If you checked FacilitiesNet within the past few days, you may have noticed the news that USGBC members voted overwhelmingly to make a pretty significant change to LEED. Projects now must meet at least two “Optimize Energy Performance” credits, essentially forcing all LEED-certified new construction projects to be at least 14 percent more energy efficient than LEED’s prerequisite energy standard, ASHRAE 90.1-2004.

There are at least three reasons why this change is significant: First, as USGBC says, it’s an example of the organization’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings – one of its major goals as spelled out in last November’s eight-point agenda to address climate change.

Secondly, it’s a positive step toward eliminating one of the biggest overall gripes with LEED: that it can be implemented piecemeal resulting in a building that is far less green than the sum of its parts. For example, you could spend $350 on a bike rack and get the same amount of credit as a tens-of-thousands-of-dollar investment in energy efficiency. You could use low-VOC paints, adhesives and sealants, and get the same credit as a two-year contract to purchase all renewable energy. Prior to this latest change to LEED, a project team could meet the 90.1 prerequisite, completely ignore any other energy credit and still achieve certification. Of course, this change to LEED doesn’t eliminate this perceived problem all together. But it’s a step in the right direction. Besides, it’s not like many project teams took advantage of this “credit sniping” strategy and built an inferior building purported to be green, but the fact that it was possible gave skeptics plenty of fodder for potshots at LEED. This change to LEED begins to address this complaint by placing a greater emphasis on energy — an emphasis that will no doubt continue to be addressed with future changes.

The fact that changes are being made on the fly at all is also significant. As a matter of fact, it's the second major change to LEED in the last two months. Several weeks ago, USGBC announced that projects could get Innovation in & Design Process credits for using products with Cradle to Cradle certification. USGBC is still building toward LEED 3.0, the first completely new version of LEED in several years, so allowing some flexibility to make necessary changes only enhances the credibility of the rating system — and the organization.