LEED v4.1 | U.S. Green Building Council (original) (raw)

LEED v4.1 is the next generation standard for green building design, construction, operations and performance.

NRDC SF | LEED Gold | Photo: Jasper Sanidad Photography

NRDC SF

LEED helps buildings to focus on efficiency and leadership to deliver the triple bottom line returns of people, planet and profit. LEED v4.1, raises the bar on building standards to address energy efficiency, water conservation, site selection, material selection, day lighting and waste reduction.

LEED is the world’s leading green building project and performance management system, delivering a comprehensive framework for green building design, construction, operations and performance:

The rigorous focus on material selection, human comfort, air quality and human health features of a building rightly prioritizes the most important asset of the building: human beings.
The specific focus on social equity ensures that buildings are not considered in isolation of their communities but prioritize access and inclusiveness for all.
To ensure a building is resilient from natural and unnatural disturbances a comprehensive set of design and construction strategies has been established in LEED v4.1.

LEED v4.1:

Ensures that all building stakeholders – developer, property manager, occupant and the community benefit from sustainable design, construction, operations and performance.
Supports projects to implement sustainable and healthy building practices to realize environmental, economic, social and community benefits for decades to come.
Emphasizes integrative design to ensure better design, translation of design into high quality construction, optimize operations and high performance of a building.
Helps buildings deliver higher quality beyond market practices by incorporating innovative design, technologies, construction and material selection strategies.
Focuses on both performance oriented sustainable strategies and outcomes.
Helps buildings consume fewer resources, reduce operating costs, increase value and create safer and healthier environments for its occupants.
Helps buildings reduce their GHG/carbon emissions.
Helps buildings use toxin free materials to deliver cleaner indoor air to improve productivity, focus and reduce respiratory illnesses of its occupants.
Prioritizes sustainable materials, helping manufacturers to design, produce and deliver building materials that reduce a building’s environmental impact. LEED v4.1 also helps manufacturers reduce energy, water, waste during manufacturing, carbon footprint during distribution and transportation and overall carbon emissions through the entire production lifecycle.

Explore education

USGBC is your starting point for engaging with LEED v4.1 educational content while earning continuing education. Access on-demand LEED v4.1 education available for each LEED rating system. Visit the USGBC events calendar to view live and virtual LEED v4.1 events.

LEED v4.1 Interior Design + Construction

LEED v4.1 for Interior Design and Construction includes many of the updates made in LEED v4.1 BD+C as well as several that focus on the realities of interior spaces. This rating system is for interior spaces that are a complete interior fit-out. In addition, at least 60% of the project’s gross floor area must be complete by the time of certification.

Commercial interiors. Interior spaces dedicated to functions other than retail or hospitality.
Retail. Interior spaces used to conduct the retail sale of consumer product goods. Includes both direct customer service areas (showroom) and preparation or storage areas that support customer service.
Hospitality. Interior spaces dedicated to hotels, motels, inns or other businesses within the service industry that provide transitional or short-term lodging, with or without food.

Updates

A new option within the Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control prerequisite that acknowledges potential limitations with addressing smoking in areas outside of the interior project’s control — smoking is still prohibited in the entire LEED project space
Acknowledgment for projects located within a LEED-certified building
Lower entry points for both the Daylight and Acoustic Performance credits to encourage more projects to consider daylight and acoustic performance during design
Greater focus on improving indoor air quality through more approachable air testing options and use of the latest standards for ventilation

Resources

LEED v4.1 Residential

LEED recertification

LEED recertification is an important step in protecting your building asset. Recertification helps you maintain and improve your building, while keeping your sustainability investment in place. Recertification is available to all occupied and in-use projects that have previously achieved certification under LEED — including BD+C and ID+C, regardless of their initial rating system or version.

This new guidance presents a simple and data-driven pathway, reassuring projects that they are meeting ever-changing goals and staying on the cutting edge.

Step 1: Review the LEED v4.1 O+M Guide, which details the requirements and process.
Step 2: Contact us to activate your project’s recertification.

Once you’ve successfully competed recertification, your project will earn LEED for Operations and Maintenance (LEED O+M) certification under the newest available version of the rating system. Currently that is LEED v4.1.