The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has stiffened the energy-performance requirements for buildings seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The new standard, approved in June, requires projects to earn at least two "Optimize Energy Performance" points. That increased requirement will improve the energy performance of LEED-certified new buildings by 14 percent and existing buildings by 7 percent. The new requirement will help maximize a building's energy performance.