--- title: Is Your Green Building “Expert” in the LEED? description: How the LEED system of design will help you determine whether your 'green building expert' is the REAL deal. image: https://www.carbonae.com/hs-fs/file-14237073-jpg/images/eco_consulting_banner.jpg --- [![carbon 2022 logo](https://www.carbonae.com/hubfs/carbon-ae-horizontal-logo-2.svg "carbon 2022 logo")](https://www.carbonae.com) ![Sustainable design blog for progressive architecture](https://www.carbonae.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Gallery/1366_x_500_blog_cover.png?width=1366&name=1366_x_500_blog_cover.png "Sustainable design blog for progressive architecture") # The Sustainable Design Blog ### For the love of beauty, functionality, and the planet Earth ## [Is Your Green Building “Expert” in the LEED?](https://www.carbonae.com/journal/bid/113600/is-your-green-building-expert-in-the-leed) Posted by [Carbon Design](https://www.carbonae.com/journal/author/carbon-design) on Thu, Nov 06, 2014 ![](https://www.carbonae.com/hs-fs/hubfs/C%20Mark-3.png?width=35&name=C%20Mark-3.png) Find me on: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/carbon-design-architecture) ![LEED Certified Green Building](https://www.carbonae.com/hs-fs/file-14237073-jpg/images/eco_consulting_banner.jpg?width=270&height=89&name=eco_consulting_banner.jpg)It seems that everyone these days is a* “green building expert”*.  Many have recognized the “trend” is not going away, and those who were once resistant have recently opted to jump on board. Carlson Studio committed to **LEED green building design** in 2000. As an early adaptor, we have grown up with the LEED system over the years. Sustainability is a key principal that we apply to all of our projects. We also provide eco-consulting to assist architects, contractors, owners and other design professionals in the process of designing sustainable buildings. But when hiring any expert for green building design or eco-consulting, it can be difficult to know whether you’ve encountered a* true* green professional, or one who simply dabbles in the concepts of sustainability in order to keep up with trends. One critical determining factor is to fist learn whether a designer, builder, architect or any other contractors are **LEED Accredited**, and  has ** LEED Certified** projects on their list of references. #### **What is LEED?** **LEED** (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes and neighborhoods. It was developed by the [U.S. Green Building Council](http://www.usgbc.org/) (USGBC) for the purpose of helping building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. **There are 5 categories corresponding to the specialties available under the LEED Accredited Professional program:** - Building Design and Construction - Interior Design and Construction - Building Operations and Maintenance - Neighborhood Development - Homes #### **What is a LEED Accredited Professional?** The LEED Professional Credentials were developed to encourage green building professionals to maintain and advance their knowledge and expertise. A LEED Professional Credential provides employers, policymakers and other stakeholders with assurances of an individual’s current level of competence and is the mark of the most qualified, educated and influential green building professionals in the marketplace. **There are three tiers in the LEED Professional Credentialing program:** - **Tier 1: LEED Green Associate** - denotes basic knowledge of green design, construction, and operations. - **Tier 2: LEED AP with specialty** - signifies an advanced depth of knowledge in green building practices; it also reflects the ability to specialize in a particular LEED Rating System. - **Tier 3: LEED Fellow** - highly accomplished class of individuals nominated by their peers and distinguished by a minimum of 10 or more years of professional green building experience. #### **What is LEED Certification?** There are **four levels** of certification - the number of points a project earns determines the level of LEED certification that the project will receive. LEED-Certified is the minimum award for recognized green homes. Typical certification thresholds are: - **Certified:** 40-49 points - **Silver:** 50-59 points - **Gold:** 60-79 points - **Platinum:** 80+ points When you’re ready to go green, either as part of a new building project, or renovation of an existing building, remember to check for the all-important criteria above, to ensure that your “green experts” really *are* the experts! #### **LEED Accredited Professionals in Sustainable Design** ![Carlson Studio Architecture](https://www.carbonae.com/hs-fs/file-1464635726-jpg/images/logo-cs.jpg)At **[Carlson Studio Architecture](http://www.carlsonstudio.org/)**, the integrated design approach that we utilize in all our work allows us to provide **high quality, high performance buildings** for our clients. Carlson Studio Eco-Consulting is a division of Carlson Studio Architecture, one of the leading sustainable design firms in the State of Florida. Carlson Studio understands the green building design process. For inexperienced teams, we can lead the entire team using our **12 years** of experience working in the design and construction of green buildings. **We are happy to provide a complimentary consultation to determine how your green building projects may best be implemented, whether it’s for a new building or green renovation of an existing structure. Just submit your request using the form on the right side of this page, and we'll respond promptly to schedule your consultation.** [![Free Consultation](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/42364/a14a01fd-5a19-4779-b13d-fe55ecfa3eef.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/42364/a14a01fd-5a19-4779-b13d-fe55ecfa3eef) Topics: [LEED Certified Building](https://www.carbonae.com/journal/topic/leed-certified-building), [LEED Accredited Professionals](https://www.carbonae.com/journal/topic/leed-accredited-professionals), [Sustainable Design](https://www.carbonae.com/journal/topic/sustainable-design) ## CELEBRATING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH DESIGN Welcome to the Carlson Studio Architecture blog - built for design enthusiasts and lovers of our planet. ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Topic - [LEED (55)](https://www.carbonae.com/journal/topic/leed) - [green (42)](https://www.carbonae.com/journal/topic/green) - [carlson (38)](https://www.carbonae.com/journal/topic/carlson) - 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