v4 | Construction Law Authority

LEED v4 Passes

July 15, 2013

by Mark J. Stempler The newest version of the popular LEED Green Rating System is affirmed. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announcced that its membership voted to adopt LEED v4 by an overwhelming 86%. This version of LEED has been in the works for a few years. Ultimatly, it withstood controversy and was refined through several public comment periods. Changes in LEED v4 from the current version (adopted in 2009) include: * A new credit category - Location and Transportation; * A new credit in the Sustainable Sites category - Rainwater Management; and * New prerequisites in the Water Efficiency category; and * New requirements for the use of LEED AP's for specific credits. There are several other additions and changes in LEED v4 which will affect numerous types of buildings. For the complete list, check out http://new.usgbc.org/v4. The full LEED v4 program, along with reference guides, will be unveiled at this year's Greenbuild conference in Philadelphia...

New Version of LEED Rating System May Be Coming Soon

March 22, 2013

Mark J. Stempler

Building Codes

The U.S. Green Building Council’s long awaited updates to the LEED Rating System are almost complete. LEED v4 has been in the works for more than a year. The likely final public comment period for the new rating system ends on March 31st, and voting on the changes is scheduled to begin June 1st.

There are some significant changes in LEED v4. It will include a new credit category, Location and Transportation. As the name suggests it focuses in part on location of buildings and connectivity to them. Some of the credits in this category, such as bicycle storage, reduced parking capacity and low-emitting vehicles are already part of the existing Sustainable Sites category, so they are just being moved. Speaking of which, a new credit for rainwater management has been added to the Sustainable Sites category in LEED V4, which will be an opportunity to earn points for capturing, treating and controlling on-site runoff.

There are some significant changes in the Water Efficiency category. There will be three prerequisites: Outdoor Water Use Reduction (applicable to projects with exterior vegetated areas); Indoor Water Use Reduction (like the former "Water Use Reduction" prerequisite, it requires 20% water use reduction, and will also require a WaterSense label for certain fixtures and fittings); and Building Level Water Metering (applicable to all projects, it calls for permanent water meters to measure usage, and the data must be shared with the USGBC for 5 years). There are also new credits for Cooling Tower Use and Water Metering.