by Rebecca Walker — November 19, 2008—LEED 2009, the long-awaited update to the internationally recognized LEED green building certification program, has passed member ballot from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and will be introduced in 2009 as the next major evolution of the existing LEED rating systems for commercial buildings.
It includes a series of major technical advancements focused on improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, and addressing other environmental and human health outcomes, says USGBC.
LEED 2009 will also incorporate highly anticipated regional credits, extra points that have been identified as priorities within a project’s given environmental zone. LEED has also undergone a scientifically grounded re-weighting of credits, changing allocation of points among LEED credits to reflect climate change and energy efficiency as urgent priorities.
LEED 2009 incorporates eight years worth of market and user feedback in the form of precedent-setting Credit Interpretation Rulings, which will ensure clarity for project teams. Coupled with a credit alignment structure designed to create a more elegant and harmonized rating system, LEED 2009 will reset the bar for the certification of high-performance green buildings, says the Council.
For more information, see the USGBC Web site.
