Advice provided by: Liz Bowen, LEED AP, GreenTech Consulting

Share

Victor asks:

How will my current LEED-NC v2.2 project switch to LEED v3?

Answer:

If you have a project already registered under LEED-NC v2.2, you may switch over to the LEED v3 Rating System at no additional charge on or before December 31, 2009. All new projects will be registered under the V3 Rating System and the accompanied LEED v3 Online system.

LEED v3: Differences to Consider

The new v3 Rating System has several differences to consider when assessing your project. You should use a LEED v3 scorecard to measure the basic differences.

As long as the project is a New Construction project and not a K-12 school or a Core Shell project, then the prerequisites and credits have not changed very much.

For the New Construction path, almost all the credit titles are the same, with just one new prerequisite, Water Use Efficiency 20%. This is an extremely easy point to attain, and it probably is among the credits you are attempting anyway, so this should not be a barrier.

If you do have a K-12 school project, there are new structured prerequisites/ credits including Environmental Site Assessments, Acoustics, Joint Use of Facilities, and Mold Prevention. Core Shell also has its own path through the new rating system.

Suggestions for Performing a LEED v3 Assessment

To do a LEED v3 assessment for LEED v3 New Construction path, I have the following suggestions and pointers.

First, you must update your Energy Model for compliance with ASHRAE 90.1-2007 Appendix G, and may need to modify your design for updated codes based on an assessment of applicable code changes.

Second, if the project is located near public transportation, it is a likely a better candidate for switching to LEED v3 since six points, and possibly seven points depending on your region, are allocated to projects with 1/4 mile to 2 or more bus lines accessible by occupants of your project.

Third, check out the Regional Priorities listed on usgbc.org for extra points associated with credits you are already attempting.

It is best to have an experienced LEED Consultant assess your specific project, since there will be unique challenges and opportunities for your individual situation and this article is intended only as an overview of the changes in the LEED v3 Rating System.