Third Public Comment Period for 2012 LEED Update to Open Next Month

Officials at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) of Washington, D.C., announced that the third public comment period for the proposed 2012 update to its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building program will open March 1, according to a February 13 release. The comment period, which will close on March 20, marks the start of the LEED 2012 program delivery process.

This third draft of LEED has been refined to address technical stringency and rigor, measurement and performance tools, and a better user experience, according to the release. The technical changes have been informed by market data, stakeholder-generated ideas, expert engagement and advances in technology. Additional performance-based management features will help projects measure and manage energy and water usage, site and building material selection, and indoor environmental quality.

For LEED projects outside of the U.S., LEED 2012 will offer a new global perspective. Through modified language, new requirements and options that increase flexibility, LEED 2012 makes it easier for the international community to engage.

The credit requirements have been rewritten to better align with documentation already required by the architecture and construction fields. Improvements to submittals, documentation paths and LEED Online improve LEED usability.

The third public comment documents, including technical refinements, scorecards, and responses to comments from the previous public comment period, will be available on

Once the comment period process concludes, LEED 2012 will be balloted in June and launch in November. To vote in the ballot, USGBC members must opt-in to the consensus body beginning April 2. The consensus body is made up of employees of USGBC national member organizations and ensures ballot participation from the full diversity of members who are using LEED in the marketplace. To be eligible to join the consensus body and vote in the LEED 2012 ballot, members must be in good standing by March 1, and be maintained throughout the balloting period, according to the release.