The world’s first LEED Zero building was certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). Beyond LEED Platinum, LEED Zero, is achieved when a project team can document, by gathering and submitting a year of data, that the building is achieving zero impact in at least one of four areas: energy, carbon, water, or waste. They must be certified first under the LEED Building Design & Construction (BD+C) or LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EBOM).
The first certified LEED Zero building achieved zero energy impacts. A two-story, 4,700 square foot converted warehouse retrofit to the headquarters of engineering firm Petinelli, in Curitiba, Brazil had earned a LEED Platinum Certification for Existing Buildings (v4) already. USGBC has now awarded it Net Zero Energy for producing more energy than it uses with a rooftop solar array. The firm has been water independent, too, for nearly two years by harvesting and treating rainwater for potable water and by using its wastewater for irrigation and toilet flushing with its onsite constructed wetland. They may document their zero water performance and apply for LEED Zero Water certification as well. Buildinggreen