The 2012 LEED Comment Period has officially begun! All interested parties are invited to join the USGBC online to review and comment on proposed changes to 2012 LEED certification policies. Though official changes will not be announced until November 7th, the USGBC has provided an overview of the areas that are on the table for revision.
It is important for all Green builders and LEED projects to stay-in-step with these issues as they may change before year’s end. As a reminder, the 2012 LEED Comment Period works as follows:
1. Proposed changes are made available online via the USGBC website.
2. The official comment period begins March 1st, 2012. At this point, all interested parties are invited to log on to the USGBC website to review and comment on areas facing proposed change.
3. Guests are asked to please send all comments in a single submission.
4. All areas of change, along with all user-submitted comments, will be presented before a panel in August.
5. Panel members will weigh proposed policy changes with all submitted comments, and the official 2012 LEED policy is planned to be announced on November 7th.
Areas of Change: Things to Watch in 2012
There is a lot to be excited about this summer as policymakers gather to determine how sustainable building practices may be implemented with greater global effectiveness. Readers who are new to the concept of LEED and sustainable building are encouraged to read our article on LEED Certification Requirements for a basic overview of the LEED system, process, and goals.
The USGBC has announced the proposal of changes in the following areas:
1. Building Design and Construction: It has been proposed that the rating system for Building Design & Construction be more “stringent” for data centers, warehouses, hospitals, and distribution centers seeking accreditation.
2. Interior Design and Construction: The rating system for Interior Design & Construction likewise faces pressure for strict reform. New policy lobbies for greater “technical stringency across all credit categories” for those projects seeking LEED system compliance.
3. Operations and Maintenance (Existing Buldings): The Operations & Maintenance rating system is under scrutiny as well. As it stands, the rating system implements design focused strategies that may not necessarily be controllable by a particular facility’s in-house management team. Now, policymakers are lobbying to refocus requirements for ongoing building efficiency so that internal management teams may have a greater degree of control.
4. Residential Development: New proposals suggest that the rating system requirements for Neighborhood Development be split into two distinct classes. The first division is to be called LEED-ND Plan and, as the name suggests, it focuses on the stages of planning that precede project development. The second division, LEED-ND, focuses exclusively on subsequent development stages. It is hoped that dividing projects according to where they stand in the planning/development cycle will better communicate what it means to be “certified.”
As a reminder, all documents containing proposed changes and comments are available for download on the USGBC website.
Stay in Touch with the Eagle Mat Blog
Readers are invited to join the Eagle Mat Blog as we document the 2012 Comment Period this March. Our weekly updates will keep you in-the-know policy changes are proposed, discussed, and poised for inclusion in the 2012 LEED program. We will also provide commercial floor mat recommendations for LEED certified projects, including eco-friendly mats that award LEED credits!
Source for this article: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=2601
