LEED 2009: Focus on Operations and Maintenance

Part 1: What are the Changes in LEED 2009?

Part 2: USGBC Harmonizes Credits in LEED 2009

Part 3: USGBC Adjusts Credit Weightings, Point Scale in LEED 2009

Part 4: LEED v3 Features Regional Priority Credits

Part 5: Keys To Achieving LEED v3 Certification

USGBC Harmonizes Credits in LEED 2009

By Gordon Dowrey
June 2009

USGBC’s actions seek to address the way a series of changes to its rating systems has affected commercial and institutional buildings in the last decade. The number of rating systems USGBC has introduced, along with subsequent upgrades, could produce a situation in which the systems could diverge in the type and importance of prerequisites and credits. Some systems also could have carryover ratings and credits from other systems that did not apply and could hinder reasonable certification.

For example, LEED-EB 2.0 had a prerequisite for soil and erosion control that appeared to overlap from LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC). While soil and erosion control is important at a construction site, it is not as critical for the operation of an existing building.

Also, significant points were available for daylighting and views. These points are more achievable when administering a LEED-NC project, but they most likely would not be highly achievable in a LEED-EB project without major structural renovations.

LEED-EB: O&M addressed these issues in September 2008 by removing the prerequisite for soil and erosion control and reducing the number of possible credits for daylighting and views. LEED 2009 also has created a more harmonized and integrated point system.

Now all ratings are determined based on:

• a 110-point system, with 100 base points and 10 potential bonus points

• six potential points for innovation and design, with only three points available for exemplary performance

• four potential points for regional priority.

This allocation applies to all the existing commercial and institutional LEED rating systems.