How will LEED Canada be simplified and improved for users?
How will the next generation of LEED Canada compare to other green building programs?
When will residential buildings be included in LEED Canada?
When will the updated LEED Canada be available for each building type?
Q. Which specific elements of the existing LEED Canada rating system will be incorporated into the next generation?
The set of criteria for existing rating systems will be similar and the tool will look exactly the same. The “Design and Construction” taskforce will conduct a review and adaptation of the LEED for New Construction system. The “Building Operations” taskforce will conduct the review and adaptation of the USGBC’s LEED for Existing Buildings system.
The rating system will be delivered via the web, speeding up and streamlining the certification process. It will also include all building types that were previously unavailable or only available through the USGBC, so new criteria will become available for homes, neighbourhood developments, core and shell commercial buildings, and existing buildings.
A complete “bookshelf” of prerequisites and credits will house the components of all rating systems. The web interface will help project owners generate a custom rating system that takes into consideration the unique traits and situation of a project. This work will be conducted by the “Bookshelf” taskforce.
Q. Will all prerequisites and credits from the current rating system be transferred to the updated system?
The CaGBC will be working closely with the USGBC and the work of the Metrics and Lifecycle Analysis Task Force will determine how best to harmonize the credits, and increase their regional relevance and rating weight for various types of projects. This is to account for the diversity of Canada’s regions, and the unique needs and realities of buildings within those regions.
Q. How will LEED Canada be simplified and improved for users?
The LEED Canada rating system won’t change but the certification process will improve. A LEED Gold is still a LEED Gold. The certification process will be more streamlined, and the rating system will be useful to anyone interested in improving the performance of their building. Through the a new online interface, building owners and operators will be able to compare the performance of their building to similar types of projects, and determine what the minimum performance of the building should be, and where to invest for improvements that will yield the most benefits. The certification process will be facilitated through the same website, and it will apply to different stages of a building’s lifecycle (this will be determined through the work of the certification taskforce).
Q. Why did you decide to include certification through the life cycle of a building? What is the value to the building owners and operators, to LEED users, and to the CaGBC?
Industry feedback and our own goal of a buildings-centric approach to GHG reduction pointed to the need for ongoing performance management capabilities as opposed to a one-time intervention.
Q. How will the next generation of LEED Canada compare to other green building programs?
We believe the LEED rating system will be the most complete green building program in Canada. There are rating systems available today that address only certain building sectors or types, or only buildings in development, or ongoing efficiency and performance management. There isn’t, however, another rating system that rates the entire building from a holistic, full-building perspective. When it’s fully launched into the market, the next generation of LEED Canada will still be the most complete and inclusive green building rating system on the market, and the only tool that measures actual building performance.
Q. When will residential buildings be included in LEED Canada?
By end of 2008, the CaGBC aims to introduce a LEED Canada for Homes rating system that applies to new homes. Next will be a system that applies to existing construction.
Q. How do you intend to make the certification process more streamlined and user-friendly with the next generation of LEED Canada?
Two of the most exciting enhancements of the next generation of LEED Canada will be its web-based delivery and its scalability. That means building owners going through the certification process can access and submit all documents via the web. Scalability will means that project registration and certification will extend to building portfolios and communities. Owners of chain operations, for example, can certify all their projects and benefit from the new LEED Canada building performance management tools.
Q. When will the updated LEED Canada be available for each building type?
By 2011, there will be a next generation LEED Canada rating tool for all building sectors. We are still finalizing the timing for each building sector’s inclusion in the pilot program. Currently, K-12 schools, utilities, commercial and government administrative buildings are going through the pilot program, and we’ve planned for university campuses to be included in the next round of assessments, along with two other building categories.
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