21 November 2013 — The latest version of the Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design tool has been launched by the US Green Building Council at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Philadelphia.
“LEED v4 is a quantum leap for LEED,” said president, chief executive and founding chair of the USGBC Rick Fedrizzi.
“Over the past 15 years, LEED has fundamentally revolutionised how we design, construct, operate and maintain our buildings and communities. LEED has created a completely new industry of business enterprise committed to energy savings and efficiency.
“LEED v4 is as much a testament to the achievements of LEED project teams around the world as it is to the green building community’s ambition to create significant global and local change through resource-efficient, cost-effective green buildings.”
There are 122 beta projects currently using LEED v4 around the world.
Highlights of the updated tool include:
- New market sectors: New market sector adaptations for LEED including data centres, warehouses and distribution centres, hospitality, existing schools, existing retail and mid-rise residential projects
- Support tools and resources: Simplified LEED credit submittal requirements, descriptive step-by-step reference guide materials with videos and tutorials, and a more intuitive technology platform
- Building performance management: LEED v4 is focused on outcomes so that building owners have a better understanding of how to manage their buildings to meet full performance potential
- New impact categories: Climate change, human health, water resources, biodiversity, green economy, community and natural resources