Through June 22, the USGBC has opened the first public comment period on LEED 2009, the next evolution of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building certification system. The new version represents a reorganization of the existing rating systems for commercial buildings, combined with a series of major technical advancements focused on improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, and addressing other environmental and human health outcomes.

"Continuing to seek the right balance between technical advancement and market transformation was a driving force behind the LEED 2009 work," explains Scot Horst, chairman of the LEED Steering Committee, which oversees technical development of the rating system. "The big ideas we've proposed include transparent weightings of LEED credits, so the highest-priority credits achieve the most points; a new mechanism for incorporating bioregional credits; and, a more nimble framework that supports rapid response to emerging environmental and human health issues."

The new guidelines, coupled with an expanded third-party certification program and significant enhancements to LEED Online, make up a multifaceted initiative referred to as LEED Version 3.0. Information about proposed technical changes to the rating system can be found in background documents accompanying public comment forms on USGBC's web site (www.usgbc.org/). Further information about the expansion of the certification process and improvements to LEED Online, as well as future technical improvements, including the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into LEED, will be forthcoming in late summer.