Economic benefits of LEED certification: a case study of the Centro Atico building

This article discusses the economic benefits of the implementation of the sustainable building LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in the Centro Atico building located in Bogota, Colombia. Initially, the consumption of water and electricity are determined, as well as the costs of construction and operation of the building under its original design (built without regard to the parameters set by LEED). Then, strategies to allow the Centro Atico building to obtain the LEED GOLD New Construction V3 2009 certification are proposed and the economic increases associated with them are calculated. Also, the new consumption of water and electricity, when these strategies are applied (modified design), and their operating costs are calculated. Finally, indicators of economic goodness of investment are determined using a cash flow analysis.