From the Editor
Whether stereos or Subarus, it’s natural to want to try things out before we put them into practice. Last July, the U.S. Green Building Council launched its Pilot Credit Library with the idea of giving users a chance to “test drive” LEED credits before members vote on whether they wind up in the next full-version iteration of the LEED rating system (LEED 2012 is due out next fall). 

The Pilot Credit Library currently includes 45 credits (USGBC released nine new pilot credits on Sept. 1) covering strategies ranging from acoustics to rainwater management. Many of these have a good shot at being included in the next version of LEED — this page gives you a list of all the credits and tells you which credits are included in the proposed draft of LEED 2012.

The credits included in the Pilot Credit Library span all of the LEED rating systems. But some apply only to a few. For instance, the certified products credit only applies to the building design and construction rating systems (New Construction, Commercial Interiors, Core and Shell, Schools, Healthcare). The reason is that the credit awards the point based on a percentage of products selected at the time of design.

You can register for a pilot credit as one (or more than one) of the Innovation in Design/Operations credits. Each pilot credit is worth one point. For New Construction, because there are five Innovation points available, project teams can use as many as five pilot credits. For Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (EBOM), that total is four. Pilot credits are awarded with the same third-party review process as other LEED credits.

So, pilot credits offer project teams and facility managers a great way to try out some new, innovative sustainable strategies. Have you looked into or tried any of the pilot credits on your LEED projects? I’d love to hear about your experience!

Cheers,

Greg Zimmerman, editor  

Green Strategies
LEED Pilot Credits Target Certified Products, Demand Response

In the News
Updates to the LEED Pilot Credit Library
New pilot credits as of Sept. 1 include strategies like ergonomics and acoustics. 

Green Multimedia
A LEED-EBOM Case Study
Robert Pearlman, senior facilities and administration officer, International Finance Corp., talks about how he and his team achieved a Platinum certification on the company's headquarters facility.

GreenTech Conference & Exposition

Recertification: The Key to Making Sustainability Sustainable
This presentation from the 2011 GreenTech Conference & Exposition by Michael Arny, president, Leonardo Academy, provides information on LEED-EBOM recertification, including a seven-step process facility managers should follow.