Certification Announcements

Helpful tips for project teams

iwillson — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:05:09 GMT

Ever wonder what those reviewers are thinking when they review your LEED project? What common pitfalls do they see project teams encounter when creating LEED documentation? With our new LEED Project Submittal Tips, a collection of informal advice from LEED reviewers, you can streamline your certification review by knowing what they’re looking for up front. The tips also reference supporting documentation that may be helpful when assembling your LEED documentation. Of course, following these tips won’t guarantee that a prerequisite or credit will be earned, but they can certainly help make the review process go more smoothly.

Changes to recognition package for pre-LEED 2009 certified projects

iwillson — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:00:00 GMT

Effective October 10, 2011, projects certified under pre-LEED 2009 (LEED Online Version 2) rating systems will no longer receive complimentary display plaques upon achieving LEED certification. The recognition package for all LEED certified projects will include ten complimentary, 11-by-14-inch certificates and a formal letter of certification from GBCI. Projects certified under LEED 2009 rating systems do not receive complimentary plaques and are not affected by this change.

All projects achieving LEED certification will now receive a standard recognition package. Display plaques are available for purchase at greenplaque.com to project teams that have achieved certification under all LEED rating systems.

Tough Credits & Topics Podcasts

iwillson — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:20:08 GMT

GBCI and USGBC are answering your questions about LEED. Listen to the “Tough Credits & Topics” podcasts to for more information on the ins and outs of getting your project certified. Topics already covered include:

Policies, Programs and Plans in LEED EB: O&M: Need help setting your project’s policy, program or plan? Plug into the conversation as USGBC’s manager of LEED performance and two GBCI reviewers give us the rundown of how policy, program and plan models entered the scene, what prerequisites require policies and what credits require programs or plans, the differences among the three of them, and tips on how to avoid common pitfalls.

LEED Interpretations vs Project CIRs: Join us as we discuss the newly introduced LEED interpretations process and what this means for Project Credit Interpretation Rulings. We’ll fill you in on how LEED interpretations entered the scene, how they differ from addenda and project CIRs, and the best strategies for writing good LEED interpretation requests and Project CIR requests.

More coming soon, including tips on stormwater management!

Listen now »

Energy Credit Appeal Fee Update and Free Resources for Project Teams

iwillson — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Effective September 16, 2011, GBCI has increased the appeal fee for specific energy credits to $800. Additional technical guidance and training resources on these credits is available to registered project teams free of charge*, including:

The Energy Modeling for LEED Technical Manual
A three-part webinar detailing strategies for successful achievement of EA Credit 1 that will help professionals implement energy load reduction strategies and capture higher point totals on new construction projects

The fee increase impacts the following credits exclusively. The fee increase will help cover costs to review these complex credits. Appeal fees for all other credits and CIRs will not change.

LEED Online v2
Rating system	Version	Affected credits
NC	2.2	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EQp1
NC	2.1	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EQp1
CS	2.0	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EQp1
Schools	2007	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EQp1
CI	2.0	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1.3 (A&B), EQp1
EB	2.0	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EQp1
EB: O&M	2008	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EAc2.1, EAc2.2, EAc2.3, EQp1

LEED Online v3
Rating system	Version	Affected credits
NC	2009	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EQp1
NC-Retail	2009	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EQp1
CS	2009	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EQp1
Schools	2009	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EQp1
CI	2009	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1.3, EQp1
CI-Retail	2009	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1.3, EQp1
EB: O&M	2009	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EAc2.1, EAc2.2, EAc2.3, EQp1
Healthcare	2009	EAp1, EAp2, EAc1, EQp1

*When accessed through the "credit resources" section of LEED Online

10,000th LEED Building Certified

Erin Emery, eemery@gbci.org — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:01:44 GMT

Major milestone marks achievement for green building market

Washington, DC (August 31, 2011) – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today that the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) has certified the 10,000th LEED commercial project. Created in 2000, the LEED green building program has become a global symbol of sustainable building certifying more than 1.4 million square feet of new and existing buildings every day.

“Business leaders around the globe are using LEED to design, build, maintain and operate their buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “Ten thousand commercial certified buildings stand as a powerful example that a strong triple bottom line translates to real, tangible success.”

