LEED 2012 Opens for Third Round of Public Comment

On March 1, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will make available the most recent draft of its 2012 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) green building rating system (LEED 2012) for public review and comment until March 20.  The 2012 revisions encompass the rating systems used during new construction (BD+C), interiors (ID+C), existing buildings (O+M), homes and neighborhood development (ND). The USGBC intends to ballot LEED 2012 for approval by its members in June 2012.  To meet this schedule, USGBC will accept comments only on substantive changes made to the draft since the second comment period in the fall of 2011.  A summary of changes between the first and the second public comment periods and between LEED 2009 and the second public comment period for LEED 2012 are on the USGBC’s website.  Submit your comments by March 20, 2012, using USGBC’s online comment form, which is the only system in place for submitting public comments.  Keep in mind that comments are specific to individual credits or prerequisites; and users cannot revise their comments after submitting. According to the USGBC, the differences between LEED 2009 and LEED 2012 will be centered mainly on introducing new credit categories, strengthening the technical content and revising the point distribution.  LEED 2012 will have new prerequisites and credits as well as three new credit categories: Integrative Process, Location and Transportation and Performance.  Some credits familiar to users of LEED 2009 may have different point values in LEED 2012. For more information on green construction, contact Melinda Tomaino at (703) 837-5415 or tomainom@agc.org.