Since our last post regarding LEED v5, a more comprehensive picture of the changes in LEED v5 for Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) has been released by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). This document, released in May of 2024 mirrors the same familiar credit categories from v4 and v4.1. The credit categories remain the same (Integrative Process, Location and Transportation, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Project (Regional) Priorities, and Innovation).

The changes include seven new prerequisites and eight new credits. The new prerequisites and credits represent a framework more aligned with the current Green Building Marketplace, while also pushing the boundaries for further progress.

The new Prerequisites (P) and Credits (C) are as follows:

• Integrative Process: (P) Climate Resilience Assessment, (P) Social Equity Assessment, and (P) Carbon Assessment.
• Sustainable Sites: (P) Resilient Site Design, (C) Enhanced Resilient Site Design
• Water Use Reduction: (C) Water Reuse
• Energy and Atmosphere: (P) Operational Carbon Projection and Decarbonization Plan, (C) Electrification, (C) Reduce Peak Thermal Loads
• Materials and Resources: (P) Planning for Zero Waste Operations, (P) Assess Embodied Carbon, and (C) Reduce Embodied Carbon
• Indoor Environmental Quality: (C) Connecting with Nature, (C) Enhanced Building Accessibility, and (C) Resilient Spaces

Integrative Process

The Climate Resilience Assessment Prerequisite requires projects to evaluate and address potential climate risks by analyzing how future climate scenarios could impact the building’s performance and safety. It mandates the development of a climate resilience plan to mitigate identified risks and enhance the building’s adaptability to climate change. This assessment ensures that buildings are better prepared to withstand extreme weather events and long-term climate shifts.

The Social Equity Assessment Prerequisite requires projects to evaluate and address the social impacts of their development on surrounding communities and stakeholders. It focuses on promoting inclusivity, equitable access to resources, and positive social outcomes, ensuring that the project benefits a diverse range of people. This prerequisite aims to foster environments that support social well-being and mitigate potential negative effects on vulnerable populations.

The Carbon Assessment Prerequisite mandates that projects measure and report their carbon footprint, including both operational and embodied carbon emissions. It requires the development of a carbon reduction strategy that outlines how the project will minimize its carbon impact over time. This prerequisite aims to drive transparency and accountability in carbon management, supporting the broader goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and combating climate change.

Sustainable Sites

The Resilient Site Design Prerequisite requires projects to withstand flood events up to the 500-year floodplain. It involves creating strategies to enhance the site’s ability to withstand and recover from major flood events through creative building design. This prerequisite ensures that site design contributes to long-term sustainability and adaptability, protecting both the built environment and its surrounding ecosystems.

The Enhanced Resilient Site Design Credit builds on the prerequisite requirements by demanding a more detailed and comprehensive approach to resilience planning. It requires projects to design and construct the site and site structures based on the best practices for at least 2 of the highest priority hazards identified for compliance with the Prerequisite: Climate Resilience Assessment. This prerequisite aims to ensure that the site design significantly contributes to long-term sustainability and reduces vulnerability to extreme weather and climate change impacts.

Water Use Reduction

The Water Reuse Credit in the LEED framework requires projects to implement systems for reusing water to reduce demand on potable water supplies and wastewater systems. There are two options both equal to two points. One is to install a Reuse Ready System, which much like the concept of EV Ready, requires that the project install the infrastructure to accommodate reclaimed or alternative water sources, while Option 2 provides the ability to gain two points by actually using either onsite Water Reuse or Municipally Reclaimed Water.

Energy and Atmosphere

The Operational Carbon Projection and Decarbonization Plan Prerequisite requires buildings to project their operational carbon emissions over a specified period and create a detailed decarbonization plan. This plan must outline strategies to reduce carbon emissions through energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy adoption, and carbon offset measures. Additionally, buildings must commit to periodic reporting and verification to ensure ongoing progress toward decarbonization goals.

The Electrification credit requirements emphasize transitioning building systems from fossil fuel reliance to electricity, prioritizing renewable sources. This involves replacing combustion-based heating, cooling, and water heating systems with electric alternatives. Additionally, the credit requires implementing strategies to ensure the electrical grid connection supports increased electric demand sustainably. Option 1, worth 5 points, is designing your building to have no on-site combustion, and Option 2 allows for combustion but only at low temperatures with multiple approaches for 1-4 points.

The Reduce Peak Thermal Loads credit requirements aim to minimize the building’s peak heating and cooling demands through design and operational strategies. This includes improving insulation, optimizing building orientation, and incorporating advanced glazing systems. The credit also encourages the use of thermal energy storage and other technologies to shift and reduce peak energy usage times, enhancing overall energy efficiency by 1-5 points.

Materials & Resources

The Planning for Zero Waste Operations prerequisite requires buildings to develop a comprehensive zero waste plan aimed at minimizing waste sent to landfills. This involves conducting waste and recycling estimation, setting measurable waste reduction goals, and implementing policies for recycling, composting, and material reuse. Additionally, the plan must be for building operators to track and monitor ongoing waste post-occupancy.

The Assess Embodied Carbon prerequisite mandates that buildings must either conduct a life cycle assessment or use Environmental Product Declarations to evaluate the carbon emissions associated with building materials and construction processes. This assessment requires identifying and quantifying the embodied carbon of all major building components. The goal is to inform decision-making to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the building from construction through its entire lifecycle.

The Reduce Embodied Carbon credit requirements focus on implementing strategies to lower the carbon emissions associated with building materials and construction. This includes selecting low-carbon materials, optimizing material use, and employing construction practices that minimize carbon output. The credit encourages the use of innovative materials and technologies to achieve significant reductions in the building’s embodied carbon footprint. The credit has two options, one is to conduct a whole building life cycle assessment for 1-6 points or to purchase structure, enclosure, and hardscape materials that, in total for the whole project, have lower embodied carbon emissions than if the project would have selected products that met industry average benchmarks (cradle-to-gate modules A1-A3 at least).

Indoor Environmental Quality

The Connecting with Nature credit requirements encourage integrating natural elements into building design to enhance occupant well-being and biodiversity. This can be achieved by direct experience of nature or indirect experience of space and place. The credit requires projects to integrate attributes from the guidelines outlined in “The Practice of Biophilic Design” by authors Kellery and Calabrese.

The Enhanced Building Accessibility credit requirements focus on ensuring buildings are inclusive and accessible to all users regardless of physical abilities. This involves going beyond minimum ADA standards by incorporating features such as enhanced wayfinding, accident prevention and safety, and physical accessibility. The credit also encourages the design of universally accessible routes and amenities that promote ease of use and comfort for everyone.

The Resilient Spaces credit requires projects to support design features that increase the capacity for occupants to adapt to changing climate conditions and be protected from events that may compromise the quality of the indoor environment and subsequently occupant health and wellbeing. There are five options to demonstrate compliance, either Management Mode for Episodic Outdoor Ambient Conditions, Management Mode for Respiratory Diseases, Management Mode for Power Outages, Operable Windows, or Building Safety.

The rest of the credits are very similar to LEED v4 or v4.1 Many of the observed changes in other prerequisites and credits are mainly consolidating existing credit approaches, streamlining requirements, or enhancing existing credit approaches. Overall, the new requirements more closely align with the current market and environmental needs of the building industry and the push for full decarbonization.