The Live Oak Resource Center in Santa Cruz, Calif., which was awarded LEED Platinum by GBCI today, is the milestone project earning the 10,000th LEED certification. A vibrant community center, Live Oak Resource Center is a place for families to come for guidance, information and referrals on childbirth and parenting, health education and services, youth and senior programs, food distribution and other community needs.

“It seems an appropriate reflection of USGBC’s mission of ‘green buildings for everyone within a generation’ that a LEED Platinum community center providing support services to local families would earn this special distinction,” said Peter Templeton, president, GBCI. “LEED registered and certified projects now number more than 100,000 globally. This number underscores the confidence people have in LEED for saving water, energy, resources and money, and for delivering healthier and more comfortable buildings for the people who occupy them.”

Pilot-tested in 1998, LEED fully launched in 2000 with the first rating system for new construction and major renovation projects. Since then, LEED has evolved to offer rating systems for existing buildings, commercial interiors, core and shell projects, homes, healthcare facilities, schools, neighborhood developments and more. In 2008, USGBC introduced its Building Performance Partnership (BPP) to emphasize the importance of ongoing sustainable operations. BPP allows LEED projects to track and monitor their energy and water use over time so that the building continues to operate as intended.

USGBC also offers the LEED Volume Program for new and existing building owners who are looking to certify multiple projects like retail and hotel chains, bank branches and other similar project groupings.

“We’ve just scratched the surface of what’s possible in the green building field,” added Fedrizzi. “In 10 short years, we’ve fundamentally changed how we construct and operate buildings and communities, and during that time LEED has continued to evolve, pushing sustainable building practice forward with each evolution. But there’s much more to do. The market continues to embrace LEED as the leadership standard it was meant to be and our kids deserve the outcomes that green buildings contribute to their future.”

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About GBCI

The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) provides third-party confirmation that specific criteria related to LEED building certification and LEED professional credentialing have been met. Early in 2009, GBCI assumed responsibility for administering the LEED building certification program for the more than 36,000 commercial projects seeking third-party verification of compliance with the industry's leading green building rating system. For more information, please visit www.gbci.org.

Reminder: LEED NC v2.1 Sunset Date is December 15, 2011

iwillson — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:12:27 GMT

The sunset date for the LEED for New Construction version 2.1 rating system is December 15, 2011. To remain eligible for certification, LEED NC v2.1 projects must either apply for certification or upgrade for free to a newer version of LEED by the sunset date. Projects that do not will be retired and removed from the LEED Project Directory.

Upgrading

LEED NC v2.1 projects can upgrade for free to either the LEED NC version 2.2 or LEED NC 2009 rating systems until December 15, 2011. After that date, projects will have to reregister under the current rating system and pay all applicable fees. If you need any assistance upgrading your project, please call 1-800-795-1746.

Submitting for certification

LEED NC v2.1 projects submitting for Standard Review (combined design and construction) by December 15, 2011 must follow the Standard Review timeline.

LEED NC v2.1 projects submitting for design review by December 15, 2011 will have 18 months following the completion of the design review to submit for construction review. Learn more about review timelines for sunset rating systems »

This sunset date only affects LEED NC v2.1 projects. Projects registered under all other versions of the LEED rating system are not affected.

High volume causing certification review delays

iwillson — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:42:23 GMT

GBCI is currently experiencing review delays due to a recent increase in applications. Based on current estimates, we anticipate that all applications currently under review may be delayed by two to four weeks. Appeal reviews for EAp2/c1 may take an additional two weeks.

We sincerely apologize for the delay and any inconvenience it may cause your project team. Thank you for your patience and for your continued commitment to sustainability and LEED. If you ave any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at www.gbci.org/contact.

LEED Interpretations launches

eemery — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:09:26 GMT

Search the NEW LEED Interpretations database. Similar to the Credit Interpretation Rulings you may be familiar with, LEED Interpretations are precedent-setting rulings that can be applied to multiple projects. Have a specific question about your LEED project? Start searching the new database now for valuable insight and information.

