LEED v4 Launches

November 27, 2013 2253 Views Arizona Medical Board, Banks County, Eastern U.S., health and safety, James T. Powers, Lynwood Correctional Facility, Red Rock Correctional Center, Skanksa

PHILADELPHIA — The new version of LEED, LEED v4, was officially launched last week at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Philadelphia in order to bring new methods to sustainable building.
LEED v4 creates a stronger foundation for the global adoption of green building by implementing tools and criteria that are more universally understood. Currently, 122 beta projects across the globe are LEED v4 certified.
“LEED v4 moves the market in a whole new direction,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC).
With over 55,000 projects around the world in more than 140 countries, LEED has created a global impact, Fedrizzi said, because it is a single system that allows sustainable projects to compare with others.
In keeping with the global goals of LEED v4, the first project to receive LEED v4 certification was the Haworth Beijing Organic Showroom in Beijing, China. Receiving 71 out of 100 points, the commercial interior space received LEED Gold certification under LEED v4.
"LEED v4 is a quantum leap for LEED," Fedrizzi said in a statement. "Over the past 15 years, LEED has fundamentally revolutionized how we design, construct, operate and maintain our buildings and communities. LEED has created a completely new industry of business enterprise committed to energy savings and efficiency. LEED v4 is as much a testament to the achievements of LEED project teams around the world as it is to the green building community’s ambition to create significant global and local change through resource-efficient, cost-effective green buildings."
One key feature of LEED v4 is new market sectors. These new sector adaptations for LEED include data centers, warehouses and distribution centers, hospitality, existing schools and mid-rise residential projects. The new version of LEED also includes new impact categories including climate change, human health, water resources, biodiversity, green economy, community and natural resources.
LEED v4 also includes more support tools and resources for projects seeking to achieve the green building certification. Simplified credit submittal requirements, descriptive step-by-step reference guides, videos and tutorials, and a more intuitive technology platform aim to provide more support to prospective green builders. The new version is also focused on providing a better understanding of how to manage buildings in order to meet full performance potential.
The new version of LEED will build on the advancements that the USGBC has been making since 1998, according to USGBC officials. It intends to optimize building performance while facilitating a global movement to create high-performing green buildings.
"LEED v4, at its core, provides insight into the synergies within the building system, providing solutions for optimizing performance and ultimately achieving better environmental, economic and social outcomes in our buildings," said Scot Horst, senior vice president of LEED, USGBC, in a statement. "LEED v4 is the LEED of the future, where we challenge the marketplace to go further, to make the next great leap toward better, cleaner, healthier buildings where people live and work."