Advice provided by: John Schafer, LEED AP, ISSA, Staples Facility Solutions

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The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has proposed changes to its Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards. Called “LEED 2012,” this update is the next step to ensuring that LEED certification standards are sustainable in the long-term.

What changes do companies need to be aware of before they break ground on new construction? What do the changes mean for existing LEED-certified buildings that need to renew their certification?

3 Changes in LEED 2012 for Facilities Managers

The USGBC has provided a complete list of the changes on their website, but here are three key considerations to be aware of moving forward:

1. More certified green products provide new options.

Under the proposed revisions to LEED requirements, certification and re-certification require additional prerequisites. However, this opens up new options for facility managers.

Facility managers can now choose between a wider variety of lower cost, approved environmentally preferable products that have the same environmental impact and overall performance as their more expensive traditional cleaning counterparts.

2. New prerequisites open the door for new changes.

Currently, a green cleaning policy is worth one point. However, the proposed revisions make a green cleaning policy a mandatory prerequisite (zero points), which means that those seeking LEED certification or re-certification for their buildings will have to earn this point elsewhere.

For new construction projects, buildings managers can obtain one point for providing quality views and for providing a walkable project site.

Alternatively, if the building is already LEED certified, some items worth one point include:

• Implementing an ergonomics strategy
• Utilizing green cleaning products and materials
• Using green cleaning equipment, and
• Conducting a green cleaning custodial effectiveness assessment

3. Improved ROI: Updated changes allow for better return on investment.

LEED certification revisions may increase the costs for the certification and re-certification of buildings, but there are tangible ways to get a return on the investment (ROI).

Looking specifically at cleaning products, choosing certified sustainable products over traditional cleaning solutions can eliminate the need for gloves, masks, goggles and other methods of protection against potentially caustic solutions. When hazardous chemicals are replaced with safer alternatives, there is the added benefit of eliminating investment in methods for the disposal of harmful chemicals commonly associated with unsustainable cleaning products.

Additionally, selecting a multi-purpose sustainable cleaning solution not only eliminates the associated protection and disposal costs, but it also provides facilities with the option to potentially use one product for multiple surfaces throughout the facility. Look for cleaning solutions with a high concentration so you will need to use less. All of these benefits can yield significant cost savings.

As the USGBC continues to make strides to help buildings across the U.S. be more sustainable – from building design to construction to operations – these proposed changes to its LEED ratings system raise the bar on what it means to be sustainable.

Fortunately, the USGBC, the International Sanitary Supply Association, Green Seal, EPA and others provide a large amount of information to help make achieving LEED certification and re-certification easy. After all, the goal of these changes to LEED is not to revoke the current certification of buildings, but rather to help businesses stay sustainable over time.

Related Advice:

• LEED 2012: 10 Changes You Should Know About



• LEED 2012 will incorporate Demand Response Programs



• An Introduction to Green Cleaning