The Wind sphere & LEED
How much does the Wind Sphere contribute to LEED Certification?
According to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (or LEED) scoring system, a developer would receive the following points for on-site renewable generation (Energy & Atmosphere Category), expressed as a percentage of building's annual energy offset in total cost. Up to 7 points are available + 1 exemplary point (see point table).
Example:
- 650,000 sq. ft. office building = $500,000/yr
- 5% of $500,000 = $25,000
- Installing two Wind Sphere™ producing 130,000kWh/yr x $0.20/kWh = $26,000 = 5.0%
- 3 LEED® Points Awarded
A certain number of points need to be achieved, using a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures, as well as innovation & design, before the building can reach the status of either:
- LEED Certified 40-49 points
- LEED Silver 50-59 points
- LEED Gold 60-79 points
- LEED Platinum 80+ points
LEED Point Priority
The USGBC prioritizes LEED points based on the relevance of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions. The score for each LEED credit is estimated based on the carbon footprint for a general LEED building. The major contributor of emissions in a general building is energy, which accounts for a significant portion of LEED points. Click here for more on emissions reduction and the Wind Sphere® urban wind system.
| % Renewable
| LEED® Points
|
| 1% |
1 |
| 3% |
2 |
| 5% |
3 |
| 7% |
4 |
| 9% |
5 |
| 11% |
6 |
| 13% |
7 |
| 15% |
8 (Exemplary) |
The Wind Speed®, along with a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures, helps contribute to LEED Certification