San Francisco 49ers' Levi's Stadium awarded LEED Gold status

Levi's Stadium, the new home of the San Francisco 49ers, has been given LEED Gold status, owner Jed York announced via Twitter on Tuesday. Levi's Stadium is

Levi's Stadium, the new home of the San Francisco 49ers, has been given LEED Gold status, owner Jed York announced via Twitter on Tuesday.

Excited to officially learn that @LevisStadium was certified #LEEDgold for new construction. Congrats to everyone that worked on this!!!!

— Jed York (@JedYork) July 21, 2014

Levi's Stadium is the first sports stadium in the United States to achieve LEED Gold status upon completion; the Baltimore Ravens' M&T Bank Stadium received the same certification after their remodels last year.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is "recognized across the globe as the premier mark of achievement in green building."

According to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee, Levi's Stadium was awarded the certification due to their use of water -- approximately 85 percent of the water used in the stadium is recycled -- and the solar panels that sit atop the three bridges and tower suite at Levi's Stadium.

From The Sacramento Bee:

The 49ers also used recycled products in the construction -- recycled wood, for instance, in the luxury suites. The building also is surrounded by public transit options, and the 49ers have a plan to accommodate cyclists on game days.

LEED Certification requires an application and four-part review process. For organizational level or non-members the process costs $1,200 for registration, and certification fees that start at $2,750; for silver, gold, and platinum level members, registration costs $900, and certification fees start at $2,250. 

The projects can be awarded certifications of "certified," "silver," "gold," and "platinum."

- Sarah Barshop