LEED™

LEED™ stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Based on well-founded scientific standards, LEED™ emphasizes state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. A project achieves a LEED™ Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum rating based on the number of points achieved in these five environmental categories.

Members of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), representing all segments of the building industry, developed LEED™ by consensus and continue to contribute to its evolution. LEED™ standards are currently available for: new construction/ major renovations, existing buildings, commercial interiors, and core and shell buildings. A USGBC committee is currently developing a LEED™ rating system for homes and neighborhoods.

The City of Seattle requires all their capital projects over 5,000 square feet to build to the LEED™ Silver level. The City's LEED™ Incentive is encouraging the private sector to build to similar standards with a financial incentive and technical assistance.

LEED for Existing Buildings

The LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.  LEED for Existing Buildings addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues (including chemical use), recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs, and systems upgrades. It can be applied both to existing buildings seeking LEED certification for the first time and to projects previously certified under LEED for New Construction, Schools, or Core & Shell.  

USGBC is now offering free registration for all previously certified LEED for New Construction, LEED for Schools, and LEED for Core & Shell projects.  E-mail leedinfo@usgbc.org to take advantage of this offer and get started on the LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M certification process.

Beginning July 1, 2008, all projects registering for LEED for Existing Buildings must do so under the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance version.  Projects that register for LEED for Existing Buildings version 2.0 before July 1 will be given the opportunity to continue their certification under version 2.0 or upgrade to  LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M. 

LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Rating System (PDF)
The Rating System lists the intent, requirements, and technologies/strategies for each credit and includes the Credit Checklist.

LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Checklist (PDF)
The Checklist helps project teams track their credits against requirements for certification.

LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance FAQ's (PDF)

Changes to the LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System:

• Text summary
• Credit-to-credit comparison matrix
  

Version 2.0

Version 2.0 Rating System (PDF)
The Rating System lists the intent, requirements, submittals and technologies/strategies for each credit and includes the Credit Checklist.

Version 2.0 Credit Checklist (XLS)
The Checklist helps project teams track their credits against requirements for certification.

Combined LEED-EB Errata Sheet (PDF)
Project teams are subject to errata requirements based on registration date.

Download the introduction chapter of the LEED for Existing Buildings Reference Guide

Recertification

All LEED for Existing Buildings recertification projects are required to register under the LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System version that is live in LEED Online at the time of the recertification registration. For example, any project whose initial certification is under the LEED for Existing Buildings Pilot Program or LEED for Existing Buildings v2.0 and registers for LEED for Existing Buildings recertification once LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M is mandatory, must use O&M. Please note that recertification project teams may opt to use a newer version of LEED for Existing Buildings if one is available at the time of the recertification application (i.e., if a project registered for recertification before LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M was required, they have the option to upgrade their rating system version).