UC Merced’s achieves LEED Gold certification. MERCED, Calif. — The University of California, Merced, recently earned what might be the most prestigious of a growing list of awards for its Long Range Development Plan, while the campus had its seventh building certified “Gold” by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. UC Merced’s commitment to LEED and sustainability can be seen throughout the campus. Their sustainability efforts are now quite impressive. They have eight buildings that are LEED certified silver or better. Plus, they have a goal to achieve zero net energy use, contribute zero waste to landfills and produce zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 — known as the Triple Zero Commitment. “At UC Merced, we’re attempting to set new standards for energy efficiency and environmental stewardship in our building design and construction,” said Thomas Lollini, FAIA, campus architect and associate vice chancellor for Principal Planning, Design and Construction. “These latest achievements show that we are on our way toward not just meeting those standards, but exceeding them.”