LEED | 2009 and beyond LEED 2009 and beyond by John Davey, LEED AP points and 10 priority (ID and RE) points. While certification award will primarily consider the base points, the priority points will be used to provide addedvalue and potentially secure an increased level of award. The weighting embodied in the redistribution of points utilises the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other Environmental Impacts (TRACI), a software program developed by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, for the classification of environmental impacts with individual credit weightings. The revisions incorporate state-of-the-art science that reflects present understanding of global environmental priorities. The overall result has shifted emphasis to credits that reduce a building’s carbon footprint, for example, the holistic approach to indoor environmental quality in place of indoor ventilation, gives IEQ (Indoor Environmental Quality) 15% of points rather than the 3% previously given to IAQ (Indoor Air Quality). Other credits given proportionally greater value include Development Density and Community Connectivity, Public Transport Access, Low-Emitting and Fuel Efficient Vehicles, Optimal Energy Performance and On-Site Renewable Energy. In short, changes of substance to credit requirements include the purely technical, incorporations of precedents set by past Credit Interpretation Rulings, and those that readdress our approach to collective environmental concerns. Updates of recently revised Standards, such as ASHRAE 90.1 and 62.1, are also included. As of the 1st of May 2008 there were more than 10,000 LEED-registered projects in 41 countries covering a total built-up area of over 325 Mm2. It was therefore fitting the U.S. Green Building Council should choose this day, long-established for the annual celebration of social achievement, to announce radical changes to be introduced as LEED Version 3 which will include updates and revisions to the LEED rating system - LEED 2009; revision and evaluation of the LEED certification process; and revisions to LEED Online. Of prime concern to engineers and architects will be the revisions to technical performance and scoring criteria that encompass: • The weighting of credits and redistribution of points to reflect their potential to mitigate adverse or promote positive environmental impacts • The alignment and harmonisation of prerequisite and credit requirements between different Rating Systems • A new prerequisite for Water Efficiency There are now five points available for Innovation and Design (ID), of which three can reward exemplary performance in other credits. There are also 5 new Regional Environment (RE) points to reward compliance with regional environmental priorities, although these will not be available to non-US projects. All Rating Systems now offer 100 base And beyond The 2009 changes steer LEED towards a continuous improvement cycle that will permit a more timely incorporation of advances in green building science and experience from the expanding green building knowledge base. This will be accompanied by a shift in emphasis from individual buildings to the built environment and greater consideration of broader aspects of sustainability such as social equity and human health. The fostering of social equity to ensure everyone benefits from green-built environments is a new guiding principle of the USGBC, and a tenant with which Dar is well acquainted through its work on several projects aspiring to LEED certification. The LEED Steering Committee is already committed to revisit credit weightings and to refine them in response to changing environmental priorities and market transformation. While the present weighting given to individual credits will be applied across all projects for the immediate future, the development of the MS Excel-based LEED 3.0 Credit Weighting Tool allows project-specific weightings to be computed to more accurately reflect the minimization of environmental and human impacts imparted by individual projects. Future development of the tool will address robust methodologies to measure and assess a building’s carbon footprint and ensure reporting accuracy, accountability and transparency. The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) has recently been established to independently administer LEED project certification and professional accreditation. The new Reference Guides 50