Comments Sought for 2012 Update of LEED Rating System

Interested parties have until Jan. 14 to take advantage of the first of two public comment periods on the draft update of the popular Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green-building rating system. The U.S. Green Building Council hopes to release the revised system in November 2012, after an August 2012 ballot. The proposed system builds on LEED 2009, which includes the alignment and weighting of credits for certification, says USGBC. The upcoming version also develops the LEED 2009 framework that allows credits to be applied to specific building types. The draft increases emphasis on integrated process and building performance, says USGBC, which reports there currently are 7,368 LEED-certified buildings and 36,469 registered for certification after completion. The second public comment period is scheduled for July 1 through Aug. 15. Information about how to provide feedback is available at www.usgbc.org.