Introduction

The following segment is intended to introduce readers to the economics of environmental design, otherwise commonly referred to as Leadership in Energy and Environmental (efficiency) Design (LEEDTM). Essentially all energy utilization, whether from electrical grid or solar power systems, must be designed in a manner to minimize loss of energy in buildings by following guidelines recommended by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The following is a summary of guidelines that are currently adopted and practiced by architects and engineers worldwide. The subject matter, presented by the author in previous publications (titled Solar Power in Building Design), is reviewed to inform readers that LEEDTM must be considered as an integral part of any solar power system design because of its significant impact on the economics of solar power energy generation. As such, when conducting a solar feasibility study and econometric analysis, energy and environmental efficiency must be incorporated in the design.

Ever since the creation of tools, the formation of settlements, and the advent of progressive development technologies, humankind has consistently harvested the abundance of energy that has been accessible in various forms. Up until the eighteenth-century Industrial Revolution, energy forms used by humans were limited to river or stream water currents, tides, and solar, wind, and to a very small degree geothermal energy, none of which had an adverse effect on the ecology.