LEED Version 2.2 Requirements

By Charlie Popeck

Market transformation requires constant change, and as Green Building continues to transform the way we design and build buildings, the LEED Rating System must also continue to evolve.
 

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The U. S. Green Building Council recently launched a series of refinements and innovations to the LEED Version 2.1 system. LEED Version 2.2 was approved in November of 2005 and includes changes that significantly reduce the time, cost and paperwork required for LEED certification. Although the changes to the system are relatively minor from the contractor's point of view, several of the changes will affect the contractor's business.
A market-ready Green Building contractor should keep abreast of the changes in
order to keep costs low and provide the guidance that clients deserve, and to aid in preparation for major changes in the system with the introduction of LEED Version 3.0, scheduled for release in 2008.

The biggest change in LEED Version 2.2 is with the documentation process. In addition to making the LEED certification review process more streamlined and user-friendly, the USGBC has partnered with Adobe software to simplify the submittal and documentation process by eliminating the bulky 3-ring binders full of submittals that were previously required for certification. LEED registered projects can now submit 100 percent of their documentation online through an interface featuring Adobe LiveCycle technology. This LEED-Online program will permit project team members
to upload credit templates and technical information, track Credit Interpretation Requests and rulings, manage project details, communicate with USGBC customer service, and correspond with certification reviewers throughout the design and construction review process.

Additionally, the certification process will have two optional components; design and construction phase submittals. This change will give project teams and building owner's confidence that their project is on-track for LEED certification at the end of the design phase by allowing design teams to modify drawings and documents prior to construction and by providing the project team with a pre-certification estimate of the points that the project can earn based on the "design submittal". At the end of construction the second component, the "construction submittal" will be similar in content to LEED Version 2.0, except for the streamlined Adobe online process.

Most of the technical changes with LEED 2.2 affect the way that the designer needs to look at the building, and do not necessarily affect the contractor. But several of the contractor-driven points within LEED 2.2 have changed slightly. For example, the

Recycled Content credit requirements have doubled from a 5 percent and 10 percent requirement to 10 percent and 20 percent respectively. To earn points for the Local / Regional Materials credit, materials must be purchased that are both manufactured and harvested from within a 500 mile radius of the project site. The material credits will continue to get more stringent in the future, so an integrated materials strategy
will become even more important as time goes by.

How will this effect preparation for the LEED Professional Accreditation Exam?
The exam will remain focused on version 2.1 until this summer, and then it will be upgraded to version 2.2. If your goal is to become LEED Accredited I recommend that you complete the exam before this summer in order to be grandfathered in.

LEED Version 2.2 has addressed several shortcomings in the system that needed adjustment, but it is not a major overhaul to the system. The next step in the evolution of Green Building will be LEED Version 3.0 in 2008, which will require a life-cycle analysis approach to the design and construction of buildings.

Charlie Popeck is the President of Green Ideas Environmental Building Consultants. Green Ideas specializes in helping Design, Construction and Facility Management teams to understand and implement the LEED System into their businesses, and conducts several LEED Exam Preparation Seminars throughout the year. He can be reached at 602-512-0557 or Charlie@EGreenIdeas.com.