Not too long before summer rolled around, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduced their online green building certification process, LEED Version 3 (LEED v3). Designed with a better user experience in mind, LEED v3 consists of three main components:

• LEED Online, designed and engineered to make the online certification process faster and easier. A key feature is the addition of a project organization tool, which allows multiple team member access and functions, making credit assignments more flexible. Another notable feature: automatic data checks, which alerts users when applications are missing required information. Errors are caught before the application submittal, minimizing potential process delays.
• A new, ISO-compliant building certification model which is administered by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), an independent, non-profit organization. Ten new third-party certification bodies, including Underwriters Laboratories-DQS Inc., will boost the speed and capacity of the certification process.
• LEED 2009, improved rating system.

The crux of LEED v3 is the LEED 2009 Rating System, a forward-looking revision of the previous LEED rating systems. If the only constant is change, then the USGBC clearly shows a belief in that maxim with new enhancments to the LEED rating system that reflect an understanding of green building’s continuing evolution.

So what’s new? Three technical advancements to make the certification process more user-friendly:

Harmonization
Sometimes it’s the little things that cause the most headaches. In the past, small differences between LEED credits of similar intent could be a source of frustration. Now, credits and prequisites have been consolidated and aligned, providing consistency across all LEED 2009 rating systems. A building owner that is seeking LEED certification for Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance should have an easier time working with another team that might be seeking certification for Commercial Interiors.

Credit Weightings
All credits are not created equal, at least when it comes to environmental impact. Strategies that will have greater impact on energy efficiency and CO2 reductions, such as the proximity of a building to public transportation, or utilizing renewable energy for a building’s energy needs, will be awarded more points. The revision in credit weights highlights LEED’s growing influence on market transformation.

Additionally, a one-hundred point scale has been adopted, replacing a point system that varied considerably between individual rating products. Regional and innovation credits can add an additional 10 extra credits beyond the high mark of 100.

Regionalization
Working with the USGBC’s regional councils, chapters and affiliates, LEED has identified region-specific environmental issues, and has prioritized six credits for each region, addressing specific environmental issues. LEED will award up to four extra points out of the optional six (one point per credit) for earning the priority credits. As an example of a regional credit, utilizing abundant local sunshine can be awarded a point in Florida, while in Michigan credit can be earned for minimizing the amount and improving the quality of stormwater drainage into the Great Lakes.

LEED 2009 also brings Mininum Program Requirements to which projects must adhere in to order to achieve LEED certification. According to USGBC, these minimum requirements “serve three goals: to give clear guidance to customers, to protect the integrity of the LEED program, and to reduce complications that occur during the LEED Certification process.” The Minimum Program Requirements are to address following rating systems: New Construction, Core & Shell, Schools, Commercial Interiors, and Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance.

The Time to LEED
Rolled out this past April, all new green construction projects can now be registered under LEED v3. If you’re currently working on a project registered under LEED version 2, you can transfter to LEED v3 through the end of this calendar year.