Greenbuild 2008: Points Deficit

At face value, the revised LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) scorecard has allotted one additional point to the Materials & Resources section of the rating system.

However, by percentage on the scorecard, the Materials & Resources section has decreased in prominence compared to the “Energy & Atmosphere” and “Sustainable Sites” sections.

Currently, those seeking LEED Certification can earn up to 69 points on a scorecard known as LEED for New Construction 2.2. The Materials & Resources section accounts for 14 of those 69 points, or 20.3 percent.

The U.S. Green Building Council and several teams and committees have been working to create LEED 2009, which introduces a new scorecard with up to 110 points possible. The Materials & Resources section now accounts for 15 of those points, or just 13.6 percent.

Among the scorecard items receiving high priority in the new version’s Sustainable Sites section are up to 12 points available in an “alternative transportation” section, such as offering access to public transportation and bicycle storage and changing rooms.

In the LEED 2009 Energy & Atmosphere section, up to 26 points are available by optimizing energy performance and using on-site renewable energy sources.

In a letter introducing the LEED 2009 scorecard, USGBC president and CEO Rick Fedrizzi writes, “LEED has undergone a dramatic and scientifically grounded weightings exercise that allocates points to credits based on the importance of the environmental benefit realized by achievement of the credit requirements. This process fundamentally changes the way project teams will prioritize LEED credits but continues to leverage the existing industry knowledge on how to accomplish these credits.”

The Greenbuild International Conference and Expo took place Nov. 18-21 in Boston.