The U.S. Green Building Council is giving the public a look at thefirst fruits of its sweeping revision of the Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design {LEED} program. On May 19, the organization posted the working draft of LEED 2009for a 30-day public comment period. LEED 2009 is the rating systemcomponent of a larger program referred to as LEED Version 3 {LEED v3},which will replace LEED 2.2. Other features of the new program includea revamped online project management tool and an expanded third-partycertification process. In general, LEED 2009 increasesthe rating system`s emphasis on a building`s environmental, economicand social impact, according to the USGBC. It consolidates the manyLEED variants, such as the versions for new construction and commercialinteriors, into a core set of requirements. Other key changes includethe addition of bonus points {eventually core points} for addressingregional environmental conditions, and a methodology for reallocatingpoints within the scoring system to give greater weight to human healthand the environment. The revamp brings greenhouse gas emissions intothe calculation of credits. The scale will also switch to 100 pointsfrom the current 69. Future revisions will incorporatelifecycle analysis—a methodology that addresses the effects of materialextraction and manufacturing, building construction and maintenance,and demolition and disposal. While accounting for such impacts couldpossibly complicate the certification process, it will not be moreburdensome than generating whole building energy simulations andintegrating them into building information management systems,according to Brendan Owens, vice president for LEED technicaldevelopment. The lifecycle assessment component will be available forpubic comment within the next several months.
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