King County helps commercial building projects

Application period extended to Oct. 1 for 2007 grants

King County has extended the application deadline for green building grants for projects seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification to Oct. 1. Private, nonprofit, and public projects in King County outside the City of Seattle are eligible to apply.

The grant provides funding of $15,000 to $25,000, depending on the LEED certification level that the project achieves. While compliance with LEED principles produces a net savings over the lifespan of a facility, the funds are intended to help offset the up-front costs of green buildings, such as added early design or modeling costs, plus LEED registration and certification fees.

Recipients are also eligible to receive free technical assistance through the GreenTools Program, which is administered through the county's Solid Waste Division.

The LEED rating system is a national standard for developing high-performance, healthy buildings that minimize their impact on the environment. The system assigns credits for meeting a variety of criteria, such as preserving habitat, increasing energy efficiency, reducing potable water use and using recycled-content building materials. Of the 58 LEED-certified buildings in Washington, 36 are located in Seattle and King County.

Grant applications and further information on green building incentives in King County are available at www.greentools.us, or by contacting Kinley Deller at 206-296-4434 or kinley.deller@kingcounty.gov. Grants must be received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 1.