Revisions to the Agreements Governing the Use of LEED Online v3 and Participation in the LEED Certification Program

iwillson — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:54:45 GMT

USGBC and GBCI today announced the release of revised agreements that are now available in LEED Online. These agreements were revised to provide an enhanced level of legal guidance for the leadership organizations that pursue the benefits that accompany LEED certification.

USGBC and GBCI proactively sought the opinion of a wide range of legal counsel from architectural member firms, from GSA, and from others who practice construction law, many of whom are part of an informal USGBC legal working group. Revised language has now been incorporated into the Terms and Conditions for the Use of LEED Online Version 3, the LEED Project Registration Agreement and the LEED Project Certification Agreement.

Perhaps the most significant of these is the creation of an agency form for design team members to use to show an agency relationship between themselves and the project owner. The form allows the project's owner to appoint the design professional to sign the agreements only as the owner's representative, thus relieving the design professional and his firm from obligations undertaken by the owner under the agreements. Use of this form removes certain obligations from the project team, such as reporting requirements associated with LEED's Minimum Performance Requirement 6, and assigns them to the owners who are better able to ensure compliance with such requirements.

Other changes include streamlining the documents in more approachable terminology; standardizing agreements across various LEED programs and rating systems; providing more transparency in how these agreements are revised over time; further limiting and better describing how project information may be disclosed by GBCI & USGBC; and providing clearer guidance regarding how revisions to the rating systems and policy documents will affect projects. GBCI sought the assistance of a legal copy editor, Doris Goldstein, Esq., to state these agreements in clearer language.

"The dialog with our many stakeholders that has informed these revised documents is an excellent example of how the market drives the continuous improvement that has been a hallmark of LEED since its inception," said Peter Templeton, president, GBCI. "Our goal is to continue to seek ways to remove obstacles to our mission of market transformation of the built environment."

USGBC and GBCI are posting Frequently Asked Questions to provide further details on the new agreements. LEED users are reminded that these agreements contain terms and conditions that are legally binding on all parties, including USGBC and GBCI. As with any legal agreement, you are advised to read the terms thoroughly and to consult a lawyer as needed to review the protections and obligations they present.

Questions can be directed to the Project Certification & Registration contact form.

LEED NCv2.1 Sunset Date: December 15, 2011

iwillson — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:26:23 GMT

LEED for New Construction version 2.1 rating system, originally released in 2002, will be retired in late 2011. As a market transformation tool, the LEED rating system promotes best practices, innovation and continuous improvement. To that end, the U.S. Green Building Council releases regular updates to the LEED program to challenge projects to meet increasingly higher levels of achievement. The evolution of LEED enables the industry to recognize current leadership in green building design, construction and operations.

The sunset date for LEED for New Construction version 2.1 will occur on December 15, 2011. All projects currently registered under LEED for New Construction version 2.1 may either submit for certification or upgrade at no cost to a newer version of the LEED rating system by Dec. 15, 2011. Projects that do not submit for certification or upgrade to a newer version of the LEED rating system prior to this date will be retired and will be ineligible to certify under their current registration. These projects will be removed from the LEED registered project list on the GBCI website.

GBCI will provide free upgrades to any project currently registered under LEED for New Construction version 2.1 until Dec. 15, 2011. Projects may elect to upgrade to either version 2.2 or version 3 (LEED 2009) of the LEED for New Construction rating system. After this deadline, projects will be required to register under the current version of the rating system and pay all applicable fees.

The sunset of LEED for New Construction version 2.1only applies to projects registered under LEED for New Construction version 2.1. Projects registered under all other versions of the LEED rating system are not affected.

Project teams that need assistance upgrading a project should contact GBCI at 1-800-795-1746, within the US, and +1-202-828-1145, outside the US.

Update on the Evolution of LEED Registration and Certification Agreements

jhousman — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:17:00 GMT

This year, USGBC and GBCI have worked to revise LEED registration and certification agreements so that they provide an appropriate level of legal guidance for the leadership organizations who pursue the benefits that accompany LEED certification. As we’ve had questions arise, we’ve worked with a number of organizations to make adjustments to the agreements that met their specific needs, and we will continue to do so.

