Green-e Certification Included in LEED v4

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, November 21, 2013 /3BL Media/ — The latest version of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green-building standard was released yesterday by the U.S. Green Building Council at its annual Greenbuild conference in Philadelphia, PA, and includes the ability to earn points toward certification by purchasing renewable energy and carbon offsets certified by Green‑e. The new LEED v4 incorporates many improvements to its credit for renewable energy and carbon offsets, including increasing the amount and duration of purchases, and requiring Green-e certification or equivalent for both green power and carbon offsets.

CRS was actively involved in the public comment periods and submitted several rounds of comments (all are available at CRS Publications). Here is a summary of the changes:

Green Power. In order to achieve points for green power, LEED v4 will require use of renewable energy generation that came online in 2005 or later, and that LEED projects purchase 50% or 100% of their electricity use for a minimum of five years (under many LEED Building Design and Construction and Interior Design and Construction rating systems), to be delivered annually. Existing buildings (under Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance) requires a minimum two-year contract. Qualifying renewable energy must be Green-e Energy certified or equivalent.

Carbon Offsets. In order to achieve points for carbon offsets under LEED v4, offsets must be used to cover emissions associated with 50% or 100% of on-site energy use (under the LEED Building Design and Construction and Interior Design and Construction rating systems), such as from natural gas or propane, or electricity. The LEED rating system for Existing Buildings doesn't require a specific percentage, but will award points up to 100%. All qualifying offsets must be Green-e Climate certified or equivalent.

For more information, watch our recent LEED, Renewable Energy, and Carbon Offsets webinar, and review the Speaker Deck.

About Green‑e and Center for Resource Solutions
A program of Center for Resource Solutions, Green‑e is North America's leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. Green‑e offers certification and verification of renewable energy and greenhouse gas mitigation products throughGreen‑e Energy, a renewable energy certification program; Green‑e Climate, a greenhouse gas emission reduction certification program; and Green‑e Marketplace, a program that provides forward-thinking organizations a simple, nationally recognized logo they can use to communicate their renewable energy and climate commitment to their customers and stakeholders. To learn more about Green‑e Certified products and programs available in all 50 states and Canada, visitwww.green‑e.org.