What is LEED Recertification and how can it add value to your building?
All LEED-certified buildings are eligible for the LEED recertification, which consists of verifying that, over the years, the building continues to operate in accordance with LEED standards. For this purpose, it must be supplied updated performance data information in energy, water, waste, transport, indoor air quality, toxin-free environment and occupant satisfaction. Furthermore, the recertification will allow increase the building certification level. If your project already has LEED certificate, in this article we will explain to you what recertification involves and why Evalore is the company to trust with the recertification process.
What does LEED recertification involve?
Source: Hotel Vela project by EVALORE for IG. Photo edited by EVALORE.
Primarily, LEED Recertification encourages all those occupied and in-use projects that have previously been LEED certificates, to supervise their performance data, demonstrating the maintenance of LEED requirements and standards, after its construction and occupation. In general, all of the LEED projects - past, present and future - including LEED Building Design and Construction BD+C and Interior Design and Construction ID+C, regardless of their rating system or initial version, They can be recertified by providing 12 consecutive months of data in each of the evaluation categories. Allowing the performance of energy, water, waste, transport, indoor environmental quality, and occupant satisfaction in the building to be assessed. In addition, projects using this recertification pathway they will obtain certification for the most recent version the LEED.
Source: Hotel Vela project by EVALORE for IG. Photo edited by EVALORE.
Recertification for LEED-EBOM and LEED v4.1 projects
In particular, projects certified under any version of LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EBOM) are due recertify compulsorily at least once every five years to maintain their certification current, emphasising the importance of continuous improvement. In which new credits that had not been documented can be added, covering the performance period from the previous certification to the new application.
Instead, for the projects with the latest LEED v4.1 version, this period is called the «reporting period» and has a duration of 12 months. Some categories, such as energy and water, require data for the entire period, meaning data for the 12 consecutive months of total consumption in the building. Other categories allow for at least one analysis per year within the reporting period.
LEED recertification encourages project teams to monitor their performance data and demonstrate that their buildings operate as they did at project inception.
It is also important to highlight that, LEED v4.1 O+M recertification, is recertification available for all LEED projects, it is necessary because it allows the current performance of the building to be quantified, make the improvements, and have a sustainable building. To carry out this process, it is advisable to use a consultancy firm that will be responsible for entering the data using platforms like Arc; if you are interested in finding out more, we will explain it to you in this article.
What are the benefits of LEED Recertification?
- Maintain and improve your building. Ensure that the building continues to comply with the standards evaluated in the year it was certified and improve with the new requirements.
- Provide annually updated information, regarding performance in energy, water, waste, transport, indoor environmental quality and human experience. It enables the building to be in constant improvement, implementing new technologies and advances in service management.
- Increase the building certification level, by the latest available version of the rating system, currently LEED v4.1 O+M.
LEED recertification with Arc
Source: https://arcskoru.com/
Arc is a GBCI platform that enables the monitoring of buildings' sustainability performance across five fundamental metric areas:
- Energy
- Water
- Materials and Resources Waste
- Transport
- Indoor Environmental Quality Human Experience
This tool, available for all LEED-certified buildings, allows consultancies to carry out the recertification process via two routes. One of them is through LEED Online, by locating the project to be recertified and being redirected to Arcskoru.com to activate the project. The other way is through Arcskoru.com where can one search for the project directly. Data and documents uploaded in Arc are synchronized with LEED Online.
What are the steps for LEED Recertification?
It is important in order to recertify, to have collected information annually on the performance data. In addition to the supporting documentation (receipts, waste management certificates, reports, etc.)
- The consultancy firm will submit the documentation with the data from the last 12 months in LEED Online.
- LEED Online will automatically calculate performance scores and determine your LEED points.
- GBCI will conduct a recertification review and award a maximum of 100 LEED points in the following way:
- Energy performance: 1-33 points
- Water yield: 1-15 points
- Behaviour of waste1-8 points
- Transport performance: 1-14 points
- Indoor environmental quality: 1-20 points
- LEED Certification: 10 points. This will be granted automatically to all projects that have previously obtained LEED certification.
- The project must get a minimum of 40 points to achieve LEED recertification.
- GBCI will award one of the following levels of LEED certification:
- Certificate: 40-49 points
- Silver: 50 – 59 points
- Gold: 60 – 79 points
- Platinum: 80+ points
- Projects must introduce annual data to ensure that the project maintains a high standard of performance. A project may request an exemption to this requirement on a case-by-case basis.
While recertification is not mandatory for all LEED projects, it allows you to document the project's continuous improvement, quantify your investment and obtain the latest current certification.
Source: Hotel Vela project by EVALORE for IG. Photo edited by EVALORE.
What type of certification does a project achieve with LEED Recertification?
With LEED recertification, your project has a new certification, you will obtain certification LEED for Operations and Maintenance (LEED O+M) according to the most recent version of the classification system available, it currently is LEED v4.1. Furthermore, you can order all the same recognition materials available.
How long is the LEED recertification for a project valid?
It is valid for three years, during which time in a manner Updated data must be provided annually of the building to keep the recertification active. Every three years, data must be submitted for review in order to renew the certification and document ongoing achievements. Projects that fail to enter annual performance data will no longer be considered certified. If they subsequently decide to apply for a new recertification, they will have to restart the recertification process and pay an additional registration fee. It is recommended to review the Recertification guide, which details the requirements and the process.
How much does LEED recertification cost?
LEED recertification fees include a registration fee and a review fee, with review costs depending on the gross floor area of the project, varying according to its size. Please consult the prices of the LEED recertification.
Active projects, meaning those that have undergone continuous monitoring and provide their data at least annually, are exempt from the registration or enrolment fee.
During the process, Espacios Evalore will propose measures that allow for higher levels of recertification. If you want us to help you recertify your building, get in touch with us.
Laura Barrios Mogollón
Architect and Sustainability Consultant, Espacios Evalore SLP
