How does LEED work?

Before we can discuss how decorative concrete contributes toward LEED certification, we need to understand what LEED is and how the program works. Here's how the U.S. Green Building Council summarizes the program:

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO₂ emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

This program was developed to provide building owners and operators a concise framework for implementing real-world green building design as well as construction and operations solutions. LEED is flexible, and works throughout the life cycle of both commercial and residential buildings. It can be used for new construction as well as the retrofit of existing buildings. There are LEED programs for different types of projects, including LEED for New Construction, LEED for Schools, LEED for Commercial Interiors, and LEED for Homes. Each program is based on five key credit categories, which differ depending on the type of project:

Sustainable Sites
Water Efficiency
Energy and Atmosphere
Materials and Resources
Indoor Environmental Quality

Each key category is comprised of specific and measurable tasks that must be met to be awarded points, or LEED credits. The greater number of points results in a higher LEED ranking. There are 100 possible points, and it takes 40 points to qualify for the minimum LEED certification.