There has been an ongoing paradigm shift in the construction industry to adopt sustainable building practices, as evidence shows that buildings are a primary source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and natural resource depletion. Constructing buildings that minimize natural resource depletion and dramatically reduce GHG emissions are paramount to creating a sustainable environment. In addition to being better for the planet, evidence shows that "going green" is also good for business. In addition to lowering the total cost of ownership of a building, green buildings also command higher market values. As a result, there are many incentives for developers, contractors and building owners to adopt sustainability programs. However, it is not only important to be able to measure "green performance" of a building, but also to be able to compare performance to other building as well. Creating a third-party rating system to measure such performance is key. The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system precisely for this purpose.
As defined by the USGBC, "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."
Installing EV charging stations at your business supports several LEED metrics, including:
Providing EV Charging Stations for a portion of available vehicle parking may qualify your project for additional LEED points. To get full details regarding this and other LEED metrics, visit the USGBC website.