Top 5 LEED v4.1 Credit Substitutions

Project teams are diving into LEED v4.1 by substituting compliance options on LEED v4 BD+C and ID+C projects. USGBC has now seen more than 6,000 LEED v4 projects substitute LEED v4.1 credits, some project’s substituting 6 or more credits.

Take advantage of additional options, lower compliance thresholds, and increased flexibility by substituting LEED v4.1 requirements. All LEED BD+C and ID+C v4.1 credits are available for substitution. Substitution also offers project teams a chance to familiarize themselves with the requirements ahead of the public comment expected this year, to make meaningful updates to the rating system.

Top 5 LEED v4.1 substitutions:

1. MRc Environmental Product Declarations
2. EQc Low Emitting Materials
3. MRc Material Ingredient Reporting
4. MRc Sourcing of Raw Materials
5. LTc Electric Vehicles (previously LTc Green Vehicles)

5 ones to watch which CAGBC expects to grow in popularity:

1. MRc Construction and Demolition Waste Management, Option 2 Waste Prevention: a lower threshold was provided in the November 2020 addenda. Don’t forget, you must employ strategies to reduce waste.
2. MRc Building Life Cycle Impaction Reduction, Option 2 Whole Building LCA: multiple thresholds now available.
3. LTc Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses, Option 3 Walkable Location: save time on documentation with this simple option. This option is available to ALL project types.
4. LTc High Priority Sites: increased social equity value in the new paths for “Economically Disadvantaged Community Location”, “Equity & Community Benefits”, and “Affordable Housing in Residential or Mixed-Use Projects”.
5. SSc Rainwater Management: more attainable thresholds

Honorable mention for Core and Shell: LEED v4.1 WE points are re-allocated from Indoor Water Use Reduction to Outdoor Water Use Reduction and Optimize Process Water Use to better align with the Core and Shell scope of work. See the What You Need To Know section of the Beta Guide page 10 for details.

Step by step guidance to credit substitution can be found in last October’s bulletin. Watch our YouTube playlist of short videos explaining the most important changes in LEED v4.1 credits from the November 2020 addenda.