LEED is based on accepted energy and environmental principles and strikes a balance between known effective practices and emerging concepts. Unlike other rating systems, the development of the LEED Green Building Rating System was instigated by the U.S. Green Building Council Membership, representing all segments of the building industry, and has been open to public scrutiny.
LEED is a self-assessing system designed for rating new and existing commercial, institutional and high-rise residential buildings. It is a feature-oriented system where credits are earned for satisfying each criterion. Different levels of green building certification are awarded based on the total credits earned. The system is designed to be comprehensive in scope, yet simple in operation.
The LEED raing systeem is divided into six categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, materials & resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.
Water Use Reduction
A combination of water efficient plumbing fixtures was utilized to conserve water usage on Taylor 28 A reduction in water use results in less of a burden on the municipal water supply and waste water systems. Water savings, as it relates to LEED, is based on the guidance of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct). Taylor 28 incorporated low-flow facets (1.5 gpm) and dual-flush toilets (1.6/0.8 gpf) to achieve a water reduction of 30% below baseline EPAct measures.
Optimized Energy Performance
Apartment homes are equipped with dishwashers, clothes washers, and refrigerators that are Energy Star rated. Through the use of Energy Star products, Taylor 28 will lower its demand for electricity. By reducing energy consumption, Taylor 28 will reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (a leading cause of global warming) released into the atmosphere. Energy Star is a joint program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy. The Energy Star program was designed to help consumers save money and protect the environment through the use of energy efficient products and practices. More information can be found about Energy Star at www.energystar.gov.
Construction Waste Management
More than 65 percent of all the construction and demolition waste generated on the project was diverted from the landfill, and instead sent to a recycling facility. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 136 million tons of building-related C&D debris was generated in the United States in 1996. Through effective construction waste management, it is possible to extend the lifetime of existing landfills, avoiding the need for expansion on new landfill sites in the greater Seattle area.
Support of Recycled Content Materials
Many of the materials and furnishings used at Taylor 28 are made from both post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled content. By purchasing products with recycled content, Taylor 28 is reducing the impacts associated with the extraction and processing of virgin materials. More information on recycling and recycled products can be found through the Washington State Department of Ecology at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/ecyhome.htm.
Support of Regional Materials
10 percent of the materials and furnishings that are used in the Taylor 28 were manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the project site, and half of those materials and furnishings were extracted or harvested within a 500-mile radius. An increase in demand for locally extracted and manufactured building materials and products supports the regional economy and reduces the environmental impact resulting from transporting materials around the country (and sometimes around the world). By reducing transportation activities, there is a reduction of pollution (global warming emissions) and traffic that is associated with delivering materials to the job site.
Use of Low-Emitting Materials
Taylor 28 has taken a step to improve the quality of its indoor environment by using low-emitting materials. All adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, carpet installed on this project have a low-VOC content, or are considered low-emitting. VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds (i.e. the “new car smell”), are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. More information can be found about VOCs at www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html. | 
