LEEDing Forward

Green Building Rating System Evolves with LEED 2009

The LEED Green Building Rating System is poised for the future with the pending introduction of LEED 2009.

By Charlie Popeck

As the green building industry continues to evolve, the U.S. Green Building Council continues to play a leadership role by changing the LEED for New Construction Rating System to meet market needs. On Sept. 2, 2008 the USGBC ended its public comment period on the proposed changes to LEED-NC version 2.2, collecting more than 7,000 comments. The USGBC Technical Advisory Groups are reviewing the comments received, and will then pass on their recommendations to the LEED Steering Committee. After approval of the LEED Steering Committee, LEED-2009 will go out to USGBC member companies for a vote in October and if successful, the new and improved LEED-2009 Rating System should be released at Greenbuild 2008 which will be held in Boston from November 19th through 21st.

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The LEED systems have taken some hits over the last few years, with some claiming that LEED is not appropriately regionalized, important credits are worth as much as less important (or less expensive) credits, or that LEED is hard to understand and implement. That's why I'm looking forward to LEED 2009. I think that the USGBC has given a thorough scrubbing to the system by offering the opportunity to regionalize credits, equalizing credits that are common between the different LEED systems, truing up some credits and updating the Credit Interpretation Rulings so that the precedents set in past years are still pertinent relative to the new system. Specifically, here are some examples of how LEED 2009 compares to LEED-NC version 2.2.

New prerequisites, credits and points

There will be only one prerequisite added to LEED 2009, but five points have been added. The added prerequisite is in the Water Efficiency Category, called Water Use Reduction, 20% Reduction. This prerequisite was previously a credit in prior versions of LEED, but by changing it to a prerequisite, LEED is essentially making water reduction within buildings more of a priority. It was added because of the need to enforce water efficiency as a part of any building project, no matter where the project is located. By changing this credit to a prerequisite, the USGBC is pushing the limit in regard to water use reduction. Consequently, the Water Use Reduction credit threshold levels have been raised from 20% to 30% for one point, and from 30% to 40% for two points.

One additional point has been added to the Innovation & Design Process Category, so now there are five potential "extra credit" points available. Additionally, four new points have been added for regionalizing credits.

Several other credits including Development Density and Community Connectivity, Alternative Transportation, Water Efficient Landscaping, Innovative Wastewater Technologies, Optimize Energy Performance and On-Site Renewable Energy within the system have been expanded to include more specific points to reflect market needs, and to make it easier to achieve LEED points.

Regionalized credits

LEED is currently applied uniformly across the U.S., with the value of points achievable equal no matter where the project is located. In order to enhance the flexibility of LEED and to provide a more effective method of addressing the need for regional adaptation, a new category called "Regional Bonus Credits" has been added to the system. It includes four brand new points, aptly named “Region Specific Environmental Priority” that are to be applied in a similar manner to the Innovation in Design points available in prior versions of LEED. The points are to be used for any local or regionally specific concern that could be addressed through building design or construction. At this time it appears that these LEED points will be open for implementation as the project team sees fit, but I think that USGBC chapters will eventually have input towards creating more standardized points that can be used in their respective regions. For instance, since water is such an important issue in the southwestern region of the U.S., a project can prioritize water efficiency for the project by implementing strategies that save water and receive points towards LEED certification in the Regional Bonus Credits category for doing so.

Credit structure

The basic credit structure will remain the same with LEED 2009, but since the changes outlined above will be included, there will now be a total of 110 points within the system, and certification levels will be as follows:

Certified Level = 40 to 49 points
Silver Level = 50 to 59 points
Gold Level = 60 to 79 points
Platinum Level = 80 to 110 points

As far as LEED Professional Accreditation is concerned, only 3 exams (LEED-NC, EB and CI) will continue to be offered, but that can change without warning. There are still no requirements for continuing education in order to keep your LEED-AP status current, although I've heard that CEU's will soon be required. Additionally, the exams are revised each time a new version of a particular rating system is introduced, so even though there has been no announcement of a new LEED-NC exam for 2009, it could happen at any time. I suggest that you complete your LEED exam as soon as possible if becoming a LEED Accredited Professional is one of your goals, as future exams will be more difficult.

Also... remember that Greenbuild 2009 is coming to Phoenix in November, 2009! More than 30,000 people are expected for this industry leading conference which will be held at the recently LEED silver-certified Phoenix Convention Center. This international conference is an excellent opportunity to showcase Arizona's commitment to sustainable construction, meet green building experts from around the country and take your knowledge of green building to the next level by participating in the extensive educational opportunities offered at the event. The USGBC Arizona Chapter is in need of volunteers to help with the conference, so if you're interested please visit the USGBC website (www.usgbc.org) and click on the Greenbuild icon or contact me.

Charlie Popeck is the president of Green Ideas-your partner in sustainable construction. Green Ideas specializes in helping design, construction and facility management teams to understand and implement effective sustainable construction strategies (including the LEED system) into their businesses. Popeck can be reached at 877-887-9799 or Charlie@Egreenideas.com. Visit www.egreenideas.com for info on the firm's LEED exam preparation seminars.

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