Leadership in Energy and Environmental or LEED is a point rating system used to evaluate the environmental performance of a building. The LEED Certification system has been implemented in both Canada and the US. The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has released version 1.0 of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for new construction (LEED-NC) in Canada which is an adaptation of the US Green Building Councils (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEEDTM).

The system is credit based, where projects earn points for environmentally friendly actions taken during the building process.

The LEED certification system has five principal credit categories:

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

Cerification
A project requires at least 26 points for certification. Silver, gold, and platinum levels are also available.

EcoGrid is synonymous with Green Building design. It's application enables the use of pervious surfaces in medium to high traffic areas; it provides superior erosion protection; and it is manufactured from 100% recycled plastic. All of these benefits assist projects in earning points under the following LEED ratings system credit categories:

• Erosion & Sedimentation Control
  (Sustainable Sites - Prereq 1)
• Reduced Site Disturbance: Protect or Restore Open Space
  (Sustainable Sites - Credit 5)
• Stormwater Management: Rate and Quantity
  (Sustainable Sites - Credit 6)
• Stormwater Management: Treatment
  (Sustainable Sites - Credit 6)
• Heat Island Effect : Non Roof
  (Sustainable Sites - Credit 7)
• Heat Island Effect: Roof
  (Sustainable Sites - Credit 7)
• Recycled Content
  (Materials & Resources - Credit 4)

For more information on the LEED certification program, visit the CaGBC website, www.cagbc.org or the USGBC website, www.usgbc.org. For more information regarding EcoGrid and it's use in LEED Certified Projects contact Gridworks SBC.
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EcoGrid aids the environment in three significant ways:

• Manufactured from 100% recycled plastic waste
• Allows use of natural land cover thus assisting in "Heat Island Effect" reduction
• Decreases the overall need for impervious surfaces, enabling water quality and groundwater sustainability

Manufactured from 100% recycled plastic waste
Not only is EcoGrid made from 100% recycled plastic, it is itself recyclable. So by specifying one of TerraFirm Solution's EcoGrid products, you are not only helping to restrict the amount of new plastics being made, but ensuring a high level of environmental credibility for your project.

Allows use of natural land cover thus assisting in "Heat Island Effect" reduction
The "Heat Island Effect" is the phenomenon where urban and suburban temperatures are 1 to 6°C (2 to 10°F) hotter than surrounding rural areas. Heat islands form as cities replace natural land cover with pavement, buildings, and other infrastructure. The use of asphalt, concrete, paving and other impervious, manmade materials results in the absorption of the sun's energy, rather then reflection which causes the surface and overall ambient temperatures to rise.

The "Heat Island Effect" has a significant negative impact on the community by increasing: Peak energy demand Air conditioning costs Air pollution levels Heat-related illness and mortality

Due to erosion, ground damage and maintenance costs, the use of natural land cover was previously "not an option" for medium to high traffic areas. EcoGrid has changed all this, by enabling a reinforced, weatherproof, pervious natural land cover which can be used for parking lots, pathways, driveways and green roofs. More pervious natural land cover and less asphalt, concrete and paving means less solar absorption thus reducing the "Heat Island Effect".

For more information on the "Heat Island Effect" visit the United States EPA Heat Island Site or the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives' online resource for Urban Heat Islands Mitigation.

Decreases the overall need for impervious surfaces, enabling water quality and groundwater sustainability.
An impervious surface is one which does not allow water to infiltrate to the soil layer. They are mainly manmade surfaces - rooftops, sidewalks, roads, and parking lots - covered by impenetrable materials such as asphalt, concrete, brick, and stone. Compacted soil is also highly impervious. Impervious surfaces repel water thus negatively impact the environment by restricting groundwater recharge, generating large volumes of storm water, and degrading water quality.

Impervious surfaces allow many types of pollutants, derived from a variety of sources, to accumulate upon them. As water hits an impervious surface, it is forced to travel downhill or "runoff". Storm water runoff can pick up many of these pollutants and subsequently wash them into water bodies, severely degrading water quality.

Water quality problems increase with increased imperviousness and intensity of land use.

EcoGrid prevents water quality degradation by enabling reinforced pervious surfaces to be used as an alternative to asphalt, concrete or paving. A pervious surface allows water infiltration through the soil, which is the way underground water sources are replenished. Through water infiltration, soils and plants are able to filter out certain pollutants, thus maintaining water quality.

EcoGrid also prevents soil compaction, further decreasing storm water runoff.