OLR Report 2014-R-0200 explains the difference between the Energy Star and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications for buildings, including their potential financial costs and benefits.
Energy Star is a program developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that, among other things, promotes energy efficiency in consumer products and buildings. The Energy Star certification for buildings focuses on measuring a building’s energy usage and comparing it to similar buildings. EPA awards Energy Star certification to certain types of buildings that earn an Energy Star score of at least 75 out of 100. This score indicates that the building is among the top 25% most energy efficient buildings of its type. Although Energy Star certification requires at least 12 months of a building’s operational energy data, EPA also offers a “Designed to Earn the Energy Star” designation for new construction projects based on a new building’s estimated energy usage.
The LEED program is a building certification process developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that aims to improve a building’s performance across a variety of “green” areas, including energy efficiency. Eligible building projects must meet various prerequisites, such as complying with certain energy efficient engineering standards, and can earn additional points by implementing other green measures. The prerequisites and optional measures cover energy efficiency and several other areas, such as water management, material and resource use, and indoor air quality. A project’s certification level depends on how many optional points the project accumulates.
For more information, read the full report.
