met.

Option 1: Electric vehicle infrastructure (1 point)

In order to earn LEED credits for electric vehicle charging stations, the project must:

• Install chargers in 5% of parking spaces (at least two spaces) and keep them for electric vehicles only.
• Ensure charging at these parking spaces is at least level two.
• Ensure the use of standardized peripheral connectors in electric vehicles.
• They meet Energy Star standards and have features such as freight management and flexible pricing.

Option 2: Infrastructure ready for electric vehicles (1 point)

In order to receive LEED points for future electric vehicle charging plans, the project must:

• Prepare 10% of all parking spaces (or at least 6 spaces) for EVs.
• Provide a special electrical circuit with sufficient power for each room.
• Include air ducts and wiring sufficient to provide a Level 2 or lower charge level.
• Install an electrical box or enclosure near an EV charging area.

Whether you're building a new building, renovating an existing one, or adding electric vehicles to your business or home, LEED compliance can be your point of accreditation.

But even better, you can take concrete action against climate catastrophe and show the world that you want to do your part to reduce emissions and make the planet a better place for current and future generations to live.

How does LEED work?

As mentioned above, LEED uses a tiered rating system that takes into account design, materials, construction, operation, and maintenance of building sites. This should be the goal of the designer, and manufacturers can work to protect the environment in their projects.

For example, if they want to make a building as green as possible, they might try to achieve the highest level of LEED certification. If it is not possible to reach the highest level, the LEED standard can be used as a guideline for making a project environmentally friendly.

LEED can be applied to newly designed, built, or refurbished commercial buildings, residences, neighborhoods, and even entire cities.

According to the website, the LEED system awards points for certain building methods such as:

• Coal;
• Energy;
• Water;
• Waste;
• Transport;
• Materials;
• Health;
• The quality of the internal environment.

For example, buildings with solar panels earn LEED points. Using recycled building materials brings more points.

These scores are then added up and the project can be certified at one of the following four levels.

• Certified (40-49 points)
• Silver (50-59 points)
• Gold (60-79 points)
• Platinum (80+ points)

The stated goal of LEED is to support the construction of buildings that

• Reduce your contribution to global climate change.
• Improve individual health.
• Protection and restoration of water resources.
• Protecting and enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Promote sustainable and renewable materials cycles.
• Improving the quality of life of the population.

• 35% of LEED units are related to climate change.
• 20% directly affect human health, and
• 15% impact on water resources; and
• 10% affect biodiversity, and
• 10% belong to the green economy; and
• 5% community impact; and
• 5% impact on natural resources.

Why get LEED certified?

Obviously, the main reason for LEED certification is that the more LEED points a building has, the more sustainable it is.

The second important reason for obtaining a LEED certification is that in some jurisdictions it can help in obtaining tax credits and other financial incentives. Many federal, state, and municipal governments have adopted LEED incentive programs.

Conclusion

LEED certification is a great guide to greener buildings and projects. If you want to work on making buildings as sustainable as possible, this is a good way to get ideas on how to do it, as well as earn tax credits and funding in the process.

Whether a project is using LEED credits or not, it is always important to keep in mind the integration of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.