The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has introduced the next version of the LEED® Green Building Rating System for Existing Buildings. Entitled LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance this version includes fewer program prerequisites, greater emphasis on facilities operations and maintenance, updated referenced standards and expanded sections on water efficiency, energy performance, building commissioning and green cleaning. These changes, while not affecting the intent of the Rating System, will clarify it and amplify the operations and maintenance scope of the rating system.
The USGBC is a nonprofit organization comprising more than 11,000 organizations from every sector of the building industry whose goal is to transform the building marketplace to sustainability.
“LEED is all about continuous improvement, finding new and better processes, incorporating new data and science, and we work hard to respond to the suggestions and needs of our members and of the marketplace,” said USGBC’s National Accounts Director Doug Gatlin. “It’s this commitment to continuous improvement that led to this latest version of LEED.”
Gatlin noted that in response to market input, this new version of the rating system seeks to address concerns about the amount of documentation required, to clean up some ambiguous language, to streamline the prerequisites and to resolve some overlap with the LEED for New Construction system.
“We’re very excited about the improvement and enhancements in the rating system, and with and with its launch for member ballot, we think we’ve provided the market with a powerful tool for helping building owners and their facility managers make substantive contributions to reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality, and providing their occupants with healthier places to live, work and play,” Gatlin said.
“Existing commercial buildings in the U.S. account for 60 billion square feet of space. If we want to make a difference for the environment, building occupants and our bottom lines, we must get our existing building stock up to peak green performance,” said USGBC Board member Tim Cole, of Forbo, a member of the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments. “LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance is a labor of love by those of us who feel that such a roadmap is crucial in our efforts to meet that goal.”
