USGBC Ups LEED Green Building Rating System Requirements to Increase Energy Performance by 14 Percent

Summary: To meet its Climate Change Agenda, the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) membership last month voted to require all LEED®-certified projects to achieve at least two “Optimize Energy Performance” points within LEED, which the council estimates will improve the energy performance of all LEED-certified green buildings by 14 percent for new construction and 7 percent for existing buildings. Effective immediately, all newly registered commercial LEED projects will be required to achieve the two “Optimize Energy Performance” points, which will count towards a project's certification.

The new requirement will reduce the environmental and economic impacts associated with excessive energy use and maximize energy performance of buildings through cost-effective energy efficiency measures, according to the USGBC. To help projects achieve the new energy reduction requirements, a prescriptive compliance path is currently under development as an alternative to energy modeling.

The Climate Change Agenda
The energy optimization credits are one point of the eight-point agenda passed by the USGBC Board of Directors last November to address climate change and buildings.

1. The 50 percent CO2 reduction goal. All new commercial LEED projects are required to reduce CO2 emissions by 50 percent when compared to current emission levels.
2. Increased energy reduction prerequisites in LEED. All LEED projects must achieve at least two energy optimization credits.
3. Implementation of a carbon dioxide offset program.
4. Continuous process improvement incentives. All LEED for New Construction and Core and Shell Buildings that reach certification will automatically (at no cost) be registered for LEED for Existing Buildings.
5. Certification fees rebates for Platinum buildings, to push the envelope on performance.
6. A carbon-neutral USGBC. By the end of 2007, USGBC as an organization will be 100 percent carbon neutral.
7. Portfolio Performance Program. The long-term goal of this program is to recognize companies for high environmental performance across their portfolios.
8. Carbon-reduction education, and a challenge to the industry. USGBC will be launching a new educational program designed specifically to help industry professionals gain the knowledge they need to apply design and construction practices that are energy efficient and have immediate and measurable impact on CO2 emissions.

USGBC estimates that, by 2010, there will be 100,000 LEED-certified commercial buildings and a million certified homes. By 2020, there will be a million LEED certified commercial buildings and 10 million certified homes.