LEED v3: Impacts on the Maryland Region

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Megan Reuwer

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released LEED v3, effective April 27, 2009, which replaces former versions of LEED. The new LEED v3 implements some major changes from previous versions, including:

  • Creation of Regional Priority Points: the USGBC has recognized that location plays a fundamental role in credit applicability, and has created six regional credit opportunities (based on a project's zipcode). Of the 6 potential points, only 4 can be earned per project.
  • 100 Point Scale: the new LEED v3 implements a 100 point scale (and actually, more than 100 points are available with the new Regional Priority points and Innovation in Design points). To become LEED certified, a building now needs to achieve at least 40 points; 50 points are needed for Silver; 60 points for Gold; and 80 points for Platinum certification.
  • To learn more about LEED v.3, check out this webinar featuring the U.S. Green Building Council's Brendan Owens.

How do the new changes impact Maryland builders and developers?

Although Regional Priority credits vary by zipcode, there are emergent themes for the Maryland region that include an emphasis on:

  • Sustainable Sites (particularly SS Credit 5 -Site Development, SS Credit 6 -Stormwater Design, SS Credit 7.1 - Heat Island Effect, Non-roof, and SS Credit 8 - Light Pollution Reduction)
  • Water Efficiency (particularly WE Credit 2 - Innovative Wastewater Technologies, and WE Credit 3 - Water Use Reduction)

The selection of these credits as Regional Priorities reveals the important role that water plays as an environmental resource in the Maryland region, and incentivizes the protection of our major water resources via stormwater management techniques to limit both the quantity and quality of runoff from development sites, and encourages overall water use reduction. USGBC's choice of Regional Priority points seems to be well-tailored for our region to address the most current concerns.

What do you think? Are the new Regional Priority points a good idea?

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