A decade after LEED was first
introduced, the unquestionably most popular green building certification system
has truly come a long way. LEED v4, the latest version, is the answer to the
criticism that LEED lacked the mandatory prerequisites for energy efficiency.
If you don’t have time to run
through all the changes introduced in LEED v4, here’s a run-through of the
major changes:
1.
Measurement
of whole building energy
One new prerequisite is the
assessment of whole building energy use. Meant to compel and motivate building
owners to continually monitor the energy efficiency of their buildings, the
data must then be shared to the USGBC. The good news is that there are plenty
of energy monitoring options that are available.
2.
Prerequisites
with regard to water use
LEED v4 also imposes new
requirements with regard to water use: building-level water metering and
outdoor water use reduction. There must be a water reduction of at least 30%
and the data must be shared to USGBC annually for five years.
3.
Demand
response has been elevated to the level of base credit
With this prerequisite,
building owners are now required to have a demand response system that must
either be semi- or fully automated. It must meet a 10% load-shed requirement.
Also, if the building is not located in an area with a demand response system,
it can comply with such requirement as long as it is capable of full
automation.
4.
Credit
for renewable energy
Projects with renewable
energy systems will have a higher number of points under the renewable energy production
credit. Even projects that have a ten-year lease for the energy system and is
within the vicinity of the utility service area can likewise claim for credit.
5.
Requirement
for advanced energy metering
Buildings must do more than
just metering the basic performance of the building and have a permanent
metering system every one hour or so.
If you want a quick overview
of LEED v4, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJzdnykumTU
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