Applicability of LEED certification system in Palestine

Abstract

Due to the increasing of environmental concerns, there has been a growing interest towards building healthier communities and structures. Governmental bodies as wells environmental protection agencies have developed many regulations towards protecting the environment through reducing the use of energy and saving our natural resources. Recently having green buildings is an indicator to having successful projects. Several evaluation methods for development and neighborhoods have been established, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is one of these rating-systems that is used in the USA to evaluate to buildings, spaces, and neighborhoods in the context of their surroundings. The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) devises a rating system to evaluate the environmental performance of a building and to get a sustainable design in USA. Under the provisions of this system the projects undergoes a series of prerequisites and can earn points from environmentally friendly actions taken during construction and use of a building. Based on the number of points achieved, a project then receives one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. According to the USGBC criteria, there are few projects that can be certified in Palestine. One of these projects that has it certification in progress is the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit –Palestine.. In this article, the possibility of applying LEED requirements for new construction is investigated. The study tests how far LEED credits are viable in the Palestine how relevant data can be collected or obtained. The results of this study Points to the differences in urban context that makes it difficult to apply LEED locally. Furthermore, the study should contribute to a better understating of the concept of LEED and green building rating systems and their implementation in Palestine. Finally, the study will make recommendations on how LEED can be modified to be more applicable in Palestine.