At Greenbuild 2008 the USGBC unveiled the new LEED 2009 program. This new version of LEED will take into account many of the different LEED systems to date and puts them into one LEED program. USGBC is using a concept where all of the credits that exist in LEED are put on a virtual bookshelf. In the analogy, the books represent the credits within LEED, and the chapters of the books are then the point systems within each credit.
A new point structure is also part of LEED 2009. The total base points will be 100 and there will be 10 additional points. The additional points are available from innovation & design (6 points) and regional context (4 points). The regional points are for design features that have an impact on a specific region of the country. For example, building design that significantly improves water efficiency or conservation in the Southwest would be eligible for regional context points. The weighting of the point system puts more emphasis on energy performance (in the Energy & Atmosphere category), and on transportation issues (in the Sustainable Sites category).
Within the Sustainable Sites Credit 7.2 Heat Island Roof LEED 2009 provides a better definition and calculation for determining the Solar Reflectance Index required for a roof that covers more than the minimum 75% of roof area. In the case of cool metal roofing, it is common for the roof product to cover 100% of the roof surface that is not already covered by parapets, mechanical equipment or skylights. Although there was always a weighted average approach available to building designers, it was never well known. In LEED 2009 , that calculation for a weighted average is now prominently displayed in the text of the credit.
In the case of a cool roof covering 100% of the surface area, SS Credit 7.2 would allow for a low slope roofing product with a SRI of 58.5, and for a steep slope roofing product with a SRI of 21.75. In terms of metal roofing, an unpainted mill-passivated Galvalume product would be eligible for low slope, as would a prepainted metal roof with solar reflectance of 0.52 or greater. In steep slope applications, unpainted mill-passivated and acrylic coated Galvalume sheet would be eligible, as would any prepainted metal roof product with a solar reflectance of 0.25 or greater. In fact, a cool metal roof can contribute up to 24 points in the LEED program.
LEED 2009 features new point thresholds for the four certification levels:
Certified: 40 points
Silver: 50 points
Gold: 60 points
Platinum: 80 points
Another feature of LEED 2009 is the pilot testing of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) component as an alternative compliance path. The LCA alternative path will be an option for points in the Materials & Resources category, where recycled content for example may be substituted for a LCA of building assemblies.
Other LEED News
In other LEED news, the USGBC has re-launched its popular Greenbuild365 website. The site contains educational offerings, podcasts and expanded resources. The Greenbuild365 website includes course catalogs which include courses approved by the Education Provider Program, Green Bytes that feature case studies, best practices and short videos, and Greenbuild Conference & Expo Media Library featuring videos of speakers from the Greenbuild show.
LEED in Schools
According to FMI’s 2008 US Construction Overview, the three largest segments for non-residential green building construction are office, education and health care. These three segments combined accounted for more than 80% of the total non-residential green construction in 2008. The newly formed Green Schools Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives is helping with this agenda with the 100,000 public and private schools in the U.S. According to the USGBC, schools in America are registering for LEED certification at a rate of one school per day. The states with the most LEED certified schools to-date are Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon and Virginia. A 2006 study sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers, the American Institute of Architects, the American Lung Association, the Federation of American Scientists and the USGBC found that green schools save an average of $100,000 each year in energy costs. The LEED for Schools rating program was launched in the spring of 2007.
LEED Neighborhood Development
The newest LEED program in pilot phase is Neighborhood Development. USGBC partnered with the Congress for the New Urbanism and the Natural Resources Defense Council to create LEED for Neighborhood Development. The program integrates principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into neighborhood design. The rating system emphasizes design and construction of buildings in a neighborhood that relate to its region and landscape, and encourages development within or near existing communities and infrastructure to reduce urban sprawl. This LEED program is expected to launch in 2009.
The Olympic Village in Beijing earned LEED Gold certification under the Neighborhood Development program. It is the first Olympic Village to receive LEED certification. The Olympic Village is one of only eight communities–and the first international one–to earn certification under the pilot program.