Even as we’ve aggregated these individual adjustments into our agreements, we’ve also proactively sought the opinion of a wide range of legal counsel from our architectural member firms, from GSA, and from others who practice construction law, many of whom are part of our informal legal working group. They have recommended a number of other thoughtful changes as well. We’re working to include these revisions in final agreements that will be ready by the end of the year. We’ve kept the dialog going during this process through our legal working group, but thought others might be interested in the revisions that have been underway.

Perhaps the most significant of these is that we are going to provide an agency form for design team members to use to show an agency relationship between themselves and the project owner. The form allows the project’s owner to appoint the design professional to sign the agreements only as the owner’s representative, thus relieving the design professional and his firm from obligations undertaken by the owner under the agreements. Use of this form removes certain obligations from the project team, such as reporting requirements associated with MPR6, and assigns them on the owners who are better able to ensure compliance with such requirements.

Other changes include streamlining the document in more approachable terminology; standardizing agreements across our various programs and rating systems; providing more transparency in how these agreements are revised over time; further limiting and better describing how project information may be disclosed by GBCI and USGBC; and providing clearer guidance regarding how revisions to the rating systems and our policy documents will affect projects.

As these new agreements move to final form, we want to reassure project teams that register between now and the end of the year that they will be able to seamlessly move to the new agreement terms once they are released at year end.We always recommend thorough reading of any legal agreement, and we welcome questions and encourage any dialog that will help remove obstacles to our shared mission of market transformation of the built environment.

One Billion Square Feet of LEED Green Building Projects Certified Worldwide

Erin Emery, media@gbci.org — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:15:00 GMT

One Billion Square Feet of LEED Green Building Projects Certified Worldwide

Achievement manifests building industry progress, market transformation

Contact: Erin Emery, media@gbci.org

WASHINGTON, DC -- This month, the total footprint of commercial projects certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Green Building Rating System surpassed one billion square feet. Another six billion square feet of projects are registered and currently working toward LEED certification around the world.

“This traction demonstrates the transformation of the way we design, build and operate buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, USGBC. “Not only does green building contribute to saving energy, water and money, it also creates green jobs that will grow and energize our economy.”

The milestone is a testament to the global effort to meet USGBC’s vision that buildings and communities will regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within this generation. LEED is the preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

“The impact of these one billion square feet can be seen in communities around the world,” said Peter Templeton, President of the Green Building Certification Institute, the certifying body for LEED projects. “The use of LEED represents a growing global commitment to improving our built environment for future generations.”

Since it was first introduced to the marketplace in 2000, over 36,000 commercial projects and 38,000 single-family homes have participated in LEED. By consuming less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to healthier environments for residents, workers and the community.

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U.S. Green Building Council  

The USGBC community is transforming the way we build, design and operate our buildings for healthier places that save precious resources for people to live, work, learn and play in. UGSBC is helping create buildings and communities that regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within a generation. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Council is the driving force of the green building industry, which is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product by 2013. USGBC leads a diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials, concerned citizens, teachers and students. The USGBC community comprises 80 local chapters, 17,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 individuals who have earned LEED Professional Credentials. Visit www.usgbc.org for more information.

About GBCI

The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) provides third-party confirmation that specific criteria related to LEED building certification and LEED professional credentialing have been met. To underscore this commitment, GBCI is undergoing the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation process for personnel certification agencies complying with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 17024. Early in 2009, GBCI assumed responsibility for administering the LEED building certification program for the more than 36,000 commercial projects seeking third-party verification of compliance with the industry's leading green building rating system. For more information, please visit www.gbci.org.

New Guidance for Multiple Buildings & On-Campus Projects

iwillson — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:14:00 GMT

New guidance is available to help project teams more easily and efficiently certify multiple LEED projects located on one site or campus: the 2010 Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects.

This free document was created to provide guidance when applying the LEED rating systems to multiple-building and on-campus projects that are on a shared site under the control of a single entity; for example, a commercial or educational campus or government installation. These types of building projects represent a great opportunity for sustainable planning and design. Learn more »

GBCI Certifies 5,000th LEED Project

iwillson — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:48:54 GMT

On March 8, 2010, the Green Building Certification Institute issued a LEED Certified rating to a LEED for Commercial Interiors project. This was the record-breaking 5,000th project to attain a certification level under the LEED Green Building Rating System™.