By Katie Matthews
Every year Greenbuild highlights an array of topics and discussions centering around green building and sustainability. This year was no exception; sessions ranged from reducing embodied carbon, net zero initiatives, meeting zero waste goals and updates in the certification systems. While most years typically showcase small changes to LEED ratings systems, 2022’s event was a much larger conversation surrounding the future of LEED.
Updates to LEED v4
During the keynote session at Greenbuild, USGBC announced new updates coming to the current v4 rating system. The updates include a revision to the Minimum and Optimize Energy performance credits to address greenhouse gas emissions and climate change more directly. The revisions will include raising the current thresholds for the current Minimum Energy Performance Prereq and the overall thresholds for the Optimize Energy Performance credit.
The prerequisite will now require a performance improvement of 15% for NC projects (including warehouses, schools, major renovations and hospitality), 8% for Core and Shell Projects and 5% for Healthcare projects. Option 1 under the credit will change to be 20 points overall (typically 18 points under NC), as well as break up the points into two different categories: ‘Percent Improvement in Energy Performance’ and ‘Percent Improvement in Greenhouse Gas Emissions’. With these changes, USGBC hopes to align the v4 and v4.1 credits to meet the greater goal of reducing carbon emissions. The language for each prerequisite and credit is now live on the USGBC website a deadline for public comment to be submitted by January 13, 2023.
Future of LEED v5
This year announced a new version of LEED to be released for review in September 2023. LEED v5, will be the next full revision LEED rating system to be released to the public since v4, released in 2016. After v4, we saw multiple iterations of v4.1 requirements circulate as USGBC has tried to address some of the feasibility issues of v4. The updated credit requirements for v4.1 have been in comment review and allowed for project teams to test under the v4 rating system for the past couple years. V4.1 has done a good job of adding alternate methods for meeting credit requirements to open LEED to more projects in more places. But according to USGBC (and many of its TAG committees), it is still not enough. LEED v4.1 will no longer go to ballot, and USGBC is moving on to LEED v5. For buildings to meet the standards that align with global initiatives, such as the Paris Agreement, we will need to rebuild LEED from the ground up. Whether or not they will change up the existing credits, one main topic was constant; LEED needs to change. A/G attended a variety of sessions that discussed the “New LEED”.
On Monday October 31st, USGBC held ‘LEED Convene and Connect’. USGBC’s Wes Sullens moderated the discussion opening with the following principles of concept for the new LEED rating systems:
Scale for the greatest impact
Decarbonize building industry, swiftly to reflect the urgency of the climate crisis
Inspire and recognize adaptive and resilient built environments
Invest in human health & well-being
Create environments in which diversity, equity, and inclusivity thrive
Support flourishing ecosystems through regenerative development practices
The panel discussed how Oakland and San Francisco have changed local codes to push buildings and local development to meet more stringent carbon, DEI, and resiliency goals. The two cities lead as examples of how policy changes are one way of shifting the market to address the immediate climate and suitability targets. This same idea applies to LEED and its rating systems. USGBC and LEED have demonstrated over the last 25+ years, as the preeminent green building standard in the US, that their rating systems play a large role in the building market and conversations on sustainability. For that reason, LEED should be held to a higher standard and aim to push for greater change.
Another panel A/G attended was the ‘Future of LEED’. Similarly, the conversation was centered around how LEED needs to push for future change and started with the same key principles present in ‘LEED Convene and Connect’. During the session, the largest agreement amongst the panel and attendees is that the shift for the future rating system needs to be focused on decarbonizing the building industry. “LEED needs to establish decarbonization pathways for new and existing buildings.” Some examples of this given in the session include:
Prioritize reductions from on-site combustion
Lower peak heating and cooling loads
Reduce embodied carbon
Grid harmonization
Establish minimum requirements for EV charging
Use refrigerants with lower GWP
Use construction equipment and techniques that are less carbon intensive
Existing buildings submit plans to decarbonize
Align with regulatory drivers as Building Performance Standards, ESG reporting
Bumping up thresholds and target goals also led into the conversation of creating more stringent requirements for buildings targeting Platinum certification. The new rating system aims to have additional tiers of requirements for projects tracking higher certification levels. LEED User also has a great article to break down the 6 things to know about LEED v5.
Development for the new rating system will start in January 2023 with working groups opening now for Resilience, Existing Buildings and Equity.
If there was any takeaway from Greenbuild, it was that there are huge changes that are needed (and needed quickly) to address the emissions and climate resilience goals. USGBC needs help creating the next rating system, so use this as an opportunity to submit public comments to have the next LEED v5 meet the needs of the building industry.