LEEDv4 is Coming!
by Jonathan McGaha | June 10, 2013 12:00 am
LEEDv4 is coming! Those with vested interest in sustainable buildings have heard LEEDv4 is coming for some time now and, like in the story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” some of us have dismissed this warning thinking that we have heard this for so long without anything happening. Some skeptics may even think that the heralding of LEEDv4 is nothing more than a prank or a way for the USGBC to sell more products. In this case, however, the premature statements announcing the arrival of LEEDv4 were not a trick or a way to get a reaction from the crowd; it was a way for the USGBC to inform the public so that they could be better prepared to utilize the most widely used tool for those looking to certify a sustainable building. The new version of LEED is not only coming, it is here!
Growth of LEED
Those who follow green buildings have seen tremendous growth over the years. What started out as an idea morphed into a movement, then into a fad/trend, and is now defined as “an industry.” Mc- Graw Hill recently reported, “in 2013, overall new green building is projected to rise to between $98 billion and $106 billion, and by 2016, this number is expected to reach $204 billion to $248 billion.” When the USGBC created the first version of the LEED Green Building Rating System, it set a high bar for the design and construction industry. Those teams looking to certify a building created a need in the marketplace for durable goods that had high amounts of recycled content and products that had low- or no-Volatile Organic Compounds. The design industry returned to its roots of integrated design to find ways for buildings to consume less energy. Building owners began to understand that their buildings were more than shade and shelter for their leeding the wa ybusinesses. Their buildings were an investment in the future of their companies.
In time, the industry rose to the challenge and met the standards that the USGBC set with the early versions of LEED. As the popularity of green buildings grew, the USGBC improved the LEED rating system, incrementally raising the bar to remain somewhat ahead of the market. Materials that were hard to find 10 years ago are now commonplace. Manufacturers proudly display their conservation efforts in their marketing material. Information regarding the chemical composition of adhesives, paints, caulks and coatings that was not disclosed is now openly provided, and in some cases, those documenting a LEED project do not even have to ask for this information because it is a part of the normal information flow of a construction process. The USGBC’s efforts to revise the LEED rating system with stricter rules for lower chemical content or higher energy efficiency could only go so far. This new version of LEED is a bold move to once again break away from the pack and get ahead of the marketplace.
How LEEDv4 is Different
Those who have used LEED in the past and think that the new version will be in line with other revisions are like those in the old fable who disregarded the boy’s last call for help. The long development time and delayed rollout of LEEDv4 was necessary because it is a brand new rating system. The USGBC took the time to listen to the people who use its rating system and expended the energy to go through an unprecedented five public comment periods during the development. The authors worked to understand the tension between the environment and the marketplace, and while not all are happy with the final version of the rating system, people can see that if they wish to have a high-performing sustainable building, they have to work hard to get there.
The Green Building standard has been completely rewritten in this new version. A new credit category, Location and Transportation, has been added to the system. The number of prerequisites within the system has increased from eight in LEEDv3 to 12 in LEEDv4 for typical office buildings. The number of prerequisites is higher for teams using the system for a school or health care facility. Compliance paths for credits have changed. It will no longer be as easy as drafting a letter and stating that a product has a high amount of recycled content; now, manufacturers will be required to demonstrate their commitment to the environment through Environmental Product Disclosures with third-party verification. The documentation procedure is more streamlined. There has been a new LEED Online portal created to manage the documentation process and flow of information between team members. More building typologies have been addressed by adding retail, data centers, hospitality, health care, warehouse and distribution centers to the new building rating system. Credit point values have been adjusted and are now weighted based on environmental impact. For instance, some credits awarded with one point for a commercial office building may be worth three points if used in a school.
LEEDv4 is no longer coming; it is here. This declaration may be dismissed by some as a false alarm. To others, it may strike fear or dismay. To make the transition a little easier, the USGBC will not make LEEDv4 mandatory until sometime in 2015, which gives people time to learn and understand the new system. For those who have listened to the warnings, stayed involved in the process, read the working drafts of the rating system and learned what has changed in the system will be prepared to use LEEDv4 now or in the future.
Thomas Taylor, a 30-year veteran of the construction industry and noted expert on sustainability, is the general manager of St. Louis-based Vertegy. His recent book, “Guide to LEED 2009: Estimating and Preconstruction Strategies,” provides step-by-step information about the LEED 2009 for New Construction process. To learn more about Vertegy or Thomas’ new book, visit www.vertegyconsultants. com for more information.
Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/leedv4-is-coming/