The most important consideration for any construction project is the environmental consequences. That’s according to fairsnape, a blog that discusses themes of sustainability, collaboration, excellence and futures.

Fortunately, these can easily be accounted for in the new LEED certification standards, known as LEED v3. In Part 1 of an article entitled Why LEED is important to FM and can lead to better facilities, the author discusses what those involved in construction project need to know about the newest LEED release.

It is important to note that LEED v3 refers to three separate LEED initiatives: LEED 2009, LEED Online and a new certification model.

First, LEED 2009 updates nine separate rating systems:

• LEED for New Construction
• LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance
• LEED for Core and Shell
• LEED for Commercial Interiors
• LEED for Schools
• LEED for Homes
• LEED for Retail
• LEED for Healthcare
• LEED for Neighborhood Development

For example, a new credit requirement in LEED for New Construction is that a 20% reduction of in-building water use is now a prerequisite, as opposed to an optional credit. In addition, USGBC now asks that building project teams commit to sharing, via a free online tool, energy and water data for a minimum of five years. The goal for this LEED certification standard is to create a built-in study for green building data to compare with traditional building water and energy use.

Second, updates to the LEED Online tool make it much easier for facility executives to access the site, enter project details and determine which rating system best fits the project.

Finally, the project certification process has been delegated to the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), an organization which manages the LEED Accredited Professional (AP) credential.

GBCI has instituted a new credentialing maintenance system and two new designations to the AP program. LEED AP test candidates can now chose whether to become credentialed in Operations & Maintenance, Building Design & Construction, or Interior Design & Construction. Each designation has its own exam, and rating systems have been re-weighted on a 100-point scale.

Finding software to manage a project’s LEED certification standards

With such an abundance of information involved in making a project green, a number of systems have emerged to ease the process of instituting and tracking LEED certification standards before a project is submitted to the GBCI or other certifying authority.

Our series, Using software to manage LEED documentation, thus illustrates how to track LEED documentation or establish a LEED certification program for a project. It highlights examples of LEED-related systems in four parts:

• Free LEED certification helpers
• LEED certification systems for owners and property managers
• Online LEED certification systems
• LEED certification systems built into construction management software

The tools featured in this series should help you manage the documents, deadlines and decisions that go into meeting increasingly stringent LEED certification standards.