LEED-NC and LEED-EB are standards for high-performance green buildings that provide environmental and economic benefits. LEED-NC applies to new commercial construction projects while LEED-EB addresses maintenance and operations in existing buildings. A life-cycle assessment evaluates overall environmental impacts while life-cycle costing analyzes costs and savings over the building's lifetime to determine if higher initial costs will yield lower operational costs. Case studies show that buildings can achieve a positive net present value through energy and other operational savings that offset higher initial construction costs of green building certification.
![Why are High-Performance Buildings Important? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)